Eugene Field House and Saint Louis Toy Museum, Saint Louis

The Field House Museum (formerly known as the Eugene Field House and St. Louis Toy Museum) is a historic house museum dedicated to the life of writer Eugene Field, the legal legacy of his father Roswell Field, and the history of childhood.

Built in 1845, the Greek Revival townhouse is the oldest surviving row house in St. Louis and the only remaining building from the original twelve-unit Walsh's Row development. Eugene Field, best known for children's poems such as Wynken, Blynken, and Nod and Little Boy Blue, was born in the house in 1850 and spent his early childhood there. Today, the museum preserves the historic residence while exploring literature, local history, and the Field family's lasting impact on American society. The restored house features period rooms furnished to reflect mid-19th-century domestic life, along with exhibits about the Field family and the social history of the era. Displays highlight the groundbreaking work of Roswell Field, the attorney who formulated the legal strategy to bring Dred Scott's fight for freedom into the federal court system, ultimately leading to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Dred Scott v. Sandford. Original woodwork, fireplaces, and decorative details remain intact throughout the home.

An attached museum wing displays an extensive collection of historic toys, dolls, board games, model trains, and tin toys spanning the 19th century to the present. Changing exhibitions, educational programs, family activities, and guided tours introduce visitors to the history of the house, Eugene Field's literary legacy, and the evolution of childhood and play in American culture.