Our Story
Shop Houston's Best Toy Stores
Big Blue Whale + On The Park
For a truly unique and nostalgic retail experience, we invite you to visit Big Blue Whale in the Heights and On the Park in Kingwood. Owned by Vanessa and Jim Wodehouse, both shops are magical spaces to find classic, hard-to-find, and handmade toys. Lines you will find while browsing our shelves or online shop include Bruder, Hape, Playmobil, Steiff, Faber-Castell, Lego, and much, much more.
How It All Began
Established in 2014
Realizing the neighborhood could use a specialty toy store that appealed to both kids and adults, Vanessa and Jim opened Big Blue Whale on 19th Street in the summer of 2014. It quickly became the go-to spot for Heights parents to find birthday and holiday gifts. This year, Houston Chronicle readers voted Big Blue Whale “Best Toy Store,” in Houston.
Kingwood Location
On The Park
In early 2019, Vanessa and Jim acquired On the Park from Karen and Fred Rosenberg, the couple that lovingly created the shop. The beloved candy and toy store has been a Kingwood staple for nearly 25 years. Vanessa and Jim were honored to take over On the Park and preserve another place where childhood and imagination could be celebrated.