One hundred and fifty years ago, a young German immigrant, Frederick August Otto Schwarz, had a vision to establish a magical toy emporium that featured extraordinary, one-of-a-kind toys from all over the world, while creating a theatrical experience to showcase merchandise in a way that would bring it to life.

He and his brothers opened "Toy Bazaar," their first toy retailing business. Following the success of "Toy Bazaar," Frederick moved to New York City in 1870 where he opened "Schwarz Brothers - Importers," while his brothers operated separate toy stores in Baltimore and Boston. Driven by a love of toys and his vision to provide children with the most amazing products, Frederick stocked his store with exquisitely crafted playthings from Europe. Under his leadership, the business grew rapidly and became the destination for unique, high-quality toys.

Frederick opened a second New York City location in 1876 to meet increased demand and also issued his inaugural catalog for loyal clientele, creating one of the first mail order businesses in the country. Over the next 30 years, the store moved to larger, more prominent locations throughout New York City several times. By 1900, Frederick had renamed the store "FAO Schwarz," and many considered him to be the largest toy dealer in the world.

FAO Schwarz is not only the oldest toy store in the United States. It has evolved from a toy store to a must-see tourist destination, and continues to be well-known for high-quality merchandise and timeless treasures.

In 2009, FAO Schwarz was acquired by Toys"R"Us, Inc. the world's leading dedicated toy and baby products retailer. Together, Toys"R"Us and FAO Schwarz have been delighting kids for over 200 years and the combination of these two marquee brands represents an unparalleled expertise in toy retailing.

Learn more at http://www.fao.com