The nonprofit Marx Toy Museum on Second Street in Moundsville will close permanently on June 30 but will continue its mission to preserve the work of Louis and David Marx to be enjoyed for generations to come, said Jason Turner, board president.

Turner and his father, Francis Turner, opened the museum 15 years ago and converted it to a nonprofit corporation in 2011. The elder Turner’s 30-year Marx collection is on loan to the museum.

Jason Turner said annual memberships, daily visitation and capital donations have not been enough to sustain a brick-and-mortar operation, but the five-member board has decided instead to expand the museum’s online presence and to develop a traveling exhibit.

“While interest in the colorful and iconic Marx toy brand remains very high, and the museum receives daily visitors from all over the country, the unfortunate reality is that guest admissions and annual memberships have not achieved the levels necessary to provide sustainable operations at the current facility,” Jason Turner said.

“We have worked to set some realistic, achievable goals that the board believes will allow for the continued mission of serving as a monument to the history of Marx toys,” he added.

Francis Turner is the museum curator and also a board member. He retains ownership of the collection, and the museum will move out of the building it leases on Second Street.

To thank museum visitors and supporters, the museum is planning a Community Day event this month, a Marx Employee Day in May and a Celebration of Marx event in June in conjunction with the museum’s Members’ Day event. The museum reopened for the season a couple weeks ago.

“While the museum building closure might understandably disappoint some, we encourage you to share our excitement as we look forward to new opportunities for the Marx Toy Museum organization to expand its reach, and continue its mission,” Jason Turner said. He encourages people to visit the museum before it closes.

The museum will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays until June 30.

The Marx company operated a factory in Glen Dale, where thousands of the famous Big Wheels were made, and other locations. The toy company was founded by Louis Marx in 1919. When Marx turned 76 years old, he sold the company in 1972 and afterward the company declined and eventually closed during the 1980s, according to information from the museum.

In addition to the Big Wheel, some other popular Marx toys include the Green Machine and the Johnny West series. The Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots made Marx famous.