After closing and then reopening in St. Louis Park, Choo Choo Bob’s Train Store is laying tracks for a return to St. Paul.
The popular toy shop, featuring wooden trains and interactive play areas, will open in retail space in Union Depot on Friday, May 3.
The management of the historic Lowertown transportation hub made the announcement on Tuesday.
Choo Choo Bob’s originally operated at Cleveland and Marshall avenues in St. Paul.
Co-owner Jennifer Southerling and a next-door neighbor from Robbinsdale purchased the store from founder Bob Medcraft in late 2019, promising to continue the legacy he had built across 14 years.
But the pandemic derailed the business, and it closed in September 2020, apparently permanently. But in November 2022, Southerling announced that Choo Choo Bob’s was reopening in the Shops at West End in St. Louis Park.
The toy store is well known for its birthday celebrations, which sometimes featured appearances in character from store employee Paul Howe, otherwise known as Engineer Paul, a regular in “The Choo Choo Bob Show,” which was featured on local television but now streams online.
The shop’s last day in St. Louis Park will be this Sunday. It will reopen in Union Depot at 10 a.m. May 3. Info at choochoobobstrainstore.com.
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