FAO Schwarz
An American heritage toy retailer known for theatrical stores, premium toys, plush animals, interactive experiences, and its iconic dance-on piano.
Last updated August 21, 2026
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Overview
FAO Schwarz is an American toy retail brand whose identity combines premium merchandise with highly theatrical shopping environments. It traces its origins to 1862, when German immigrant Frederick August Otto Schwarz opened a toy business called Toy Bazaar in Baltimore. Schwarz later established a New York City location in 1870, beginning the brand's long association with Manhattan and helping create its reputation as a destination for unusual, luxurious, and gift-oriented toys. The retailer became particularly associated with holiday traditions, elaborate displays, specialty toys, and a large annual catalog. Its New York operations moved through several prominent addresses before settling in 1931 at 745 Fifth Avenue, where the store remained for decades. In 1986, the business moved across Fifth Avenue to the General Motors Building at 767 Fifth Avenue and 58th Street. By the end of the 1990s, FAO Schwarz had expanded to approximately 40 American locations, although the business remained strongly identified with its New York flagship. The brand experienced substantial ownership changes and financial instability. Parent's Magazine Enterprises acquired it in 1963, followed by W. R. Grace in 1970 and Swiss retailer Franz Carl Weber in 1974. After additional ownership changes, Right Start acquired 23 FAO Schwarz stores in 2001 and later changed its corporate name to FAO Inc. FAO Inc. operated FAO Schwarz alongside The Right Start and Zany Brainy, but filed for bankruptcy in January 2003, emerged several months later, and filed again in December of that year. Most stores closed in January 2004. D. E. Shaw acquired the remaining New York and Las Vegas stores and the catalog and online businesses, allowing the New York flagship to reopen on Thanksgiving Day 2004. The Las Vegas store later closed in 2010. Toys 'R' Us acquired FAO Schwarz in 2009 and introduced temporary and then permanent FAO Schwarz boutiques within selected Toys 'R' Us stores. It also distributed FAO Schwarz-branded infant and toddler products through Babies 'R' Us. Toys 'R' Us closed the former Fifth Avenue flagship, ending the brand's long-running address at the General Motors Building. ThreeSixty Group acquired FAO Schwarz from Toys 'R' Us in 2016. The FAO Schwarz name and trademarks remain associated with the Schwarz family and the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation, while ThreeSixty Group operates the retail business under an exclusive license. The brand returned to Manhattan with a global flagship at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in November 2018. The store emphasized demonstrations, role-play, personalization, unusual products, and experiences intended to make the visit itself part of the offering. Additional locations followed at LaGuardia Airport, Chicago's Midway International Airport, Selfridges in London, Arnotts in Dublin, a Beijing location operated with Kidsland, Milan, and Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in Paris. FAO Schwarz is best known for plush animals, luxury and limited-quantity toys, branded collaborations, child-sized vehicles, games, educational products, and interactive installations. Its smaller Piano Dance Mat and the full-size store piano derive from the dance-on piano made famous by the 1988 film Big. The brand's cultural visibility has also been reinforced by appearances and references in films and television, including Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Baby Boom, The Smurfs, Toy Story 3, and Hawkeye. Today, FAO Schwarz positions itself less as a conventional mass-market toy chain than as an experiential, gift-led, premium toy destination with a heritage rooted in New York retail and seasonal wonder.
History
FAO Schwarz began in 1862 in Baltimore as Toy Bazaar, founded by German immigrant Frederick August Otto Schwarz. Schwarz established a New York location in 1870 under the name Schwarz Toy Bazaar. The New York store moved from Broadway to Union Square in 1880 and then to West 23rd Street in 1897. By the late nineteenth century it was recognized as one of the city's largest toy dealers. The retailer promoted seasonal toy exhibitions from 1869 and published a holiday catalog beginning in 1876. In 1896 it marketed itself as the Original Santa Claus Headquarters, linking the store to New York's Christmas-shopping culture. The New York operation moved to 745 Fifth Avenue in 1931 and remained there for 55 years. Parent's Magazine Enterprises purchased the company in 1963, but retained the Schwarz name through a licensing and royalty arrangement because of the name's commercial value. The Schwarz family used royalty income to establish a foundation supporting opportunities for young people in nonprofit work. W. R. Grace acquired the business in 1970, and Swiss retailer Franz Carl Weber acquired it in 1974. Christiana Companies owned it briefly in 1985 before Peter Harris and Peter Morse acquired it in 1986 through Morse Partners. They moved the store to the General Motors Building at 767 Fifth Avenue and 58th Street. Royal Vendex/KBB, formerly NV Koninklijke Bijenkorf Beheer, acquired FAO Schwarz in 1990. During the 1990s the business expanded across the United States and reached about 40 locations by 2000. Right Start acquired 23 stores, including the Fifth Avenue flagship, from Royal Vendex in 2001. In 2002, Right Start changed its corporate name to FAO Inc. and operated brands including FAO Schwarz, The Right Start, and Zany Brainy. Financial pressure led to the first bankruptcy filing in January 2003. Although the company emerged three months later, it filed again in December. The remaining 13 FAO Schwarz stores closed in January 2004. D. E. Shaw acquired the New York and Las Vegas stores and the catalog and Internet business in February 2004. The New York store reopened on Thanksgiving Day 2004 after renovation and redesign, while the Las Vegas location eventually operated until 2010. FAO Schwarz was acquired by Toys 'R' Us in May 2009. Under that ownership, FAO Schwarz became both a standalone retail name and a shop-in-shop concept. Temporary holiday boutiques appeared in Toys 'R' Us stores in 2009, and selected locations became permanent boutiques in 2010. FAO Schwarz-branded infant and toddler products were also distributed through Babies 'R' Us. The former New York flagship was ultimately closed, and the Las Vegas store closed in January 2010. ThreeSixty Group acquired FAO Schwarz from Toys 'R' Us in October 2016. The Schwarz family and the FAO Schwarz Family Foundation retained ownership of the name and trademarks, while ThreeSixty Group received an exclusive license to operate the brand's retail locations. ThreeSixty repositioned the retailer around experiential stores, interactive demonstrations, specialty products, and a renewed sense of theatrical discovery. Its 2017 redesign by Mattson Creative refreshed the logo and packaging and introduced the 'Return to Wonder' tagline and hashtag. The brand's post-acquisition retail revival began with a global flagship at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in New York, opened in November 2018. A LaGuardia Airport store followed in December. In 2018, temporary shops also appeared in Hudson's Bay stores in Canada. During 2019, FAO Schwarz expanded to Midway International Airport in Chicago, Selfridges in London, Arnotts in Dublin, and a large Beijing store operated with Kidsland. The Beijing concept included a clock tower, rocket ship, racecar customization area, and a replica of the Big piano. Further international growth included Milan in 2021 and Paris at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in spring 2024. The brand's cultural image is inseparable from its theatrical New York store. The full-size dance-on piano became internationally recognizable after its appearance in the 1988 film Big, and the retailer has appeared or been referenced in films and television including Baby Boom, Big Business, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, Mighty Aphrodite, Annie, Toy Story 3, The Smurfs, The Simpsons, and Hawkeye. This media presence supports FAO Schwarz's current positioning as an experience-led heritage toy brand rather than simply a chain selling children's merchandise.
- 2024
Paris location opens
[1]FAO Schwarz opens at Galeries Lafayette Haussmann in Paris.
- 2021
Milan location opens
[1]The brand adds a store in Milan.
- 2019
International retail expansion
[1]Locations open or are established in Chicago, Beijing, London, and Dublin.
- 2018
Rockefeller Center flagship opens
[1]FAO Schwarz returns to a major New York retail location at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
- 2016
ThreeSixty Group acquires the brand
[1]ThreeSixty Group purchases FAO Schwarz from Toys 'R' Us.
- 2009
Toys 'R' Us becomes owner
[1]Toys 'R' Us acquires FAO Schwarz and develops a shop-in-shop format.
- 2004
New York flagship reopens
[1]D. E. Shaw acquires remaining operations and reopens the New York store on Thanksgiving Day.
- 2003
FAO Inc. files for bankruptcy twice
[1]The operating company files in January, emerges in April, and files again in December.
- 2001
Right Start acquires major store group
[1]Right Start purchases 23 FAO Schwarz stores, including the Fifth Avenue flagship.
- 1986
Store moves to the General Motors Building
[1]Peter Harris and Peter Morse acquire the company and move the New York flagship to 767 Fifth Avenue.
Products and positioning
Premium, experiential toy retail built around heritage, spectacle, discovery, gifting, and family entertainment rather than convenience-led mass merchandising.
Plush toys
Plush animals
Large and distinctive plush animals are central to FAO Schwarz's visual identity and merchandising mix. The brand offers both its own products and selected premium plush from outside makers, including exclusive or limited-availability items. Plush displays contribute to the store's theatrical environment and support gift purchases across a broad range of ages.
Interactive toy
Piano Dance Mat
The Piano Dance Mat is a smaller consumer-oriented version of the large dance-on piano associated with FAO Schwarz's New York store and the film Big. It translates the brand's signature physical experience into a take-home product and serves as one of its most recognizable branded items.
Premium toys
Luxury and limited-quantity toys
FAO Schwarz sells unusual, premium-priced products designed to create surprise and spectacle. Examples include elaborate collectibles and child-sized vehicles, including a crystal-encrusted drivable automobile described as having a value of $25,000. These products reinforce the retailer's luxury-gifting and destination-shopping positioning.
Educational toys
Educational toys and games
The assortment includes games, puzzles, construction products, developmental toys, and educational merchandise from FAO Schwarz and partner brands. The range is intended to combine play value with discovery and learning, supporting the retailer's curated alternative to general mass-market toy shelves.
Personalized toy experience
Build-A-Bear Workshop collaboration
FAO Schwarz has featured Build-A-Bear Workshop as an in-store partner, offering a make-your-own stuffed-animal experience together with selected FAO Schwarz-exclusive animals and accessories. The collaboration illustrates the brand's emphasis on participatory retail and personalization.
Licensed and exclusive merchandise
FAO Schwarz exclusive teddy bear
For the release of Kinectimals: Now with Bears!, FAO Schwarz offered an exclusive teddy bear plush with a scannable tag. The item combined a physical toy with a digital-game connection and demonstrated the retailer's use of product exclusives to create collectible appeal.
Marketing campaigns
- 2017Return to Wonder
United States · International
Mattson Creative developed a refreshed logo and packaging system alongside the 'Return to Wonder' tagline and hashtag for the brand's post-Toys 'R' Us relaunch.
Outcome. Supported the repositioning of FAO Schwarz as a heritage-led experiential toy brand.
- 1896Original Santa Claus Headquarters
United States
FAO Schwarz promoted its New York store as the Original Santa Claus Headquarters, tying the brand to Christmas shopping and family visits.
Outcome. Strengthened the store's seasonal cultural profile.
- 1869Seasonal toy exhibition
United States
The store began presenting exhibitions of toys intended for the Christmas season, establishing an early form of experiential and seasonal merchandising.
Outcome. Helped define the retailer's holiday-destination identity.
Brand decisions
2019
Expand through international and partner locationsStrategyBackground
The revived brand pursued a lower-capital expansion model using department stores, airports, and local operating partners alongside standalone retail.
Action taken
FAO Schwarz opened or established locations in Chicago, Beijing with Kidsland, London through Selfridges, and Dublin through Arnotts.
Aftermath
The format extended FAO Schwarz's experiential positioning into additional markets without relying exclusively on large standalone stores.
2018
Rebuild the brand around experiential retailStrategyBackground
Following the ThreeSixty Group acquisition, FAO Schwarz needed to restore a visible physical presence after the closure of its former Fifth Avenue flagship.
Action taken
ThreeSixty Group opened a large flagship at 30 Rockefeller Plaza featuring demonstrations, interactive experiences, specialty merchandise, and the recognizable piano installation.
Aftermath
The store became the base for additional airport, department-store, and international locations.
2016
ThreeSixty Group acquires FAO SchwarzM&ABackground
ThreeSixty Group acquired the brand from Toys 'R' Us after the end of its earlier ownership period.
Action taken
ThreeSixty Group obtained the operating rights and developed a new store and licensing strategy while the Schwarz family retained ownership of the trademarks.
Aftermath
The strategy led to a new Rockefeller Center flagship and renewed domestic and international expansion.
2009
Toys 'R' Us acquires FAO SchwarzM&ABackground
After the brand's restructuring under D. E. Shaw, Toys 'R' Us sought to use FAO Schwarz's premium heritage and recognition within its broader toy-retail network.
Action taken
Toys 'R' Us acquired the brand and introduced FAO Schwarz boutiques inside selected Toys 'R' Us stores.
Aftermath
The brand gained broader shop-in-shop distribution, but the former New York flagship and Las Vegas location eventually closed.
2003
FAO Inc. enters bankruptcy proceedingsOtherBackground
The company operating FAO Schwarz faced financial pressure and filed for bankruptcy twice during 2003.
Action taken
FAO Inc. filed in January, emerged in April, and filed again in December, leading to the closure of the remaining stores in January 2004.
Aftermath
D. E. Shaw acquired the remaining New York and Las Vegas stores and the catalog and online operations in February 2004.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Target and FAO Schwarz team up on exclusive toy collection[2]
Reported:
Target announced that it teamed with FAO Schwarz on an exclusive 70-piece toy collection for holiday shoppers.
- Unconfirmed
FAO Schwarz opens a store in Dublin[3]
Reported:
Toy retailer FAO Schwarz opened a 6,000-square-foot store in Arnotts in Dublin, its fourth location internationally.
Sources5 sources
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