On July 23, 2021 (Friday), at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, toy figures from the 1970s and 1980s are on display. Angela Major/WPR

After Jeff Leyson graduated from high school in 1978, his school orchestra member Ernie Gigax offered him an opportunity.

"He said,'If you need a job, come and work at my dad's company,'" Leyson recalled. "I don't know what the hell it is."

Ernie's father Gary Gygax founded Tactical Studies Rules in Lake Geneva to make Dungeons and Dragons, a role-playing game he developed with his friend Dave Arneson. Leason started playing this game in 1975, but that was before TSR existed as a gaming company.

Now, more than 40 years later, after working in games and other fields, Leason returns to TSR as the curator of the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum. The museum was grandly opened on Sunday at 723 Williams Street, Lake Geneva, where the former TSR headquarters was located. 

Leason said this location is important, in part because it was the first office that Gygax and the company's vice president purchased after they created Dungeons and Dragons and established the company. It is also home to the former Dungeon Hobby Shop, selling TSR products, polyhedral dice, some historical games, paint and metal figures. 

In the past few decades, TSR has experienced some hardships. The company closed down in 1997 but was re-established under Ernie’s leadership. The newly established TSR is operating the museum.

The new company does not issue D&D. In 1997, these rights were sold to Wizards of the Coast.

Dungeons and Dragons souvenirs will be on display at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on Friday, July 23, 2021. Angela Major/WPR

Dungeons and Dragons souvenirs will be on display at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin on Friday, July 23, 2021. Angela Major/WPR

Leason said that the museum displays early TSR items, and he is planning a complete collection of all the products sold at the Dungeon Hobby Shop from the mid-1970s to the early 1980s.

"We are only missing a few things right now," he said, noting that the coronavirus pandemic has caused the prices of old products and gaming adventures to skyrocket.

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On Friday, July 23, 2021, at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, modules that add adventure elements to the game are arranged neatly for customers to watch. Angela Major/WPR

On Friday, July 23, 2021, at the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, modules that add adventure elements to the game are arranged neatly for customers to watch. Angela Major/WPR

Dungeons and Dragons is played by a team led by the dungeon owner, who is the storyteller of the game. They lead the characters through different adventures. The goal of the game is to gain level and experience. Usually, the activity can last for several years. This is true for Leason, who has been campaigning since 1976.

"This is not my game with you," Leason said. "This is for group company, group thinking and problem solving. Usually, in most cases, good and evil."

Leason said that the best part of Dungeons & Dragons is friendship, and pointed out that he has friends that he met at the conference 40 years ago. He said the group was "closely connected."

A sign hangs in front of the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Angela Major/WPR

A sign hangs in front of the Dungeon Hobby Shop Museum in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Angela Major/WPR

This sense of intimacy can be traced back to Leason's early years at TSR, which he called "wonderful." Smaller companies cultivated deep friendships. Employees share housing with other artists or employees, which usually means playing Dungeons and Dragons all weekend.

"Games are always going on because we are testing games to make sure they run smoothly," he said. "I have some pretty good jobs, but there was nothing comparable to TSR at the time."

He does plan to re-examine this game work model while operating the museum. He said that the plan is to hold the first and fifth editions of the game every week, as well as a board game night. 

"I have prepared the dice, and we should play games here every day," he said. "If I don't go on a tour or anything else, we can sit down and play a quick game."

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