Our History

In 1970, David and Barbara Green took out a $600 loan to begin making miniature picture frames out of their home. Two years later, the fledgling enterprise opened a 300-square-foot store in Oklahoma City, and Hobby Lobby was born. Today, Hobby Lobby is the largest privately owned arts-and-crafts retailer in the world employing approximately 35,000 employees and operating more than 750 stores in forty-seven states.

Hobby Lobby is primarily an arts-and-crafts store but also includes hobbies, picture framing, jewelry making, fabrics, floral and wedding supplies, cards and party ware, baskets, wearable art, home accents and holiday merchandise.

Corporate headquarters include a 9.2 million-square-foot manufacturing, distribution, and office complex in Oklahoma City.

Affiliated companies include Hemispheres, carrying unique home furnishings and accessories from around the world and Mardel Christian and Education Supply, offering books, Bibles, gifts, church and education supplies as well as homeschooling curriculum. Hobby Lobby also maintains offices in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, China.

In 2009 HL Investments was established to make investments outside the core businesses.

What began as a $600 start-up, today, not only empowers customers to live a creative life but spurs on new and existing businesses at a global scale.