MITCHELL - Facing a financial squeeze, the Enchanted World Doll Museum is closing and will likely auction off the thousands of dolls in its collection.

Val LaBreche, the museum's director and curator, said there's still a chance the museum could stay open if charitable donations materialize.

Sheldon Reese, a board member for the nonprofit corporation that owns the museum, said that chance is slim.

"If somebody would like to give $1 million or a half-million, there'd be no reason we'd want to quit," said Reese of Moville, Iowa. "But we've attempted to try to do some of that (fundraising), and it really hasn't been successful."

Reese said the museum's finances depend on visitors attending and buying merchandise, and he said attendance has been falling for at least five years.

LaBreche said declining attendance at the Corn Palace across the street and changes in society have an impact.

"The kids nowadays, like the young girls, they're into sports and computers," she said. "Life is changing."

Promotional materials say the museum has more than 4,000 antique and modern dolls. Auctioneers already are on the way to begin preparing the dolls for an auction, LaBreche said.