About American Girl
Our purpose
We celebrate girls
Bringing out the joy of girlhood is at the heart of everything we do. Through adventurous stories and imaginative play, we give girls the chance to discover who they are—and who they’re meant to be.
No matter if she’s a toddler or entering her teen years, every girl can find inspiration to be her best, to grow a strong mind and spirit, to laugh while she learns to be resilient, confident, and kind. Most of all, we hope to open girls’ eyes to a bigger world so they can create a brighter future for us all.
Our founder
The story of Pleasant T. Rowland
When Pleasant founded American Girl in 1986, she believed that great stories with aspirational characters could inspire girls to make their own positive mark on the world—and she was right. Since then, we’ve been a trusted partner in empowering girls with confidence and character.
After an inspirational trip to Colonial Williamsburg, Pleasant combined her love of American history and her commitment to high-quality educational products to create our first-ever product line, The American Girls Collection. From there, she developed even more books, dolls, and toys that integrate learning and play experiences to emphasize important values. She also fulfilled her long-time dream of opening experiential retail stores, the first of which debuted in Chicago in 1998, where fans could see and shop the product in person and fully immerse themselves in the world of American Girl.
As American Girl grew in popularity, major toy companies took notice, and Mattel acquired the brand in 1998. Today, guided by Pleasant’s original vision, we’ve grown into one of the nation’s most beloved brands. Through powerful stories of courageous heroines, we’ve helped shape an entire generation of women of character—a brand truth we are immensely proud of and a testament to the spirit and ingenuity of our remarkable founder, Pleasant T. Rowland.
Since the beginning, we’ve created dolls and accessories that reflect the real world and all its colors, customs, and capabilities. We write engaging stories with a goal of opening minds and hearts. And we will never stop learning because of our promise to encourage kindness, build confidence, and celebrate every kind of great!
Our wide range of dolls—offering a variety of skin tones, face molds, eye colors, hair styles and textures, plus hundreds of accessories and stories—helps girls highlight their individuality and style. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion extends even further, continuing with our selection of dolls without hair. These dolls are a perfect companion for girls who may be dealing with permanent or temporary hair loss.
In addition to dolls without hair, we offer several other specialized items, such as an asthma and allergy set, service dog gear, crutches, a wheelchair, and a diabetes kit. Plus, hearing aid placement is also available for our 18-inch dolls (historical characters, Truly Me®, and Create Your Own), either at the time of purchase or through our Doll Hospital.
We seek to help create a world where everyone is valued and respected, and we are committed to empowering the next generation of girls through inclusive stories, products, and shared experiences.