Toy museum
Encyclopedia
Toy
A toy is any object that can be used for play. Toys are associated commonly with children and pets. Playing with toys is often thought to be an enjoyable means of training the young for life in human society. Different materials are used to make toys enjoyable and cuddly to both young and old...
s. They typically showcase toys from a particular culture or period. Some museums such as the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
have toys on display in their permanent collection, but are not full-fledged toy museums and as such are not listed here. Also, organizations. such as The Doll and Toy "Museum" of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
that hold toy collections but are not open for public viewing are not listed here.
Notable toy museums around the world
- The Museum of Childhood (Edinburgh)Museum of Childhood (Edinburgh)The Museum of Childhood is a collection of items relating to children's toys and playthings, situated on the Royal Mile, in Edinburgh, Scotland.The building was once the Salvation Army's hall on the Royal Mile.-Ghosts:...
, on the Royal MileRoyal MileThe Royal Mile is a succession of streets which form the main thoroughfare of the Old Town of the city of Edinburgh in Scotland.As the name suggests, the Royal Mile is approximately one Scots mile long, and runs between two foci of history in Scotland, from Edinburgh Castle at the top of the Castle...
, in EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, ScotlandScotlandScotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. - The Swiss Museum of Games, in La Tour-de-Peilz, SwitzerlandSwitzerlandSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
. - The National Farm Toy MuseumNational Farm Toy MuseumThe National Farm Toy Museum is a museum located in Dyersville, Iowa, that specializes in preserving and displaying scale models, replicas, and toys based on farm equipment...
, a museum located in Dyersville, IowaIowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
that specializes in preserving and displaying scale modelScale modelA scale model is a physical model, a representation or copy of an object that is larger or smaller than the actual size of the object, which seeks to maintain the relative proportions of the physical size of the original object. Very often the scale model is used as a guide to making the object in...
s, replicas, and toys based on farm equipmentFarm equipmentAgricultural machinery is any kind of machinery used on a farm to help with farming. The best-known example of this kind is the tractor.-Soil cultivation:*Cultivator*Cultipacker*Chisel plow*Mulch tiller*Harrow**Spike harrow**Drag harrow...
. - The Museum of Toys and AutomataMuseum of Toys and AutomataThe Museum of Toys and Automata is a toy & automata museum located in Verdú, Lleida, 100 km west of Barcelona. It sets forth a collection of more than a thousand objects in a building with impressive architecture. It is one of the more distinguished museums of its kind.-The exhibition:The...
in VerdúVerdúVerdú is a village in the county of Urgell, in the province of Lleida, Catalonia, Spain that soon loaded the Segarra-Garrigues water channel....
, CataloniaCataloniaCatalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
. Founded in 2004. - The Toy and Plastic Brick Museum in Bellaire, Ohio, USA. Founded in 2006.
- The Nuremberg Toy MuseumNuremberg Toy MuseumThe Toy Museum is a museum in Nuremberg, Bavaria. Located in a city famous for its toy-makers, it was founded in 1971, and is based on the toy collection of Lydia and Paul Bayer....
- a toy museum in NurembergNurembergNuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
, GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Founded in 1971. - Pollock's Toy MuseumPollock's Toy MuseumPollock's Toy Museum is a small museum in London, England.It was started in 1956 in a single attic room at 44 Monmouth Street, near Covent Garden, where Pollock's Toy Theatres were also sold. As the enterprise flourished, other rooms were taken over for the museum and the ground floor became a...
- a small museum in Covent GardenCovent GardenCovent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
, LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, first opened in 1956. - Shankar's International Dolls MuseumShankar's International Dolls MuseumThe International Dolls Museum is a large collection of dolls in Delhi, India. It was set up by K. Shankar Pillai, a political cartoonist. Housed in the Children's Book Trust building on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, accessed through a separate entrance, a winding staircase, leading up to a foyer. The...
, a large collection of dolls in DelhiDelhiDelhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, opened in 1965. - Strong - National Museum of PlayStrong - National Museum of PlayThe National Museum of Play, formerly Strong National Museum of Play, is part of The Strong in Rochester, New York, USA. Established in 1969 and based initially on the personal collection of Rochester, NY native Margaret Woodbury Strong, the museum opened to the public in 1982...
- a Smithsonian affiliate in Rochester, New YorkRochester, New YorkRochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, founded in 1982, that documents the history of play in American culture. It includes the National Toy Hall of FameNational Toy Hall of FameThe National Toy Hall of Fame is an American hall of fame that recognizes the contributions of toys and games that have sustained their popularity for many years...
- a hall of fameHall of FameA hall of fame, wall of fame, walk of fame, walk of stars or avenue of stars is a type of attraction established for any field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field...
for popular toys, opened in 1998. - The Istanbul Toy MuseumIstanbul Toy MuseumThe İstanbul Toy Museum is a small museum dedicated to toys. The museum is located in the Göztepe district of Istanbul, Turkey.The museum was founded by the Turkish poet and novelist, Sunay Akın, in 2005. The museum opened on April 23, a national holiday in Turkey, National Sovereignty and...
- a small museum founded in 2005, and located in the GöztepeGöztepeGöztepe can refer to:*Göztepe, Istanbul, a neigbourhood in the Kadıköy district of Istanbul, Turkey*Göztepe, İzmir, a district of İzmir, Turkey*Göztepe A.Ş., a football club in İzmir...
district of IstanbulIstanbulIstanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
, in the garden of the Eyüp Sultan MosqueEyüp Sultan MosqueThe Eyüp Sultan Mosque is situated in the district of Eyüp on the European side of Istanbul, near the Golden Horn, outside the Walls of Constantinople...
. - The Brighton Toy And Model MuseumBrighton Toy And Model MuseumThe Brighton Toy and Model Museum is one of the world's finest toy museums, located in Brighton, East Sussex. Its collection of toys and models extends over four thousand square feet of floorspace, through four of the early Victorian arches supporting the forecourt of Brighton railway station...
, in Brighton, Sussex, England, has an extensive collection of toy and model trains, as well as many other toys, dolls, construction models and military dioramas. - The Saint Petersburg Toy MuseumSaint Petersburg Toy MuseumSaint Petersburg Toy Museum is a non-state cultural establishment.- History :The Saint-Petersburg Toy Museum is a member of the Union of Museums of Russia. It was established in 1997 as a non-state cultural establishment, subsided by private companies...
- a non-state cultural establishment, RussiaRussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Founded in 1997. - Penang Toy MuseumPenang Toy MuseumPenang Toy Museum is a toy museum located at Tanjung Bungah Road, Penang, Malaysia. With more than 110,000 toys, dolls and other collectible items, it is the largest toy museum in the world. The 60.39 square meters museum, opened in 2005, was also recognized by the Malaysian Book of Records as the...
in Penang, Malaysia displays more than 120,000 items of figures, dolls and 60 life size figures.It is the largest collection of toys in the world. It was founded in 2002 by a professional engineer. - The Ore Mountain Toy Museum, SeiffenOre Mountain Toy Museum, SeiffenThe Ore Mountain Toy Museum in Seiffen is an internationally known museum of Ore Mountain toys and Ore Mountain folk art. It was opened in 1953 in Seiffen...
, in Germany is an internationally known toy museum with a collection of unique wooden toys typical of the Ore MountainsOre MountainsThe Ore Mountains in Central Europe have formed a natural border between Saxony and Bohemia for many centuries. Today, the border between Germany and the Czech Republic runs just north of the main crest of the mountain range...
region. - The Harold Bell Wright Museum/Toy MuseumBranson, MissouriBranson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
as known as The World's Largest Toy Museum displayed American toys from 1800s to 1990s including Star WarsStar WarsStar Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
and 1950 Western toys in Branson, MissouriBranson, MissouriBranson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
. - Rhodes toy museum Greece, the first toy museum in Greece with exclusive Greek toys.
- Tartu Toy MuseumTartu Toy MuseumTartu Toy Museum is the biggest toy museum in the Baltic States, located in Tartu, Estonia.Tartu Toy Museum was founded in 1994 and since 2004 is located in one of the oldest wooden buildings in Tartu, Lutsu Street...
in TartuTartuTartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
, EstoniaEstoniaEstonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. Was opened in 1994 and now holds more than 20,000 items. - Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum, was opened in 2011. Exhibits include toy cars, dolls, action figures, cartoon characters, science fiction collectibles, model rockets, Japanese anime, classic toys and more.
Former museums
- The Bear MuseumThe Bear MuseumA teddy bear museum is a museum about teddy bears. There are many teddy bear museums around the world. The world's first Teddy Bear Museum was based in Petersfield, Hampshire, England, It was founded by Judy Sparrow in 1984, and housed a collection of antique teddy bears and related items. It was...
, a teddy bearTeddy bearThe teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
museum, founded in PetersfieldPetersfield, HampshirePetersfield is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire, England. It is north of Portsmouth, on the A3 road. The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct Line, the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. The town is situated on the...
, HampshireHampshireHampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
in 1984. Closed in 2006. - The Teddy Bear Museum of NaplesTeddy Bear Museum of NaplesThe Teddy Bear Museum of Naples was a visitor attraction located in north Naples, Florida, USA. It opened in 1990 and closed in 2005. It operated as a non-profit organization, and received funding from donations, as well as profit from museum tickets, gift shop sales, and Hug Club...
, a teddy bear museum, which opened in 1990 in north Naples, FloridaNaples, FloridaNaples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
, and closed in 2005. - The Toy Town MuseumToy Town MuseumThe Toy Town Museum is located on the Fisher-Price campus in East Aurora, New York. It was conceived by a group of local citizens in East Aurora and Western New York to help celebrate the toy making heritage in the area...
is located in East Aurora, New York, the home of Fisher-PriceFisher-PriceFisher-Price is a company that produces toys for infants and children, headquartered in East Aurora, New York. Fisher-Price has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Mattel since 1993.-History:...
. It was located on the Fisher-Price campus although it operated as an independent entity. It is currently looking for a new location.