# Toy museum

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{{Short description|Type of museum with a collection of toys}}
{{other uses}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2022}}
[[Image:NatFarmToyMuseum2.JPG|thumb|The [National Farm Toy Museum](/source/National_Farm_Toy_Museum) in [Dyersville, Iowa](/source/Dyersville%2C_Iowa), United States.]]
[[Image:Roman-toys.jpg|thumb|A display of [Roman](/source/Ancient_Rome) toys at the Museum of Archaeology in [Tarragona](/source/Tarragona), Spain.]]
A '''toy museum''' is a [museum](/source/museum) for [toy](/source/toy)s. They typically showcase toys from a particular culture or period with their history.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Jones |first=Elena |date=2022-04-09 |title=The History of Toys |url=https://spiraltoys.com/history-of-toys/ |access-date=2022-05-05 |website=Spiral Toys |language=en-US}}</ref> These are distinct from [children's museum](/source/children's_museum)s, which are museums for children, and are often interactive – toy museums may be aimed at children or adults, and may have interactive exhibits or be exclusively for display.

==Notable toy museums==
[[File:Spielzeugmuseum tartu.jpg|thumb|[Tartu Toy Museum](/source/Tartu_Toy_Museum) ]]
{{further|Category:Toy museums}}
The following lists only museums specializing in toys, whose collections are open for public viewing. Some museums such as the [American Museum of Natural History](/source/American_Museum_of_Natural_History) 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](/source/New_York_City) that hold toy collections but are not open for public viewing are not listed here.

===Africa===
*Toy and Miniature Museum, [Stellenbosch](/source/Stellenbosch), [Western Cape](/source/Western_Cape), [South Africa](/source/South_Africa)

===Americas===
;North
Canada
*National Toy Museum of Canada, [Victoria, British Columbia](/source/Victoria%2C_British_Columbia)

Mexico
*Antique Toy Museum (Museo del Juguete Antiguo), [Mexico City](/source/Mexico_City)

USA
*The [National Farm Toy Museum](/source/National_Farm_Toy_Museum), a museum located in [Dyersville](/source/Dyersville), [Iowa](/source/Iowa) that specializes in preserving and displaying [scale model](/source/scale_model)s, replicas, and toys based on [farm equipment](/source/farm_equipment).
*[The Harold Bell Wright Museum/Toy Museum](/source/Branson%2C_Missouri) as known as The World's Largest Toy Museum displayed American toys from the 1800s to 1990s including [Star Wars](/source/Star_Wars) and 1950 Western toys in [Branson, Missouri](/source/Branson%2C_Missouri).
*The [National Toy and Miniature Museum](/source/National_Toy_and_Miniature_Museum) in [Kansas City, Missouri](/source/Kansas_City%2C_Missouri) boasts a collection of more than 300,000 items.
*[Strong - National Museum of Play](/source/Strong_-_National_Museum_of_Play) - in [Rochester, New York](/source/Rochester%2C_New_York), founded in 1982, that documents the history of play in American culture. It includes the [National Toy Hall of Fame](/source/National_Toy_Hall_of_Fame) - a [hall of fame](/source/hall_of_fame) for popular toys, opened in 1998.
*Spencer Doll and Toy Museum [Spencer, North Carolina](/source/Spencer%2C_North_Carolina)
*The [Toy and Plastic Brick Museum](/source/Toy_and_Plastic_Brick_Museum) in Bellaire, [Ohio](/source/Ohio), USA. Founded in 2006.

;South
*Museo El Juguetero, [Montevideo](/source/Montevideo), [Uruguay](/source/Uruguay). https://www.instagram.com/museoeljuguetero_uy/
*The Buenos Aires Toy Museum, [Buenos Aires](/source/Buenos_Aires), [Argentina](/source/Argentina).
*Toy Museum, [Belo Horizonte](/source/Belo_Horizonte), [Minas Gerais](/source/Minas_Gerais), [Brazil](/source/Brazil).

===Asia===
* [MINT Museum of Toys, Singapore](/source/Mint_Museum_of_Toys) was opened in 2007 and remains the largest vintage toys and collectables museum in Asia with an ever-growing collection of 50,000 items, ranging specifically between the years of 1840s to 1980s.
* [Hong Kong International Hobby and Toy Museum](/source/Hong_Kong_International_Hobby_and_Toy_Museum), [China](/source/China), was opened in 2011. Exhibits include toy cars, dolls, action figures, cartoon characters, science fiction collectibles, model rockets, Japanese anime, classic toys and more.
*[Shankar's International Dolls Museum](/source/Shankar's_International_Dolls_Museum), a large collection of dolls in [Delhi](/source/Delhi), India, opened in 1965.
*The [Toy Museum of Ahmedabad](/source/Toy_Museum_of_Ahmedabad), in Ahmedabad, INDIA World heritage city toy museum by Raheel Patel [http://www.raheelpatel.com/toymuseum.html Toy Museum]
*[Penang Toy Museum](/source/Penang_Toy_Museum) 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.
*[Malacca Toy Museum](/source/Toy_Museum_(Malacca)) in Malacca, Malaysia.
*[Japan Spinning Top Museum](/source/Japan_Spinning_Top_Museum), [Nagoya, Aichi](/source/Nagoya%2C_Aichi)
*Karuzawa Erz Toy Museum ([エルツおもちゃ博物館・軽井沢](/source/%3Aja%3A%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AB%E3%83%84%E3%81%8A%E3%82%82%E3%81%A1%E3%82%83%E5%8D%9A%E7%89%A9%E9%A4%A8%E3%83%BB%E8%BB%BD%E4%BA%95%E6%B2%A2)), [Karuizawa, Nagano](/source/Karuizawa%2C_Nagano), a sister museum of the [Ore Mountain Toy Museum, Seiffen](/source/Ore_Mountain_Toy_Museum%2C_Seiffen), [Germany](/source/Germany)
* Tokyo Toy Museum ([東京おもちゃ美術館](/source/%3Aja%3A%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%E3%81%8A%E3%82%82%E3%81%A1%E3%82%83%E7%BE%8E%E8%A1%93%E9%A4%A8)), [Tokyo, Japan](/source/Tokyo%2C_Japan)
* Yokohama Doll Museum ([横浜人形の家](/source/%3Aja%3A%E6%A8%AA%E6%B5%9C%E4%BA%BA%E5%BD%A2%E3%81%AE%E5%AE%B6)), [Yokohama, Japan](/source/Yokohama%2C_Japan)
*The [Istanbul Toy Museum](/source/Istanbul_Toy_Museum) - a small museum founded in 2005, and located in the [Göztepe](/source/G%C3%B6ztepe%2C_Istanbul) district of [Istanbul](/source/Istanbul), [Turkey](/source/Turkey).

===Europe===
;Eastern
*The [Tartu Toy Museum](/source/Tartu_Toy_Museum) in [Tartu](/source/Tartu), [Estonia](/source/Estonia). Was opened in 1994 and now holds more than 20,000 items.
*The Vilnius Toy Museum in [Vilnius](/source/Vilnius), [Lithuania](/source/Lithuania), presents the history of Lithuanian toys. The space of the museum is divided into an archeological space, containing the oldest toys, an ethnographic space, showcasing 19th-20th century toys, and a third space introducing more modern toys.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://zaislumuziejus.lt/en/en-news|title=Žaislų muziejus}}</ref>
*The [Saint Petersburg Toy Museum](/source/Saint_Petersburg_Toy_Museum) - a non-state cultural establishment, Russia. Founded in 1997.
*The [State Museum of Toys (Kyiv)](/source/State_Museum_of_Toys_(Kyiv)), [Kyiv](/source/Kyiv), [Ukraine](/source/Ukraine)

;Western
*The [Mechelen Toy Museum](/source/Mechelen_Toy_Museum) in the [Nekkerspoel](/source/Nekkerspoel) hamlet of [Mechelen](/source/Mechelen), [Belgium](/source/Belgium). Founded in 1982 and officialized in 1998.
*The [Musée du jouet](/source/Mus%C3%A9e_du_jouet_(Poissy)), in [Poissy](/source/Poissy), [France](/source/France).
*The Suomenlinna Toy Museum, est. 1985, located in [Suomenlinna](/source/Suomenlinna) Sea Fortress, [Finland](/source/Finland).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lelumuseo.fi/|title=Suomenlinnan lelumuseo|website=Suomenlinnan lelumuseo}}</ref>
*The [Nuremberg Toy Museum](/source/Nuremberg_Toy_Museum) - a toy museum in [Nuremberg](/source/Nuremberg), Germany. Founded in 1971.
*The [Ore Mountain Toy Museum, Seiffen](/source/Ore_Mountain_Toy_Museum%2C_Seiffen), in Germany is an internationally known toy museum with a collection of unique wooden toys typical of the [Ore Mountains](/source/Ore_Mountains) region.
*The [Benaki Toy Museum](/source/Benaki_Toy_Museum), in [Athens](/source/Athens), [Greece](/source/Greece).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.benaki.org/index.php?option=com_collections&view=collection&id=17&Itemid=162&lang=el | title=Συλλογή Παιχνιδιών - Μουσείο Μπενάκη }}</ref>
*[Rhodes Toy Museum](/source/Rhodes_Toy_Museum), the first toy museum in Greece with exclusive Greek toys.
*The Museo Valenciano del Juguete de Ibi (Alicante) [Spain](/source/Spain). [http://www.museojuguete.com  Founded in 1986. Toys of XIX and XX centuries.]
*The Museo Etnográfico del Soldadito Antiguo Spain. [http://mesa.org.es  Founded in 2021. Tin and Plastic Toys of XX century.]
*The Museu del Joguet de Catalunya (Girona) Spain. [http://www.mjc.cat Opened in 1970. Regional toys.]
*The Museo de los Soldaditos de Plomo (Valencia) Spain.  [http://www.museoliber.org/ Set in a historic palace. Tin soldiers.].
*The Tidö Toy Museum, in [Västerås](/source/V%C3%A4ster%C3%A5s), Sweden.
*The [Swiss Museum of Games](/source/Swiss_Museum_of_Games), in La Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland.
*[Pollock's Toy Museum](/source/Pollock's_Toy_Museum) - a small museum in [Covent Garden](/source/Covent_Garden), [London](/source/London), [UK](/source/UK), first opened in 1956.
*The [Museum of Childhood (Edinburgh)](/source/Museum_of_Childhood_(Edinburgh)), on the [Royal Mile](/source/Royal_Mile), in [Edinburgh](/source/Edinburgh), Scotland.
*The [Brighton Toy and Model Museum](/source/Brighton_Toy_and_Model_Museum), in [Brighton](/source/Brighton), Sussex, England, has an extensive collection of toy and model trains, as well as many other toys, dolls, and construction toys, such as [Meccano](/source/Meccano).

===Oceania===
*The Toy Collector in Christchurch, New Zealand

==Former museums==
*[The Bear Museum](/source/The_Bear_Museum), a [teddy bear](/source/teddy_bear) museum, founded in [Petersfield](/source/Petersfield%2C_Hampshire), [Hampshire](/source/Hampshire) in 1984. Closed in 2006.
*The [Teddy Bear Museum of Naples](/source/Teddy_Bear_Museum_of_Naples), a teddy bear museum, which opened in 1990 in north [Naples, Florida](/source/Naples%2C_Florida), and closed in 2005.
*The [Toy Town Museum](/source/Toy_Town_Museum) is located in [East Aurora, New York](/source/East_Aurora%2C_New_York), the home of [Fisher-Price](/source/Fisher-Price). It was located on the Fisher-Price campus although it operated as an independent entity. It is currently looking for a new location.
*The London Toy and Model Museum opened in 1982, in London, UK, and closed in 1999.<ref>{{cite web |title=The London Toy and Model Museum (1982-1999) |url=https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/index/Category:London_Toy_and_Model_Museum |website=The Brighton Toy and Model Index |access-date=4 April 2023 |date=7 July 2022}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Toy museums}}

Category:Toy museums
Category:Types of museums

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Toy museum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_museum) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toy_museum?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.