About The Museum of Childhood

The Museum of Childhood is a great museum not only for children but also for adults as it takes you back to your childhood. It rewinds time and gives adults a chance to educate kids about old-fashioned toys!

The toy collection here is conveniently kept in two historic buildings. It's the first museum in the world that has toys from the 18th to 21st century. Toys, games and other items from health care, home life, clothing, clubs, and school in the good-old-days are well organized. There are many toys among them, some nostalgic like Dinky cars, toy soldiers, teddy bears, arts and crafts, rattles, yo-yos, marbles, trains, Barbie dolls, Steiff bears, and pedal cars. There's even an impressive recreation of a Victorian street showing how kids used to play outdoors. There are over 2,500 items of clothing and 10,000 children’s books, comics, and magazines. The Stanbrig Eorls doll's house is one of the most popular with 21 rooms and 2,000 “household” items. 

Must See

  • Queen Anne Doll The oldest toy in the collection, a rare wooden fashion doll dating from c1740
  • Shoe Doll A doll made in London c1905 from the sole of a shoe and scraps of household fabric. A poignant reminder of families who couldn’t afford to buy toys, saved for posterity by a British collector, Edward Lovett.
  • Raleigh Chopper bicycle A style icon of the 1970s
  • Kindertransport bear A tiny Steiff teddy bear which travelled out of Vienna on the last Kindertransport train to rescue Jewish children from Nazi Germany in 1939
  • Stanbrig Eorls The largest dolls house in the museum’s collection. Begun by Lena Graham Montgomery in 1894, she continued to collect for it and extend it throughout her life. Eventually, it had 19 rooms with electric light and running water. It was exhibited to raise funds for charity before being donated to the museum on the 1960s
  • Peter Rabbit soft toy A Steiff toy from the early 20th century representing the character from Beatrix Potter’s much-loved and perennially popular story. One of the first examples of merchandising for children.

How to reach

Wondering how you can get to Museum of Childhood, you can either take a bus or train  Here’s a list of a few lines that pass near your destination - Train: ScotRail; Bus: 300, 31, X62. The closest stops are  St Mary's Street; Jeffrey Street.

Tips

  • The museum offers hands-on activities for kids who can’t keep their hands off of all the toys.
  • There are a puppet theatre and a dress-up area.
  • Be careful with the rush as its a free entry 
  • Kids can play a game of following clues throughout the museum to collect treasure token

Visit Time

  • Sunday: 12 :00 p.m.to 5 :00 p.m.
  • Monday: 10:00  a.m.to 5 :00 p.m.
  • Tuesday   Closed
  • Wednesday: Closed
  • Thursday: 10 :00a.m. to 5 :00 p.m.
  • Friday: 10:00  a.m. to 5 :00 p.m.
  • Saturday: 10:00  a.m. to 5 :00 p.m.
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Waiting Time

No wait times moving crowds.

 

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Entrance Fee

No

 

Time you can spend Icon

Time you can spend

30 mins to 1 hour

 

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Weather

Overcast Clouds 9.41°C

 

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