The Museum of Childhood is a museum which houses a collection of
children's toys and playthings, situated on the
Royal Mile, in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
. It was the first museum in the world to specialise in the history of childhood.
History
The collection, which ranges from the 18th to the 21st century, was originally the work of Patrick Murray (1908-1981), an Edinburgh Councillor and passionate collector of toys and childhood memorabilia. It first opened to the public in 1955 and moved to its present home on Edinburgh's royal mile in 1957 housed in what was formerly the
Salvation Army's hall.
In 1986 the museum expanded into neighbouring properties to expand the floor and display space.
Highlight items in the collection include a teddy bear brought to the UK by a child on the
Kindertransport
The ''Kindertransport'' (German for "children's transport") was an organised rescue effort of children (but not their parents) from Nazi-controlled territory that took place during the nine months prior to the outbreak of the Second World ...
, a
dollhouse
A dollhouse or doll's house is a toy home made in miniature. Since the early 20th century dollhouses have primarily been the domain of children, but their collection and crafting is also a hobby for many adults. English-speakers in North America ...
with working lighting and plumbing systems and a
Queen Anne doll from 1740.
Today
In 2017 the museum underwent a major refurbishment including the installation of new display cabinets and lighting for exhibits. The refurbishment also saw the installation of a new digital photo gallery which offers a look at the changing way children grew up across the twentieth century.
In 2017 it was estimated that the museum had around 225,000 visitors per year and it had around 60,000 objects in its collection.
The museum has a number of interactive spaces to encourage play amongst younger visitors.
Admission to the museum is free and it is run and owned by
City of Edinburgh Council.
The collection includes one of the
Scottish Government's
baby boxes as of 2018. This is a maternity package offered to all new parents in Scotland.
Gallery
File:Miniature butcher's shop (1880s), Edinburgh Museum of Childhood.JPG, Victorian butcher's shop, 1880s
File:Galloper Horse.JPG, Funfair Galloper Horse, c.1902
File:'Dreadnaught' battleship toy, Edinburgh Museum of Childhood.JPG, A pre-1914 battleship toy modelled on H.M.S. Dreadnought
File:Meccano Set, Edinburgh Museum of Childhood.JPG, 'Meccano' construction set
File:Metal spinning top, Museum of Childhood, Edinburgh.JPG, Child's metal spinning top from the 1950s
See also
*
Trinity Apse and Brass Rubbing Centre, Chalmers Close
References
*
{{Coord, 55.9504, N, 3.1856, W, source:wikidata-and-enwiki-cat-tree_region:GB, display=title
Museums in Edinburgh
Royal Mile
Children's museums in the United Kingdom
Museums established in 1955
1955 establishments in Scotland
Toy museums in Scotland
Childhood in Scotland