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Established | 1955 |
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Location | Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland |
Type | Toy |
Collection size | 60,000 |
Visitors | 225,000 (2017) |
Founder | Patrick Murray |
Owner | City of Edinburgh Council |
Website | Official website |
The Museum of Childhood is a museum which houses a collection of children's toys and playthings, situated on the Royal Mile, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was the first museum in the world to specialise in the history of childhood. [1]
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. [2] 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. [3] [4]
In 1986 the museum expanded into neighbouring properties to expand the floor and display space. [4] Highlight items in the collection include a teddy bear brought to the UK by a child on the Kindertransport, a dollhouse with working lighting and plumbing systems and a Queen Anne doll from 1740. [5]
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. [4] [1] 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. [4]
The museum has a number of interactive spaces to encourage play amongst younger visitors. [5] Admission to the museum is free and it is run and owned by City of Edinburgh Council. [5]
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. [6]