Museum of Childhood (Edinburgh) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Museum of Childhood


Established	1955 (1955)
Location	Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland
Type	Toy
Collection size	60,000
Visitors	225,000 (2017)
Founder	Patrick Murray
Owner	City of Edinburgh Council

The Museum of Childhood is a really cool museum in Edinburgh, Scotland. It's packed with old and new children's toys and fun things to play with. You can find it right on the famous Royal Mile. This museum was actually the very first one in the world to focus on the history of childhood!

A Look Back in Time
What's Happening Today
Gallery
See also

A Look Back in Time

The museum's amazing collection started thanks to a man named Patrick Murray. He was an Edinburgh Councillor and loved collecting toys. His collection has items from the 1700s all the way up to today.

The museum first opened its doors to the public in 1955. It moved to its current home on Edinburgh's Royal Mile in 1957. This building used to be a hall for the Salvation Army.

In 1986, the museum grew even bigger. It expanded into nearby buildings to add more space for all its displays. Some of the special items you can see include:

A teddy bear that came to the UK with a child during the Kindertransport.
A fantastic dollhouse with real working lights and even plumbing!
A Queen Anne doll from way back in 1740.

What's Happening Today

In 2017, the museum got a big makeover. They put in new display cases and better lighting for all the exhibits. They also added a new digital photo gallery. This gallery shows how children's lives changed throughout the 1900s.

In 2017, about 225,000 people visited the museum each year. It has around 60,000 different objects in its collection. The museum also has special areas where younger visitors can play and have fun. It's free to get in, and the City of Edinburgh Council runs and owns it.

Since 2018, the collection includes one of the Scottish Government's baby boxes. This is a special package given to all new parents in Scotland.