Tartu Toy Museum facts for kids
| Tartu Mänguasjamuuseum | |
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| Established | 29 May 1994 |
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| Location | Tartu, Estonia |
| Type | Children's museum |
| Collection size | 5000+ |
| Visitors | 43'000+ (in 2010) |
The Tartu Toy Museum is a super fun place in Tartu, Estonia. It's the biggest toy museum in the Baltic countries! Imagine seeing over 5,000 toys! You can even play with some of them. There's also a special playroom just for kids.
The museum also has an amazing collection of film puppets. These are the characters used in Estonian animated movies from the last 50 years. You can see the puppets, props, and even drawings from these films.
The Tartu Toy Museum first opened its doors in 1994. Since 2004, it has been located in a very old wooden building. This building dates all the way back to the 1770s!
In 2010, the museum opened its special Theatre House. This is a unique children's theatre that's part of the museum. It has a theatre hall, a puppet museum, and a studio where kids can learn about theatre. You can even do crafts and discover the exciting world of plays and puppets!
Museum History
The Tartu Toy Museum officially opened on May 29, 1994. It was first located in a private house near Toome Hill. The museum was started by Meeri Säre, Mare Hunt, and Tiia Toomet. Tiia Toomet was also the first director of the museum. Since 2007, Triin Vaaro has been the director.
New Home and Exhibits
In late 2003, the museum moved to its current location. This old wooden building on Lutsu Street was specially fixed up for the museum. A brand new permanent exhibit opened on March 13, 2004. This new space included a playroom and a crafts room for visitors.
On December 2, 2005, the house for theatre and animation puppets opened. This building used to be a coach house in the museum's yard. Here, you can see characters and props from Estonian animated films. These films were made over the last 50 years. You can also see drawings from the cartoons. Before this, these puppets were shown in a different gallery.
Theatre House Opens
In 2010, the Toy Museum opened its special Theatre House. This new building is for children's and family plays. It also has a Children's Studio where different fun activities happen. Plus, there's a small museum inside that shows off theatre puppets.
Meet Teddy Flower-Paw
The Tartu Toy Museum has a super cute mascot named Teddy Flower-Paw! This special teddy bear was sewn in 1994 by Kai Maser. Teddy Flower-Paw wears a traditional Estonian folk costume skirt. Her name comes from the pretty flower-patterned fabric used to make her paws.
Teddy Flower-Paw is a very famous bear! There are books written about her, and she's even appeared on TV. You can also find postcards with her picture. She does a great job representing the museum!
