Museum of Childhood (Edinburgh)

Museum in City of Edinburgh, Scotland

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
Website	Official website

The Museum of Childhood is a museum that houses a collection of children's toys and playthings, situated on the Royal Mile, in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is the first museum in the world to specialise in the history of childhood. Admission to the museum is free. It is run and owned by City of Edinburgh Council.

History

The collection was originally the work of Patrick Murray (1908–1981), an Edinburgh Councillor and passionate collector of toys and childhood memorabilia. The museum first opened to the public in 1955. In 1957, it moved to its present home on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, in what was formerly the Salvation Army's hall. In 1986, the museum expanded into neighbouring properties to expand the floor and display space.

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 20th century. In 2017, it was estimated that the museum had around 225,000 visitors per year.

Collection

The museum's collection includes around 60,000 objects, from the 18th to the 21st century. Highlight items 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. The collection also includes one of the Scottish Government's baby boxes, a maternity package offered to all new parents in Scotland.

The museum has a number of interactive spaces to encourage play amongst younger visitors.

Gallery

Victorian butcher's shop, 1880s
Funfair Galloper Horse, c.1902
A pre-1914 battleship toy modelled on H.M.S. Dreadnought
'Meccano' construction set
Child's metal spinning top from the 1950s

References

^ "Childhood Museum sets reopening date". BBC News. 8 February 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
^ "Museum of Childhood". Atlas Obscura. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
^ "Childhood Collections". www.edinburghmuseums.org.uk. Retrieved 18 November 2016.
Gazetteer for Scotland
^ "Childhood Museum closes for revamp". BBC News. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
"Scotland's baby box immortalised in Edinburgh's Museum of Childhood". www.scotsman.com. Retrieved 9 March 2020.

v t e Museums and art galleries of Scotland
National Museums Scotland	National Museum of Scotland National Museum of Flight National Museum of Rural Life National Museums Collection Centre National War Museum
National Galleries Scotland	Modern Two Royal Scottish Academy Building Scottish National Gallery Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Scottish National Portrait Gallery
Art galleries and collections	Aberdeen Art Gallery Broughton Gallery Burrell Collection City Art Centre Dick Institute Dundee Contemporary Arts Fruitmarket Gallery Gallery of Modern Art Georgian House Gracefield Arts Centre Groam House Museum Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery Inverness Museum and Art Gallery Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum Kirkcaldy Galleries Meffan Institute McLean Museum McLellan Galleries McManus Galleries Meigle Sculptured Stone Museum Montrose Museum Perth Art Gallery Pier Arts Centre Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum Queen's Gallery Talbot Rice Gallery Tramway V&A Dundee
History	Alloa Tower Broughty Castle Museum David Livingstone Centre Museum of Childhood Provand's Lordship Surgeons' Hall Writers' Museum
Local history	Aberdeenshire Farming Museum Andrew Carnegie Birthplace Museum Angus Folk Museum Biggar Museum Trust Campbeltown Heritage Centre Clydebank Museum Dumfries Museum Fife Folk Museum Gairloch Museum Gladstone's Land Glenesk Folk Museum Highland Folk Museum Highland Museum of Childhood Inveraray Jail John Knox House King's Museum Meffan Institute Montrose Museum Museum of Ayrshire Country Life and Costume Museum of Edinburgh Museum of the University of St Andrews New Lanark North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre Old Haa Museum The Orkney Museum People's Palace People's Story Museum Pier House Museum Provost Skene's House Scalloway Museum Scotland Street School Museum Shetland Museum Signal Tower Museum Skye Museum of Island Life St Andrews Museum Stewartry Museum Stonehaven Tolbooth Stromness Museum Tain & District Museum Tangwick Haa Museum The Tolbooth, Aberdeen
Maritime	Aberdeen Maritime Museum Böd of Gremista Discovery Point HMS Unicorn HMY Britannia Mull of Galloway Lighthouse Museum of Scottish Lighthouses Scottish Fisheries Museum Scottish Maritime Museum Signal Tower Museum Skerryvore Lighthouse Museum The Tall Ship
Military and war	Bannockburn Visitor Centre Black Watch Museum The Cameronians Museum Dumfries and Galloway Aviation Museum Fort George & The Highlanders Museum Gordon Highlanders Museum John Paul Jones Cottage Museum Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre Morayvia Orkney Wireless Museum Scapa Flow Museum
Natural history	D'Arcy Thompson Zoology Museum Dick Institute George Waterston Memorial Centre and Museum Marischal Museum McManus Galleries
Religion	Blairs Museum Dunblane Museum Scalan Scottish Jewish Heritage Centre St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art
Science and industry	Barry Mill Mills Observatory Museum of the University of St Andrews Museum on the Mound New Lanark Prestongrange Industrial Heritage Museum Robert Smail's Printing Works Scotland’s Jute Museum @ Verdant Works Summerlee Museum of Scottish Industrial Life
Sport	R&A World Golf Museum Scottish Football Museum
Transport	Dundee Museum of Transport Grampian Transport Museum Museum of Scottish Railways Myreton Motor Museum Riverside Museum Scottish Vintage Bus Museum
Scotland portal

Culture and leisure facilities in Edinburgh

Current

Entertainment venues	Bedlam Theatre Church Hill Theatre Dominion Cinema Edinburgh Arena (proposed) Edinburgh Corn Exchange Edinburgh Festival Theatre Edinburgh International Conference Centre Edinburgh Playhouse King's Theatre Queen's Hall Omni Centre Reid Concert Hall Rose Theatre Royal Lyceum Theatre St Cecilia's Hall The Cameo The Hub The Pleasance Symposium Hall Summerhall Traverse Theatre Underbelly Usher Hall
Libraries	Advocates Library Central Library Edinburgh University Library Leith Library McDonald Road Library National Library of Scotland Portobello Library Scottish Poetry Library Stockbridge Public Library
Museums and galleries	Camera Obscura City Observatory Dean Gallery Fruitmarket Gallery Georgian House Museum of Childhood Museum of Edinburgh National Museum of Scotland National War Museum Our Dynamic Earth People's Story Museum Royal Scottish Academy Building Scottish National Gallery Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art Scottish National Portrait Gallery Scottish Storytelling Centre Surgeons' Hall Writers' Museum
Sport	Ainslie Park Archers' Hall Easter Road Edinburgh International Climbing Arena Edinburgh Rugby Stadium Goldenacre Sports Ground Inverleith Sports Ground Meadowbank Stadium Meggetland Sports Complex Murrayfield Ice Rink Murrayfield Stadium Myreside Stadium Oriam Royal Commonwealth Pool The Grange Club Tynecastle Park Warrender Baths

Former

Culture	Edinburgh Filmhouse Cygnet Theatre Gateway Theatre The George Cinema Leith Theatre Theatre Royal
Sport	Beechwood Park Chancelot Park City Park Hawkhill Hibernian Park New Logie Green New Meadowbank Old Logie Green Old Meadowbank Powderhall Stadium Royal Gymnasium Ground

55°57′01″N 3°11′08″W / 55.9504°N 3.1856°W / 55.9504; -3.1856

Categories:

Misplaced Pages