Big fun at KC’s toys and miniatures museum

I went to The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City, Mo., unsure about half of the equation. I’m the current owner of working Pac-Man and Galaga arcade games, a Mr. Potato Head and other relics from my 1970s and 1980s childhood, so they had me at “toys.” I figured I’d peek in to see what the miniatures were but spend most of my time on the toy collection.

Yes, the toys were fun, nostalgic, even educational. As it turned out, though, the miniatures were what fascinated me. I quickly saw the difference between small dollhouse furniture and fine-art miniatures, an art form I had no clue existed. If you’re new to this genre, like me, you’ll be mesmerized by the intricate work. If you’re already familiar, you’ll want to see the world’s largest fine-scale miniature collection.

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures reopened last August after an 18-month, $8 million renovation. The museum started in 1982 when two Kansas City women combined their collections, which then continued to grow for the next 30 years. The recent overhaul allowed staff to shift from a collector’s museum to interpretive and interactive exhibits. The museum has 21,000 miniatures – the world’s largest fine-scale miniature collection – and 55,000 antique toys, one of the nation’s largest toy collections on public display.

Near the Country Club Plaza and on the campus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City, the museum at 5235 Oak St. is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day except Tuesday. Admission is $5. Children 4 and younger get in free. Admission is free for everyone on Saturday, Aug. 20 to celebrate the end of summer.

Miniatures

The fine-art miniatures on display are room settings, architectural structures and decorative arts created in 1:12 or smaller scale. Artists use the same materials and, often, the same processes as they would full-size pieces. Because some working parts are the size of a pinhead, miniatures can take much longer to make. Our guide pointed out one 14-inch-tall piece that took the artist 14 years to craft from wood.

Think of a fully-furnished house made in 1:48 scale (1 inch equals 48 inches) with door knobs that actually turn. In the living room, there is a fluted and engraved tea pot with a hollow spout that could actually serve a spot of tea and a tall case clock that functions by using the smallest mechanical watch movement in the world.

The majority of the first floor is devoted to fine-art miniatures. Visitors also can go “Inside the Artist’s Studio,” a room dedicated to showing the skills and techniques used in making miniatures or learn about Barbara Marshall, whose miniatures collection is the foundation of the museum. Some of Marshall’s favorite pieces are in the Masterpiece Gallery.

Marshall’s most recent fine-art miniature acquisition is an art deco jewelry store she commissioned in 2011. Six artists worked together to create the two-story setting of a couple purchasing jewelry. The walls are made of rosewood, the floors feature six varieties of faux marble, and hanging from the gilded ceiling is a chandelier with 15,800 glass beads. The jewelry in the store’s case is made from gemstones.

Toys

The second floor of the museum is dedicated to exploring centuries of childhood, culture and manufacturing through toys: dolls, trains, soldiers, teddy bears, games and other collections.

You’ll walk through the “Gotta Have It” exhibit showcasing iconic and popular toys from each decade starting with the 1950s to get to the museum’s core exhibit: “Toys from the Attic: Stories of American Childhood.” The display looks at the social and cultural influence we have on toys and toys have on us. While this isn’t a play experience, most kids enjoy finding the exhibit’s hidden drawers and keyholes to peer into secret playlands.

Another section of the toy floor focuses on the business side of toy-making and includes an exhibit that lets you X-ray an antique toy to see its inner workings and watch campy videos on how they were made.

Dolls and dollhouses occupy a wing, with a doll gallery that includes creepy Georgiana, the oldest toy in the museum collection (1750). There are custom and modern dollhouses and furnishings; the largest is 9 feet tall and 8 feet wide, built around 1865.

The Hall of Collections showcases rotating displays with subsets of the museum’s collection, like Star Wars or marbles. Two temporary exhibits will be closing in late August: “Stereotypes to Civil Rights: Black Paper Dolls in America” closes on Aug. 21 and “Pedal to the Metal” closes on Aug. 28. “Pedal to the Metal” is a display of 30 pedal cars, including four from the museum’s permanent collection and others on loan from collectors. The cars range from a 1900 Victorian-era pedal tricycle that resembles a chariot to a professionally restored 1956 Kidillac, one of the most sought-after pedal cars produced. The exhibit covers the history, design and production of pedaled playthings. Don’t miss the 1950 reproduction you can sit in or the 1954 film narrated by actor Jimmy Stewart that shows pedal cars being used to teach driver’s education.

From 1 to 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Saturday, the museum offers gallery talks, guided tours and hands-on workshops suitable for ages 7 and up, included in regular admission.

This story was originally published August 5, 2016 at 10:41 AM with the headline "Big fun at KC’s toys and miniatures museum."