The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures

This Museum is a must if you are nostalgic about the toys and dolls you played with as a child, no matter what age you are! The staff who work here are welcoming, knowledgeable and friendly. ☀️ The collections have been carefully curated and displayed. The attention to detail and the craftsmanship of items that live in the Museum are extraordinary. You’ll find yourself lost in time at this lovely space. Make sure you have an afternoon, a couple hours would require a follow-up visit!

Lovely way to spend an afternoon. There toy museum is on the second floor. Has elevators, a little gift shop and a vast miniature display on ground floor. Parking is phenomenal, being in the middle of a college campus. We pulled right up to the front door! Also lots of PokemonGo stops! Great for grandma and kids!

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City is an absolute treasure! I was especially captivated by the Portraits of Childhood: Black Dolls collection of Deborah Neff. This powerful exhibit explores themes of race, gender, and identity through 135 handmade Black dolls dating from around 1850 to 1940, accompanied by nearly 60 period photographs and paintings that depict dolls alongside children and adults. I loved how the exhibit was framed as an open space for conversation, encouraging visitors to explore these themes through diverse perspectives. Considering how little is known about handmade Black dolls, the curatorial approach felt both thoughtful and groundbreaking. A selection of more recent Black dolls from the Museum’s collection adds further depth, connecting past and present in a meaningful way. Beyond this incredible exhibit (running until March 3, 2025), the museum itself is a must-visit. It boasts the world’s largest fine-scale miniature collection and one of the nation’s largest historic toy collections on public display. Whether you’re a history enthusiast, an art lover, or simply curious, this museum has something to fascinate everyone. Highly recommend!

This unique and well-curated, planned, and maintained museum is worth 6 stars! My wife and I visited earlier today with our 3 grandchildren and had an uber pleasant more than 2 hour visit. Be sure to view the brief video in the Introduction room before you begin your experience of reviewing the vast collection of miniatures from around the globe on the first floor snd the collection of toys from more than a hundred years on the second floor. Be sure to plan a visit when you are even close to this location!

This is unbelievable! Kudos for collecting so many extremely priceless high quality examples of Minatures and Iconic toys. It's a blast from the past seeing the variety of toys I grew up with or toys we bought for our 3 kids as they grew up. I highly recommend giving yourself a full half day to really see all the exhibits. Well worth the cost of admission. Bring a flashlight as some exhibits needed more lighting to fully appreciate the extreme accuracy of the creations.

It's a simple Museum with a lot of historical pieces. Could have spent all day looking at the detailed miniatures.

This museum is OUTSTANDING. Definitely not something I’ve experienced anywhere else and I loved every bit of it. I had been curious to visit and playing city guide while my parents were visiting, seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit. The miniatures will leave you astonished with the craftsmanship and beauty. With the toys side, it was a lot of fun to revisit old toys, learn about many I was unfamiliar with, and learn about what toys stood out from my parents’ childhoods. It’s certainly a memory I will cherish.

Give yourself lots of time to enjoy all the details of this museum so fun to see the time period toys as well as the incredible miniatures

This museum is OUTSTANDING. Definitely not something I've experienced anywhere else and I loved every bit of it. I had been curious to visit and playing city guide while my parents were visiting, seemed like the perfect opportunity to visit. The miniatures will leave you astonished with the craftsmanship and beauty. With the toys side, it was a lot of fun to revisit old toys, learn about many I was unfamiliar with, and learn about what toys stood out from my parents' childhoods. It's certainly a memory I will cherish.

Amazing, almost hidden secret we have right here in KC. Cheap entry fees if you're looking for something different to do or have out of town guests you need to entertain. I came to see the toys of my childhood, but the miniature artwork was what most amazed me.

What a cool museum! It's 2 floors of fun stuff to look at. My biggest comment would be that if you're in a room where one of the employees tells you that they can explain the new exhibit pieces to you in that room, take that person up on it and ask for an explanation. It's totally worth it. I would have really missed out on some awesome, interesting info. For instance, when I was there, there was a set of miniature buildings that were from known serial killers. Another set was used to take realistic photography so the viewer would think that they were looking at something from real life when it's a model. I would have never known the significance of either set! Make sure you look at the hours before going, they are limited and you'll want to give yourself at least 2 hrs to look around if not more. The museum store cold use some more items like coffee mugs and a museum book but it's pretty cool too.

We were expecting something unique here and weren't disappointed. We started upstairs with the toys. While there were children here (and I think the museum provided step stools for them) the fun part was listening to the adults. In pretty much every room we would hear adults oohing over toys they had as children, and of course we did the same. It is a very nostalgic place to visit and makes me wish I still had my toys! The first level is devoted to miniatures and they were fascinating. The collection included buildings but the really interesting things were all the furniture and items that were made for the houses. The museum even provides magnifying glasses. Everything is nicely laid out and worth a visit.

One of the coolest museums in KCMO! There are two floors of toy and miniature memorabilia with years of nostalgia to refill your soul. The dollhouses are extraordinary and so incredibly detailed. I could have spent hours looking at them alone. But there are so many other dolls, toys, games, and robotics to look at...you want to see everything! Beautifully done and worth a trip!

Wow, what an amazing collection of teeny tiny wonders. I was drawn by my interest in old toys, but it was the vast collection of miniatures that blew me away. Great signage and information, and enthusiastic docents. You could easily spend all day here. Allow at least two hours.

We've lived near this area for a long time and never been in here, so a nice day on a holiday break felt perfect for a walk to check it out. The verdict? It's fun! The downstairs area is all the classic, exceptionally detailed dollhouses and wooden toys. While I certainly appreciate the work behind them, it's just not my thing and I was a tad bored after some time. The upstairs was a different story. I felt like a Grandparent, pointing out every toy that I had "back in my day." Some classics that jumped out were GI Joes, Star Wars figurines, video game consoles, Simpsons dolls, Happy Meal toys, Tickle Me Elmo (remember when that was all the rage?), Tomagachi, CandyLand board games, and way more. It only got increasingly more interesting from there. In fact one of the highlights for us were these century old French city scenes made of paper that you could press a button and light them up. There were also several areas that showed toys of the times. For instance, the soldier toys around the World Wars, and even an exhibit showing some super problematic toys depicting Native Americans and African Americans. If I could offer up one thing that would tip this to five-stars, it would be to have a bit more interactive things for the kids, or even a small play area somewhere upstairs. I could tell my five year old was a) getting tired but also b) ready to play with some of the cool things she was seeing. It's kind of like going to a candy museum and not getting anything sweet on your way out the door. This is a pretty nominal cost for a fun museum, and if you have that itch for nostalgia, I'd recommend swinging in here sometime this winter.

A dollhouse lover's dream! Tour the ground floor for true miniature works of art, then peruse the nostalgia tour upstairs--there are toys from all generations. Engaging enough for young folks, and mesmerizing for adults, too.

Remarkable works of art in miniature! Toy displays from decades past. Dollhouses in detail that will blow your mind! Best place to visit with out-of-town guests!

This museum brought back so many mememories for me and my family I found the dolls pretty and cute and that they entertained kids for the whole day.

I went to this museum when I was still living in Missouri. Oops! I completely forgot to review it. This is one of my favorite museums. Maybe it's because seeing the toys from the 1980s and 1990s made me feel happy and nostalgic. The first floor features a large collection of miniatures. I spent a while just looking at the details. The craftsmanship is impressive. The upper level is the historical toy exhibit. It even contains a doll dating back to the year 1750. Because you'll see toys you used to play with as a kid, I believe the museum will appeal to adults more than children. Although I enjoyed seeing the early the toys from 1900's and such. I was ecstatic once I saw Polly Pockets, Barbies, and Teddy Ruxpin. 5 stars. The museum makes you relive your childhood.

Wonderful little museum nestled in Brookside. My mom has a large dollhouse at home in Michigan, so when she came to visit we wanted to see what the museum was all about. Simple fee to enter, two floors of dollhouse history, craftsmanship and toys that most of us and our parents grew up playing with. Be prepared to be sad that this new generation doesn't have a clue about these toys and the creativity behind them! The museum directors have taken care to collect find dollhouse pieces, my only complaint is the lighting is not great in quite a few rooms to see the detail of the work done. There was beautiful workmanship on display and bowls that would cost a dollhouse collector about $300 a piece. The museum seemed laid out well, we really didn't have issues getting around. This museum would only take you 2-4 hours depending on how busy it is. Worth a visit!

Great museum for all! Went here myself and had a great time looking at all the intricate work of the miniatures, dollhouses, each small room that was made and all the miniature items! What great skill and time that was put into each thing and preserved! 2nd floor was a nice throwback to see what antique dolls and toys were like from different eras! Very informative and educational! Would recommend as a sight to see to check out the wonders in this museum! Cheap admission! Friendly and helpful staff!

I really enjoyed this. One floor is miniatures, and another floor is toys. Although I did not go with any children, I had a perfectly wonderful time there. Very nicely done! Clean bathrooms. Easy elevator and ramp access.

I visited The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures during a weekend trip to KC. I've been to KC before but had no clue this place existed, so I was super excited to go! I went with my boyfriend, and we spent about an hour there. I was very pleased with their collection of miniature items. They had magnifying glasses on hand, which my bad eyes appreciated. The upstairs is dedicated to toys (mainly dolls). I really enjoyed their hallway of toys from the 1960s-present. The gift shop was small but filled with lots of goodies. I just wish they had more museum-themed souvenirs, such as stickers or postcards.

I'm not exactly sure how seeing some of my childhood toys in a museum makes me feel (old), but it was really cool to take my daughter through it and see how toys have changed throughout the years. The miniatures section was so detailed and extensive. I am super impressed how much talent there was to make so many items. The dollhouse collection was every kids dream. Dolls from many MANY years ago to more current was neat to see side by side. Reminiscing of years past and play times, this is a must see.

The miniature museum is the largest collection in the world! I HIGHLY recommend this, it's a MUST SEE if you are in Kansas City. My husband is not big on museums and he loved it! You will not regret spending an hour or two here. The toys were fun to see, but it made me feel hold seeing the toys I played with as a kid in a museum !

It was filled with with you might expect. However the primary exhibition we were most excited to see was closed. I would have liked to come back and see that. Besides that, it was a good experience and friendly budget wise to students!

We heard about gingerbread lane and went to the museum intending to just quickly check out the gingerbread houses, but instead we were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the miniatures. Located on the UMKC campus, they have one floor of miniatures and one floor of vintage toys. On the first floor, they have some full tiny houses full of tiny furniture and some display cases full if different types of tiny things. And they are all stunning. There's some educational content throughout about how the artists are able to create these miniature works of art, which was super interesting. The toy collection on the second floor was also super fun to walk through. We felt some energy from some of the dolls, if you know what I mean. But I enjoyed looking in the full dollhouses and looking at the collection of cool marbles. Since we thought we were only swinging through gingerbread lane, we only had about an hour and a half, and I wish we had built it more time. But if you only have a short amount of time, you can definitely make it happen in this small museum! I can't wait to go back and bring more visitors with me! It's places like this that make me love living in Kansas City. It's $8 for adults, which is reasonable if you spend plenty of time there, and they have deals for UMKC students and faculty! And parking is free in the lot out front!

I've been so excited to come check this museum out and today it did not disappoint! I was a little worried when we pulled up and nobody was there - but within an hour there were many visitors and we still had our own time and space looking at all 51,000 toys!!! Highly recommend this for friends and family that come in town to visit. From little toys to big toys, old toys to new toys for all ages.

Just like hearing the songs of your young adulthood on the "oldies" station, so is it with seeing the beloved toys of your youth in a museum. Quite unsettling but then the nostalgia kicks in and you realize that damnit; my toys deserve to be preserved for all generations to be jealous of! The entire second floor is devoted to toys from early Americana, to almost present day. Teddy bears, Hot Wheels, board games, an entire wing of dolls...the collection is truly remarkable with exhibit after exhibit evoking smiles and memories of long lost distant cousins and childhood friends that owned those now curated artifacts. As great as the toy floor is, it is not the star of the show. That belong to the main floor where the miniatures are housed. Simply mind boggling when browsing the thousands of miniature displayed by type - tools, musical instruments... or arranged into recreated small houses, businesses, dioramas.... The artistry, craftsmanship and Wow factor are off the charts. For only an $8 admission fee, this is a phenomenal bargain and a 5 star jewel in the cultural crown of this great city. Located in an early 20th century mansion on the campus of UMKC , this museum is not to be missed and can be enjoyed by all demographics. I can't believe that this past weekend was my first visit!

I would have never thought of visiting this place had I not read the other reviews and this turned out to be my favorite place in all of Kansas City. When I saw this museum pop up while researching on things to do in Kansas City, my first response was this was some kiddie museum and probably not for me. But after reading other reviews, I decided to give this a try and was pleasantly surprised. I love toys and dollhouses, I would still trade a doll for a jewelry any time and coming here brought me back to my childhood days. The amount of collection of dollhouses, toys and minatures in this museum is monumental. I was just in awe of the intricate details of all the exhibits here. If you are in the city, this is a must try. The museum had more adults visiting than kids, so do not go by the name - this place is great for people of all ages.

There is so much to see for the toy and miniature lover. Some of the miniatures are so highly detailed, you just know that a craftsperson put in hours upon hours of work to create every part.

I love antique toys and this was so impressive!! Not sure what to expect we decided to check it out and loved it! It's not something you could do quickly but need plenty of time to look and enjoy!! Toys from the past to the present. Beautiful location with plenty of parking. Several groups came in and a tour guide walked them thru the exhibits. Cost was $8 each. Loved it!!

This was an absolutely enjoyable visit! The miniatures were spectacular! I'm not sure if kids would enjoy this as much as someone in their 60s or 70s as they had toys and games going back to the 1800s! it was really fun bringing up memories of toys from when you were little that you had forgotten about! I was quite impressed and I see why it has the ratings it does....don't miss it!

If you have not been to the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures since their remodel/rebranding, you need to go. They've done a such great job with the place! While this is place is not specifically a children's museum, it does have a lot of interactive activities to keep your kids excited. Yes, there are still a lot of dolls and dollhouses behind glass, but they've updated the exhibits with scavenger hunts, "eye spy" type activities, and interactive exhibits. Each room has magnifying glasses you can take with you to look at the miniatures. My 7 year old loved doing this! Some of the miniatures were really amazing. So much detail in such a small object. The second floor of the museum is more about toys from the 50s to the present. They have a great collection of mid century dollhouses and other toys. My husband and I felt old when we stumbled upon a case of toys from our 80s/90s childhoods. Nothing like seeing a old school Nintendo to remind you of how much things have changed! It was a fun trip down memory lane. The second floor is also home to a playhouse that kids can play in. My daughter loved making us food in the little kitchen. The whole family had a good time here. We probably spent at least an hour checking the whole place out. There's a lot to see! Definitely a good stop for a family friendly outing.

If you love miniatures art and toys... this is a must see. The details are amazing of the miniatures and also the history of toys are exciting.

I had been greedily dreaming about Downton Abbey homes when I could actually go and day dream with open eyes and see the miniature versions of beautiful, historical and fascinatingly hand crafted ancient homes and palaces at the National museum of toys and miniatures, right here in KC! This museum has miniatures at the first floor and toys on the second. My friends and I had just an hour to tour the museum and hence we kept a quick pace but were awed by the collection. It was nostalgic! The mere fact that architectural history is personified, hand crafted and representated to the whole world to see for $5 is reminiscent of the fact that it is preserved and childhood memories, celebrated! The miniature piano and the architectural classroom of the 1900's were one of my top favorites. There were minature- dolls, doll houses, castles, homes, gardens, carriages, engines, kitchens, classrooms, ballet dancers, costumes from the previous centuries, high tea collection, china sets, kitchen islands, food display, cabinets, furniture, silver, jewelery store, musical instruments and I haven't even started yet! I was easily a 5 year old here running to have a good look at the dolls and very affirmingly aged getting nostalgic thinking about what our future generations will be in treat for! The craftsmanship, those intricate details and all the colors surely summed up for memorable, fun-filled and an amazing experience!

What a blast! Let me be short. I love miniatures, my husband loves that i love them. This place was just as awe inspiring full or him as it was for me. It struck the right balance of art, science, and entertainment. We didn't spend as much time in the toy section just because of our time constraints, but it was neat to see all your favorite toys from childhood smiling at you. I'm talking cabbage patch dolls, my little ponies, Teddy Ruxpin, and She-Ra Princess of Power in better condition than you've ever seen. This is a great stop for families and couples. Even the skeptical will be won over by this place's charm.

The Miniaturize Toy Museum is a hidden gem. This was my first time going and I loved it! I took my little sister (Big Brother Big Sister) and she enjoyed it as well. A lot of the older toys brought back memories from childhood. I would highly recommend anyone of any age group to check it out.

Housed in a mansion on top of a hill on the UMKC campus, this museum is a hidden gem in Kansas City. The museum is two stories-the first story houses miniatures and dollhouses, the top floor is toys from the late 1800s all the way up to present day. The miniatures are incredible-everything from Russian nesting dolls smaller than your pinky to minuscule scale replicas of everything-cats, toys, kitchen ware, dollhouses, carnival glass,dolls..you name it, you can probably find it in tiny scale here! According to one of the museum guides, this is the world's largest miniatures museum. Yep, I can believe that! The second story was full of toys from your parents parents past, to some of my own from the 90s-so much fun. It was interesting to see how toys have evolved and to even see some that have barely changed from their predecessors from 50+ years prior. Everything is well organized, the staff is minimal but full of great knowledge and passion. Well worth a stop for nostalgia's sake!

I would say this obscured hidden gem is one of the more interesting and unique museums I've ever been to. I try to rotate a dedicated day with each of my daughters every few months or so and for this adventure, I spent the day with my youngest daughter cruising around Westport, grabbing a great lunch, and then visiting the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. Tucked in with the other buildings on the UMKC campus, it's fair to say this place is somewhat off the beaten path. The admission is very reasonable (actually surprised it wasn't more) and while I didn't know what to expect from our visit, after about two hours, I left quite impressed. The miniature part of the museum will blow you away with the amazing details put into what I would call pieces of artwork. It is impossible not to get drawn into every little detail for each exhibit (which is one reason you will spend more time there than you predicted). The toy part of the museum was equally as cool and triggered a lot of great memories seeing many of the iconic toys from growing up in the 80s. Make a full day of fun hanging around the Plaza, Westport, downtown, etc, and be sure to drop in the National Museum of Toys and Minatures when you're around that area.

Wizard of OZ Collection. This museum has well more than met and exceeded our expectations. Our party comprised of 4 adults, a 12 and 8 year olds. At first impression this was going to be quick and boring. The kids were presented with a guided treasure hunt. Once the hunt began, the interest developed and we were no longer dreading the museum we were more concerned with the time we had left to stay on our travel schedule.

"Twenty eyes in my head...they're all the same" It's not likely that you'll ever see me quoting Glenn Danzig in a Yelp review again (that's sort of a lie), but this was all that I could think of as I perused room after room in the old mansion that contains the Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City. The eyes are everywhere. Always feel like somebody's watching you? They are. Porcelain Dolls. Barbies. Teddy bears. Miniatures. Miniature miniatures. Miniature miniature miniatures (seriously, at one point you're looking at things through a microscope. These people aren't fooling). Hell, even the marble room technically is full of eyes, right? It's mind boggling. I feel like I can't possibly absorb everything in just one visit and then write it all down in one review. Instead, I'll try to capture the essence of the museum here and leave the haunted doll speculation (and more!) to next time. I'm going to come clean here and admit I was in love with my dolls when I was a young'un. I can't deny my conventional girlhood, as much as I embrace my youthful proclivity to play with bugs and ephemera. Joseph Cornell would probably agree that it's all somewhat related, after all (I thought of Joseph Cornell constantly here). I had Cabbage Patch Kids, a Madame Alexander baby doll, and yes, I was a girl who loved her Barbies, too. I didn't have the Dream House or the swimming pool (with Barbies that tanned!) or that cool sports car, but my friends did. I just loved dressing her up in an array of fabulous outfits. Barbie's 50th anniversary is the current special exhibit and it will not disappoint, showcasing the beloved doll throughout her every incarnation, including "Black Barbie." That this came out in not 1965, but 1980, uhhh seriously?...and "Hispanic Barbie" came out around the same time. Now we're told that this is sold only in Latin American markets and is not called anything but "Barbie." That's some save, Mattel. I loved the center display of the designer collection Barbies, by such famed designers as Bob Mackie and Christian Dior, but the best thing for me is they have a Barbie FASHION PLATE station. I still bemoan the retirement of Fashion Plates, as these were one of my favorite toys as a kid. I could have lost myself in the Fashion Plate area, but there was much more to see. They have a modest Star Wars collection that takes up a corner of a giant room where you just know they are dying to expand, but little boys of the 70s ain't giving up their toys anytime soon, so I think that room is going to stay pretty bare. Then there's the spectacular dollhouse collection. You don't have to be a dollhouse aficionado to appreciate this. One of my favorite things to do is to drive by spectacular homes and wonder what it would be like to live in such a place. Dollhouses give you a precious glimpse inside! I love imaging lives for houses and the people who live inside them. Even better, with historically accurate dollhouses (you better believe they have 'em here!), you get living schemes of the past encapsulated into anything from a log cabin to a modest cottage to grand Victorian mansion. There are rooms upon rooms filled with dollhouses as old as a couple hundred years. Sizes range from a miniature dollhouse (set up in a craft room of a dollhouse, of course!) to a 7-foot masterpiece that features gas lighting and running water. There are also displays upon displays of all that goes into the dollhouses and a thorough explanation of how creating things according to scale works. Talk about information and sensory overload. Like I said, this place begs multiple visits. And so I will return.

A fun stop on my cross country road trip. Spent about 90 minutes looking at a variety of toys and miniatures from many different eras. It was neat the see toys from my childhood that I haven't seen (or thought of) in decades. $5 admission fee was a great value.

Wow! Completely exceeded our expectations. Hands down the best $20 we spent as a family of 4 visiting Kansas City! They didn't say so (bless their hearts), but I'm sure my husband and tween boys were internally groaning as I dragged them here. In retrospect, it may have been the favorite for all of us on the whole trip! I promise the photos in Yelp! don't do it justice, and I promise this museum isn't just dolls/dollhouses. Not by a long shot. The miniatures were mind-boggling -- endlessly fascinating. Whatever your brain conjures up when you hear the word "miniature" won't hold a teeny tiny candle to what you'll find in this museum. We're talking train cars the size of a pinhead. Chandeliers the size of a dime. Our whole family was spellbound for a couple hours! The toy portion of the museum is upstairs and also fantastic. My husband and I were born in the 70s and grew up in the 80s, and got such enjoyment out of seeing our old Speak & Spell and Strawberry Shortcake Gazebo and G.I. Joes and Big Wheel. We kept shrieking "I had that!" and "my neighbor had that and I wanted it so badly!" This place is SUCH a hoot. Anyone would enjoy this -- young or old -- and you can't beat the price at $5 per person. I'd come back to Kansas City just to come here again.

Definitely go here it's amazing. Richard is awesome and knows everything. You will feel like a giant in all the tiny things. The dolls I'm pretty sure aren't alive but still we were safe and whispered as to not hurt their ears. Best two hours I've spent in a while.

This place is seriously impressive. Only $5 admission for an adult, which I consider a good value for how much time we spent looking at everything. It was really cool to see toys that I grew up with and see all of the neat miniatures/doll houses through the 2-floor museum. Definitely would recommend visiting.

Thoroughly enjoyable for all ages--even my 4 year old grandson was amazed by the dollhouse exhibit. I will definitely make time to savor this experience alone on my next trip to KC...it's that mesmerizing!

This was an awesome find! It's tucked away on the UMKC campus without any real signage, so use your GPS. The miniatures were amazing and there were lots of toys that brought back memories. This museum isn't really for small kids - better for older kids or adults who can appreciate the detail of the miniatures or the nostalgia of the toys.

This was such a cool experience! I went with my family and my grandpa and he showed us some of the toys he had growing up that were on display. I am a huge fan of miniatures so this was such a fun spot to visit!

***This toy and miniature museum is surprisingly big and the collection of miniatures is incredibly impressive (the very detailed miniature paintings are immensely detailed); their collection encompasses many time periods; the property is also very well maintained*** The Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City sits right next to the University of Missouri-Kansas City. It is a nice area with lots of greenery. The building that houses this museum is also nice and surprisingly big. The size of the building really allows for a very impressive and almost overwhelming collection of toys and miniatures from many different time periods. I would say the primary focus of this museum is the collection of miniatures. There is a wide variety of antique miniature houses from the 1600s to 1800s. You get a great variety of houses--some with a more dollhouse and play feel and others with an incredible amount of detail (especially in a time period where they might not have had some of the modern tools we have today). While the antique miniatures are impressive (as well as very nicely maintained), the modern miniatures are on another level with an almost unbelievable amount of detail. You will find fully realized dining rooms with perfect detail down to the silverware. Beautiful animals, working tools, musical instruments, and miniature paintings are also on display. The miniature paintings are very impressive. The detail and the use of color is astounding. Rooms displaying the artwork take on the feel of walking through a miniature Getty Center. Most of the modern miniatures cover a wide range of architecture and you will see a lot of recognizable interpretations (like the Painted Ladies from San Francisco). The miniatures go beyond the US too; though their non-US collection is not as extensive, they do have a nice little room dedicated to houses and tatami rooms from Japan. Their collection of toys is good but definitely not as elaborate as their miniatures. They feature mostly antique toys, but you will find a very impressive collection of Star Wars toys and an even more impressive collection of Barbie dolls. The number of Barbie dolls they feature is impressive in itself, but even more impressive is how they display them. You get a nice timeline of America fashion and ideals as you walk through the room from the more Mad Men era of the 1950s-early 1960s Barbies to the more free spirit late 1960s-1970s and then the bright colors/pop/MC Hammer music of the 1980s. The collection is very impressive and well maintained and the building is too. The building is very contemporary and clean with great directed lighting that really highlights the incredible detail of the miniatures. You also get very nice restrooms. And with a building housing so many antiques, you may worry about the rooms being stuffy, hot or musty, but the room temperature is nice and there are no unpleasant odors. They feature a small staff of very pleasant and dedicated workers. Prices are reasonable at $7 per person. There is a decent gift shop on site, which features a wide range of prices. The Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City is a really unique and interesting museum. It showcases a type of art that you might not easily find elsewhere, which really makes this spot a one-of-a-kind experience. Their collection is very impressive and the location is very well maintained (up to the standards of a very good metropolitan museum), which makes trips here educational and engaging as well as nice and comfortable. This museum features its own free parking lot. It is very easy finding an open space. For your information, taking photos inside the museum is not allowed.

They still ask for you to wear masks. However they have fun activities to do. And it also is cheap. Nice museum, and lots to look at. Highly recommend doing the activity book when you come.

Great fun! An especially great little museum for those old enough to remember the fantastic toys of the past. They are also not afraid to show some of the uglier side of racist toys. And the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable. A hidden KC gem!

This is a wonderful place to visit. It is located in an old hilltop mansion in a lovely neighborhood. My wife and I spent 1.5 hours browsing through the museum, especially enjoying the toy collections from our childhood and that of our own children. The miniatures were equally fascinating. One that I especially enjoyed was the Art Deco jewelry store. The detail was incredible. Do yourself a favor while you are in Kansas City. Spend $5 and visit this museum. Even the gift shop in worth a visit.

This place was so much better than I expected it to be! We were in a group of adults and toddlers and everyone loved it. All of the toys and miniatures are protected, so the boys could freely wander around without fear of destroying anything. There's also an awesome "Wendy House" for kids to play in. Totally worth the time and money, can't wait to visit again!

The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures is a great place to when you need something to do. It has a small scavenger hunt, that kids can enjoy. It keeps you entertained for about 1-2 hours.

This was a nice departure from our typical KC routine. My hubby had found this place when seeking interesting things to do for our trip. If you have children with you, you can Google a coupon for the place to get a child's admission free. You can show the coupon on your phone if you don't have a printer handy. I liked having this capability. The name of the museum tells you exactly what to expect. It is a great place, and we were surprised at the collection. I must say that the first floor is really the best part of the museum. The second floor seems to be the less impressive parts of the collection, minus the marble collection. This is a really cool section, and we got a great lesson from a very nice young lady there. I'd never played marbles before, and think I may add it to my repertoire of parlor tricks. Take an hour or so out of your travels here to come and see the place. I don't believe that you'll be disappointed.

A great place to spend a morning in KCMO. Lots of nostalgia and exclamations, "I had that when I was a kid!" Truly a hidden gem in KCMO.

This is a pretty unique museum dedicated to toys and miniatures. It would be very appealing to lovers of realistic dollhouses. I found the detail on the prices pretty fascinating. Upstairs was a walk down memory lane with lots of toys from various decades. Entry was inexpensive which makes it even more appealing. We enjoyed the visit.