The Toy Museum, Toy museum in Prague Castle, Czech Republic

The Toy Museum houses thousands of toys in seven rooms across two floors, including wooden and tin pieces, trains, and figures from different periods. The collection spans from ancient times to the present day and shows how children's toys have developed over centuries.

The building began as a Gothic residence of the castle's burgrave, documented in 1335 and badly damaged in the fire of 1541. Jan Popel von Lobkowicz had it rebuilt in Renaissance form by Giovanni Ventura between 1553 and 1559, with further work by Ulrico Aostalli in the 1590s. The Toy Museum of Ivan Steiger was installed here after 1989.

The exhibition shows traditional Czech toys and international collections that reflect how play and playthings have changed over time. You can see how different cultures entertained children and which toys were popular in different periods.

The Toy Museum occupies the northern wing of the Supreme Burgrave's House at Jiřská 6, next to the Black Tower, with the courtyard behind it facing Golden Lane. It is open every day, including weekends, throughout the year. The exhibition fills two floors and seven rooms, so allow enough time to see all sixty display cases.

The museum holds what its founder Ivan Steiger calls the world's largest private toy collection, shown in sixty display cases across seven rooms. Look for the oldest Märklin model railways, a collection of several hundred Barbie dolls tracing their fashions, and the Czech mole Krtek.