Dollhouse Museum, Toy Museum in Basel, Switzerland
The Dollhouse Museum in Basel holds one of the world's largest collections of toys, including dolls, teddy bears, miniature shops, and dollhouses spread across multiple floors. The items are arranged to show how play and toy design changed over time, with each room displaying different types of objects and craftsmanship.
The museum was founded in 1998 based on a private collection built over many decades by passionate collectors. This effort to preserve toys reflects how people wanted to document the story of childhood and play throughout modern history.
The collection reflects how toys shaped childhood experiences across generations and cultures, showing what dolls and bears meant to families over time. Walking through the rooms, visitors notice how play and toy design reveal the values and interests of different eras.
The museum is centrally located in Basel and easy to reach on foot from the city center. Plan to spend at least two hours exploring, as the collections span multiple floors with many items to discover at your own pace.
The collection includes an unusually large number of handcrafted dollhouses with detailed furnishings, some dating back to the 1800s. This specialized focus on miniature worlds and interior design sets it apart from other toy collections.
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