Edinburgh’s Museum of Childhood will take you back to your own childhood for a while. Relive the excitement of being a child, surrounded by games, toys, dolls, prams and other memories from different eras, in the first museum in the world dedicated to childhood.
A museum for children and adults alike
Right on the Royal Mile you can visit this pioneering and very original museum, which is just as appealing for adults as it is for children.
It was founded by Patrick Murray, an enthusiastic toy collector, but there is much more than toys: you’ll find games and toys from several generations, many of which you’ll surely recognise, as well as photographs, books, school items, comics, clothes and fancy dress, from the 18th century to the present day.
Practical information
Opening hours
- Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday
- 10am–5pm
- Sunday
- 12 noon–5pm
Closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Check the official website before your visit.
Entry
Free. Donations welcome.
Collection highlights
Among the most famous toys you’ll find a rare wooden doll from 1740, known as the Queen Anne Doll, the oldest toy in the collection.
Don’t miss the Stanbrig Eorls dolls’ house, with 19 rooms equipped with electricity and running water, or the Kindertransport teddy bear, which came to Edinburgh from Vienna in 1939 on one of the trains that rescued Jewish children from the Nazis. There is also one of the first Peter Rabbit toys, modelled on Beatrix Potter’s character.
Interactive areas
The museum was recently renovated to show new items and turn the ground floor into an interactive space. Explore the zones dedicated to home, school and play, tell your own stories in the puppet theatre, or become someone else in the dressing-up area. Perfect for curious children!
With its large and carefully curated collection, the Museum of Childhood shows how the toys children played with have changed over the last few centuries, and it’s sure to bring a smile to your face as you remember the games of your own childhood.
Location
You can find the museum on the Royal Mile, on the right-hand side of the High Street just after Blackfriars Street as you walk downhill towards the Palace, almost opposite John Knox House. Look out for the colourful doorway!
Get directions to the Museum of Childhood.