If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit, look no further than The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures! The minute you walk into the lobby, you’ll be greeted with a towering Christmas tree, trimmed with glass toy ornaments and whimsically crowned with a top hat. Step into the Fine-Scale Miniatures gallery, and you’ll find the rooms of Twin Manors festooned with the miniature greenery. Upstairs—and on the opposite end of the scale spectrum—the nine-foot-tall Coleman dollhouse is also decked out for the holidays. And, of course, walking through the museum’s toy collection is bound to evoke holiday gift memories.
But to really experience all the holiday cheer the museum has to offer, plan to visit when the doors to the Tureman Education Center are open for special events. Then, you can see the former 1911 residential mansion lavishly decorated. You’ll also see the special display of antique Christmas crèches from the Bud and Jan Koupal Collection. So, why not mark your calendar with these dates.
Meet the Experts: Christmas Crèches at T/m
Sunday, December 10, 2017 | 2-3pm
See the Christmas crèches and learn about the history and tradition of crèches; stay afterward for cider and cookies.
Christmas Stories
Saturday, December 16 and December 23 | 1-3pm
See photos and hear stories about what the holidays were once like in the Tureman mansion.
Father Christmas Visit
Sunday, December 17 | 1-2:30pm
A professional storyteller will tell interactive tales of Old Saint Nick. Be sure to bring your camera to snap a keepsake photo of your family with the man in red!
Music in the Museum
Saturday, December 30 | 1-3:30pm
Take a break from the hectic season to enjoy traditional holiday music played on dulcimers.
You can enjoy these events and all the festive décor with general admission ($5; free for members). However, there is one holiday decoration inspired by the movie “A Christmas Story” that you can get a glimpse of simply by driving past the museum on Oak Street. Yep, that’s a leg lamp in the window.
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures
5235 Oak Street, Kansas City, MO 64112
816-235-8000
toyandminiaturemuseum.org
