See the toys your parents and grandparents might have played with.
Yeah, I’m a big fan of toy museums. Been to two in Thailand (see the Million Toy Museum in Ayutthaya, the Batcat Museum in Bangkok, and there were quite a few toys in the House of Museums) — there’s still a big kid inside me Singapore’s two toy museums avail themselves to tourists young and old, although I suspect the older tourists will get the bigger kick out of them.
First up here is the Children Little Museum…
…though calling it a museum might be a bit misleading. You think of museums as being these huge buildings with tens of thousands of exhibits that’ll take you hours to see them all.
Not here. Close to the Masjid Sultan in Singapore, the Children Little Museum comprises the second story of a shop, and is most likely smaller than your house. The amount of stuff crammed into this relatively small space, however, makes it worth the visit.
Most of what’s here dates to the 1950’s and 1970’s, though with so little space there’s very little room for explanations. Things are organized into collections wherever possible:
You’ll find there’s a lot to take in virtually everywhere you look — including up at the ceiling:
Metal Horse-it steers, anyone?
Nice to see soda bottles haven’t changed all that much over the decades…
Museum #2: the Mint Museum of Toys
It’s a nice trip to the past, but we’re not done. Within walking distance of the Children Little Museum is a larger and more comprehensive collection at the Mint Museum of Toys.
Claiming to be “The world’s first purpose-built museum for toys”, this four-story collection has toys dating back to the mid 19th century, including some extremely rare toys where only a few are extant. While tickets are on the pricey side at S$15, there are over 50,000 exhibits from 40 countries and a century-plus of history.
Take the elevator to the fifth floor (Outerspace) and start getting nostalgic for everything from Mickey and Minnie Star Wars collectibles to colorful Daleks.
Old Punch and Judy puppets — I think I’m beginning to see why some folks think clowns are a little creepy…
That cat might be enjoying his yarn, but only because he got into the catnip first…
Astroboy, and his sister Uran — betcha didn’t know that, trivia buff. Plenty of small succinct signs offer dates and some idea of their rarity, but most are easily overlooked thanks to the rather full cases…
One product that wouldn’t exist today, that’s for sure.
Going back decades, a lot of names and characters will be familiar to most people.
Some have been slightly altered — ‘Darkie’ above has since been changed to ‘Darlie’, which can still be seen on store shelves around Asia with a somewhat different logo.
Ahh, Betty Boop and some very old-school Mickey Mouse dolls…
Here’s a treat — from the Robin Williams movie Toys (1992) is one of the few surviving props from the movie.
Yikes… not creepy at all…
While the Beatles are about as new as the collection gets, you’re not quite done yet. Head down to the ground level for a small gift shop or to the roof for Mr. Punch — a restaurant / wine bar on the rooftop.
Combined, these two toy museums are a great way to spend 2–3 hours in Singapore (with the 1 kilometer walk between them included). By themselves they’re fine, but why not take them both in?
Ready to explore Singapore a bit more? Go take in the dozens of rides at Universal Studio Singapore.
Name: The Children Little Museum
Address: 42 Bussorah Street, Kampong Glam, Central, Singapore, 199460 (GPS: 1.302120, 103.859649)
Directions: Take the MRT to Bugis Station (DT14/ EW12) and head northeast along Victoria street. Take a right onto Ophir street, then the first left onto North Bridge road. Walk about 75 meters to Arab Street, then turn right. Look for the first left (Muscat street), then stay straight — don’t follow the road around to the right. With the mosque to your left, turn right to walk down this road (also called Muscat street) and immediately begin looking left.
Hours: 1pm-8:30pm
Admission: S$2.00
Phone: +65 6298 2713
Website: no official website
Name: Mint Museum of Toys (Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys)
Address: 26 Seah Street, Singapore 188382, Singapore (GPS: 1.296294, 103.854566)
Directions: It’s closest to the Esplanade MRT station (CC3), but City Hall (EW13 / NS25) is also a short walk. From Esplanade, head northwest on Bras Basah road, walk about 50 meters and turn right onto Beach road. Walk 150 meters and turn left onto Seah Street, then walk about 100 meters and look right.
Hours: 9:30am-6:30pm
Admission: S$12 (look for coupons in tourist brochures or maps); children 2–12 years old: S$7.50
Phone: +65 6339 0660
Website: http://www.emint.com/
