Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys in Warsaw

Museum of Dollhouses Games and Toys
Masovian VoivodeshipNo price limitPolandUnder EUR 10Under EUR 25Warsaw

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We visited a place perfect for children and adults. Small and big. Boys and girls. Men and women. Here is one of the sweetest and most charming attractions in Warsaw: the Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys. Older people will now have the opportunity to return to their childhood memories for a moment. Younger people – try to imagine a world full of creative and analog entertainment, completely devoid of screens and the Internet.

Are you looking for an idea to spend your free time? Check out our section​: Best things to do in Warsaw!

Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys – photos

The Warsaw Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys was once located in the Palace of Culture and Science. Don’t look for it in this location anymore – it has been moved from the Center to the Old Town. Currently, the headquarters are located at 15 Podwale Street, and the Temporary Exhibitions Branch is located at Krzywe KoÅ‚o 2/4. The good news is that one combined ticket is valid for both places.

Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys – Main Branch, Podwale 15 street

We start our tour from the Main Branch. There are two permanent exhibitions here: ‘In the world of ancient dollhouses’ and ‘Sacred toys’. Dozens of miniature buildings, furniture, devices and accessories are enclosed in glass cases. An instant return to childhood is guaranteed as soon as you enter the door.

Museum of Dollhouses Games and Toys Poland

Each dollhouse is a unique design by its creator. From a distance you can see that someone put a lot of work and heart into them. Handmade miniature works of art did not come off the assembly line in a factory – so they are truly unique. When you look at them closely, you will see how precisely individual roof tiles, bricks and shutters were made.

Museum of Dollhouses Games and Toys photos

It’s similar with the interiors. We don’t want to complain, but today’s dollhouses are simple and plastic. The museum ones have lots of sophisticated decorations and stylish furnishings. Here, even the wallpaper is decorated with flowers, and the bedding looks like it was made with mini crochet.

Museum of Dollhouses Games and Toys video

Everything is fine and dandy, but the further we go into the forest, the more we have the impression that dollhouses were created mainly to prepare girls for typically female professions. Future traditional wives could practice taking care of the house painfully. After several (adolescent) years spent on such entertainment, cleaning, cooking, washing and ironing should have no secrets for them.

dollhouse exhibition

In addition to typical houses, which are replicas of apartments, the museum also has many miniature workplaces. The most interesting exhibits in this category include, among others, a field hospital, a glazier’s workshop, a hairdressing salon and a small post office. On the latter, each micro-mail has its own handwritten address. Wow!

dollhouses post office

Do you remember your favorite fairy tales from childhood? When we were young one of the most popular bedtime stories was Moomins. They also have their own house in the museum. This one comes from the 1990s and is (unfortunately) made of plastic, but you can open it, close it and move it from one place to another. Mobile Moomins? In our opinion – a firecracker. In primary school, we would take them to visit our friends.

Moomin house and figurines

For dessert, we will show you a tiny house that completely stole our hearts. The diminutives here are not accidental: this is Thumbelina’s wooden cottage. Although it looks quite fresh, it was created around 1960 – so it is over 60 years old! It looks a bit like a highlander’s house with a rose garden. We would love to live in one ourselves.

wooden dollhouse

Museum of Dolls’ Houses, Games and Toys – Temporary Exhibitions Branch, Krzywe KoÅ‚o 2/4

After seeing the permanent exhibitions, it’s time to visit the Temporary Exhibitions Branch. We cover the route from one place to another on foot in just a few minutes. Immediately after entering, it turns out that there is no door in the first room. So how do you find the promised exhibition? A nice lady cashier comes to our aid.

Museum of Dollhouses Games and Toys Temporary Exhibitions Department

Attention, we are revealing a mystery that you should have no problem solving on your own if you know ‘The Chronicles of Narnia’. We enter the next room through… a wardrobe. We must (and even want to) admit that this is a truly magical solution. However, a small disappointment awaits us at the door: the entire exhibition in the Temporary Exhibitions Branch occupies only one small room.

Warsaw dollhouse museum

Traditionally, however, instead of complaining that we don’t have enough things to watch, we start to read the available material more carefully. Quite a grateful topic, because the current temporary exhibition is titled ‘HOME PLAY – favorite toys from the times of the Polish People’s Republic’. We are happy because this exhibition can introduce us to a period in the history of Poland that our parents and grandparents so often praise.

Museum of Dollhouses Games and Toys Temporary Exhibitions Branch Krzywe Kolo

Well, what was it like during communism? When it comes to children’s toys, there’s definitely a lot of color and even more plastic. Here, too, it is hard to resist the impression that all children’s gadgets were intended to prepare the youngest for the role of adults. The girls could practice working in a store (weighing and cashing as much as they wanted) or in a confectionery shop (mixing as much as they needed).

Museum of Dollhouses Games and Toys Temporary Exhibitions Department photos

The Polish People’s Republic did not forget about boys. Sets of small mechanics and craftsmen were waiting for future work leaders. But not only! Slowly, toys for spending carefree time, not just imitating adult activities, were allowed. Let the cars and robots in the photo below be proof of this.

Dollhouse Museum toys for boys

What exhibit surprised us the most at the exhibition from the Polish People’s Republic? Bathroom set! There wouldn’t really be anything unusual about the little bathtubs, if it weren’t for the fact that they were accompanied by a small, black doll. Could these be the first signs of spreading tolerance and promoting equality in the times of deep communism? Maybe.

Museum of Dollhouses Games and Toys Warsaw

Just like in the Podwale facility, also in Krzywy KoÅ‚o, the most beautiful item seemed to us to be the most classic exhibit, i.e. wooden blocks from Zorka. They may not be as good as LEGO, but they are certainly effective in developing the creativity and imagination of a little builder. This is another small work of art straight from the children’s analog world.

Zorka wooden blocks

Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys – tickets and free entry

Ticket prices for the Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys are as follows:

  • normal ticket – PLN 42.
  • reduced ticket – PLN 30.
  • family ticket (4 people including at least 1 child and at least 1 adult) – PLN 120.
  • group ticket (group of over 10 people) – PLN 25.

Purchased tickets are valid for two days and allow entry to both branches of the museum.

Free entry is available to:

  • children up to 100 cm tall.
  • adults over 100 years of age. : )
  • guardians of organized groups (1 guardian for 10 people).
  • museum workers, members of ICOM and ICOMOS.
  • journalists (SDP, SDRP, FIJ, IFJ ID cards).
  • tourist guides (state ID cards, PTTK).
  • veterans, war invalids.
  • WARSAW PASS card holders.

dollhouses exhibition

Dollhouse Museum in Warsaw – opening hours

The Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys is open every day from 09:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The exception is the following days on which the facility remains closed:

  • Easter, Easter Monday.
  • All Saints’ Day (November 1).
  • Christmas Eve and Christmas (24-26/12).

Dollhouse Museum

Museum of Dolls’ Houses, Games and Toys – visiting time

Estimated visiting time is approximately 1 hour.

In fact, just taking a look at the exhibits would take you about 30 minutes (in both locations). However, if you want to read the descriptions (some of them are really interesting), admire the artistic craftsmanship of the creators and spend some time on nostalgia – reserve about 1 hour (including walking between branches).

Dollhouse Museum Warsaw

Dollhouse Museum – Warsaw – how to get?

The Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys is located in two locations in the Old Town of Warsaw, 300 meters apart:

  • Main Branch in the Basilian Palace at 15 Podwale Street.
  • Temporary Exhibitions Branch in the RogoziÅ„ska Tenement House at 2/4 Krzywe KoÅ‚o Street.

What’s the easiest way to reach them?

  • Traditionally, we encourage ecological walking and cycling trips – the museum is located about 2.5 km from the center of Warsaw (25 minutes on foot or 10 minutes by bike).
  • There are bus stops nearby: Kapitulna, Stare Miasto, Plac KrasiÅ„skich.
  • If you want to come by tram, the closest stop is Stare Miasto.
  • When traveling by metro, get off at the Ratusz ArsenaÅ‚ station – you will get to the museum in less than 15 minutes on foot.
  • Information for those arriving by car: the museum does not have its own parking spaces. Of course, paid city parking lots are available on the street, but due to the location and car traffic (either increased or limited), we recommend using really efficient public transport.

Dollhouse Museum tickets

Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys – interesting facts and tips

  • The Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys is certainly not large. Nevertheless, it houses a collection of about 150 historical exhibits along with their mini-equipment. We could count individual exhibits in thousands.
  • For those who are still not satisfied with the exhibition, we have great news. The museum will soon expand to include a collection of board games and puzzles. Stay tuned, as bloggers say!
  • The exhibits in the Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys come from a private collection collected over several years.
  • The facility is managed by the Belle Epoque Foundation, which aims to promote knowledge about toys in society. In addition to exhibitions, workshops, cultural events, museum lessons and competitions are organized here. We write about it because we really like such unusual artistic initiatives.
  • Among the ‘Sacred Toys’ in the Main Branch you will find, among others, a collection of brides in wedding dresses from different eras, Amish family figurines, and even Noah’s Ark with all its inventory.

bride doll

Dollhouse Museum in Warsaw – opinions

  • Patrix – 6/10. The museum allows you to go back to the magical time of childhood. Handmade toys look amazing and are artistically impressive. As a ‘boy’, I also found some exhibits that interested me. So why do I rate the Dollhouse Museum in Warsaw 6/10? The museum is very tiny. It will take from 30 to 60 minutes to visit the whole thing. I believe that the price of PLN 35 is inappropriate for the duration of the attraction.
  • Wiolczix – 9/10. In the Dollhouse Museum, I felt like a little girl again for a moment. It was two hours of true carefreeness! And walking through the wardrobe is a childhood dream come true. Handmade toys may not be perfect, but they certainly delight. With almost every exhibit, I wondered what talent, patience, ingenuity and precision one had to have to create such mini-masterpieces. The only drawback is the lack of space in both locations, which made me feel a bit claustrophobic while visiting. I recommend it to girls, boys, women and men. : )

Dollhouse Museum in Warsaw

Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys – frequently asked questions

Dollhouse Museum – Palace of Culture and Science – where was it moved?

The Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys was established in 2016 – then it was located in the Palace of Culture and Science in Warsaw. However, it was moved from the very center to the Old Town. The Main Branch is located in the Bazylianów Palace at 15 Podwale Street, and the Temporary Exhibitions Branch is in Kamienica RogoziÅ„ska at 2/4 Krzywe KoÅ‚o Street. These two addresses are only 300 meters apart. In our opinion, the new location is much more atmospheric.

Dollhouse Museum – tickets?

A regular ticket to the Museum of Dolls’ Houses, Games and Toys costs PLN 35, a reduced ticket – PLN 25, a family ticket – PLN 99, and a group ticket – PLN 23. The price for seeing such a sentimental collection of exhibits is certainly not excessive. : )

Dollhouse Museum – free entry?

The Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys offers free entry to: children under 100 cm tall, adults over 100 years of age, WARSAW PASS card holders, guardians of organized groups, museum employees, journalists with ID cards, tourist guides, veterans, and war invalids.

How long does it take to visit the Dollhouse Museum in Warsaw?

A cursory tour of the Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys will take you about 30 minutes. For more insightful visitors, we recommend booking about 1 hour.

Dollhouse Museum – is it worth going?

Is it worth going to the Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys? Of course. The extensive collection of miniature buildings delights with its beauty and brings back memories. Short descriptions do not bore visitors, but contain a lot of concisely formulated interesting facts. The exhibits will successfully interest both adults and children, which makes the Dollhouse Museum a perfect idea for a trip for entire families. Especially multi-generational ones.

Is the Dollhouse Museum interesting/suitable for boys?

The Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys has no gender. There will be something interesting for both girls and boys (regardless of age). If young men are not interested in small irons or stoves, maybe they will be more curious about the jobs of a glazier, a butcher or a mechanic? Blocks, robots and cars will probably not escape their attention either.

dollhouses in Warsaw

Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys – Warsaw – map

The Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys operates in two places.

The ‘headquarters’ can be found at 15 Podwale Street:

The Temporary Exhibitions Branch is located at 2/4 Krzywe Koło Street:

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