A Visit to the Nuremberg Toy Museum- Spielzeugmuseum Nuremberg

Nuremberg has been a hub of toy making since the Middle Ages, so it makes sense that the Nuremberg Spielzeugmuseum is considered one of the best Toy Museums in the world. HUNDREDS of toy makers had their workshops along the cobblestoned streets and ways. Not only that, Nuremberg is the home of the first mass-produced toys and the first Tin Soldiers. And today, Nuremberg hosts the largest International Toy and Game Fair in the world. Nuremberg loves TOYS. Now, I too love toys, and I love museums, so when I was on my Christmas Market tour, I couldn’t resist visiting the Nuremberg Toy Museum. Are you kidding? A whole building full of TOYS! Just try to stop me!

In the Lobby

Nuremberg Toy Museum

Visiting the Nuremberg Toy Museum takes you on a trip through time with a little lesson in toy history. As you go up the levels, you move forward in time. So, if you want to skip to the Playmos, head upstairs!

In the Beginning there was Wood

You’ll find wooden toys on the ground floor. Simple houses and charming wooden figures made by a Reifendreher , like the ones I saw on my visit to Seiffen.

Isn’t it great that there is a toy of the toymaker!

Tin Soldiers and Doll Houses

Then I went up to the first floor (remember, the first floor in Germany is the second floor in the US… the ground floor is the ground floor), and got lost in the doll houses. Growing up, I was never a girly-girl, but I had a doll house that my Opa made for me, and I LOVED IT. It still exists in my attic, waiting for a third generation to play with it. But these! The amount of detail! The furniture, hand-painted dishes, and even an old Kachelofen (Tile Stove for heating). And these works of art were meant to be played with!

A Kachelofen! and Velvet covered Chairs!

This same floor was home to early tin toys. Notably, Tin Soldiers and an extensive collection of Lehmann Tin toys.

Johann Gottfried Hilpert and his brother set up a workshop to build and paint the first mass-produced tin soldiers in 1760. Their workshop in Nuremberg created hundreds of soldiers and other figures that were each hand-painted. Unlike later Tin Soldiers (like the one in the Hans Christian Anderson story), these were flat, 2-dimensional with a “foot” to stand them upright.

The Lehmann toy company was founded in Brandenburg in 1881, and developed a reputation for making colorful and detailed tin toys. These were a hit for a few reasons 1. They were colorful 2. They were lighter than iron toys (which meant that it did less damage when a child banged into something… like his little brother’s head) 3. They were cheaper than iron toys (a plus for parents). By the 1920s there were hundreds of designs… from animals to cars to carousels.

One “toy” that took me completely by surprise was the Altar Playset. Apparently these religious toys were made for little boys who had their heart set on joining the church.

The World of Technology

On the second floor (third floor in the US) you find Construction sets and Wind up toys made from metal. Toys that move. Erector type sets designed to let little boys (and their precocious sisters) spend hours building Ferris Wheels and bridges.

Model trains And a GIANT train set. (Not as cool as the trains in Hamburg’s Miniature Wonderland, but still quite good), wind up cars, and riding toys like cars and horses.

Look! Winnie the Pooh can drive a car!

Toys Since 1945

I admit, the top floor was my favorite. Here is where you find all of the toys created since 1945. The toys are grouped by type (lots of Playmobil and Legos) but also by decade.

Winnetau! Monchhichi! Mecki and the Sandmännchen! Legos and Playmos.

I know I had that doll!… and look! an early Mickey Mouse

A PLAYMO TOWER!

Wandering this floor is like walking through childhood. I suddenly remembered so many toys that may have been forgotten along the way. I thought about the movie Toy Story, and how the toys didn’t want to be part of a static museum… but maybe the other side of it is that the toys in museums take us back to our childhood? These toys remind us of what made us so happy when we were young. And that seems like a good thing too.

Can You PLAY with the Toys?

This is a Museum. While the kids (and even adult people like me) would love to play with all the toys, you can’t touch the exhibits. However, there is a play area on the top floor with toys, games, and even books, where kids and their grown-ups can play to their heart’s delight. I saw people playing even without children. The comfortable room with its tables and chairs, as well as soft spaces, makes a nice place to slow down and enjoy yourself, especially on a day filled with sightseeing. If you are touring Nuremberg with children, put this space on your list!

Where is the Nuremberg Toy Museum?

The Spielzeugmuseum is on Karlstraße, just down the hill from the Dürer Museum, and on a roundabout path from the Hauptmarkt to the Schloß, so it’s a perfect halfway place on your way up the side of the hill. The museum is open daily except Mondays, and entry tickets are reasonable. You can even buy a multi-day pass!

Next time you are in Nuremberg, take the time for a trip down memory lane at the Spielzeugmuseum. You will love it.

Get opening times and ticket information here–> Spielzeugmuseum Nürnberg