Museum of Childhood
Gallery Information
Welcome to the Museum of Childhood, inside are the floor
plans of the building to help you get around. If you would
like any further information as you go round the galleries
one of our visitor assistants will be pleased to help - they
are wearing red shirts.
Enjoy your visit
How the museum began, Early Days (babies and toddlers), Food &
Drink, Health & Hygiene, Education, Sunday Toys, Children at Work,
Push, Pull & Riding Toys, Seaside Entertainments.
LIFT
STAIRS
Gallery 1
UP TO ALL OTHER
FLOORS/
DOWN TO
BASEMENT
There is lots to see and do in this gallery. We have
information about how the museum first began and also
about more recent acquisitions to the museum. In here there
is a collection of objects from early infancy and childhood,
schools and Sunday school. There is a brilliant collection
of ‘push and pull toys’ which many of you will remember
playing with such as cars, bicycles, carriages, prams and even
moveable toy dogs that children could take for a walk!
GALLERY ONE
STAR ITEM
Many visitors’ favourite item in this gallery is
the red, white, yellow and blue Raleigh
bicycle. Do you remember your first
bicycle? Were you lucky enough to
own a Raleigh?
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
TWO
GET INTERACTIVE
There are three different machines that
you can play with in this gallery that all
would have been popular at the
fairground. Have a go on our games
‘Sweeney Todd’, ‘Shooting the Moon’
or ‘The Haunted House’.
SHOP
FIRE EXIT
GROUND FLOOR
MAIN ENTRANCE/EXIT
Toy Vehicles, Optical Toys, Musical Toys, Puppets & Theatres,
Dolls’ Houses & Miniatures, Zoos, Farms & Circuses, When I Grow Up
Exhibition Area
Gallery 2
LIFT
TO GALLERY
THREE
SAME LEVEL
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
TWO ALONG TO
GALLERY THREE
In this gallery there is a wonderful selection of small
toys used by children to make their own imaginary
worlds! There are dolls houses with miniature furniture,
toy zoos and toy farms with tiny little animals, puppets
with their own theatres and sets and toy trains and cars
which would have gone zooming across homes
throughout Britain.
STAR ITEM
GALLERY TWO
Our favourite item in this gallery is the huge dolls
house in the case against the wall. The furniture is tiny
and yet so decorative and intricate. The dolls’ house
even has electricity and used to have running water!
GET INTERACTIVE
There is lots to get your hands on in this gallery! Why not play
with the glove puppets on our mini stage, discover how still
images can be made to move with our zoetrope, play with toy
cars in our model garage or have a go on our rocking horse?
We have an exhibition area in this room and often hold family
workshops.
STAIRS
DOWN TO GALLERY
ONE
FIRE EXIT
GALLERY TWO
Exhibition Area
FIRST FLOOR
Dolls, Soft toys, Teddy Bears, Automata.
Gallery 3
STAIRS
RAMP
Gallery 3 is full of all sorts of dolls. We have bisque dolls,
wooden dolls, costume dolls, wax dolls, china dolls, plastic
dolls and dolls from around the world. We have some very
unusual dolls which you might not be familiar with. Have you
ever seen a doll made from a grain of rice, a voodoo doll,
a doll made from a piece of bone or a doll driving a
butterfly chariot before? You will find them in here!
UP TO GALLERY
FOUR
GALLERY THREE
The ‘Queen Anne’ doll in this gallery is beautiful.
These dolls were made throughout the 18th Century.
Her head, body and lower arms are made of wood and
she has beautiful brown glass eyes. She is dressed in a
fashionable green silk gown and a white
quilted cap. We love her rosy red cheeks
and think she is very pretty.
FIRE EXIT
The Friends of the City Art Centre
and Museums kindly gave us a doll’s
house that you can play with. It comes
complete with furniture, a kitchen
and even a bathroom in case your
dolly needs a bath.
FIRST FLOOR
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
FOUR
Reading and writing, Clubs and organisations, Collecting,
Indoor games, Outdoor games, Skills and hobbies, Construction toys,
Arts and crafts, Samplers and needlework.
Gallery 4
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
FIVE
DOWN TO ALL
FLOORS
This gallery is dedicated to the many forms that children’s
hobbies may take. You will find sports, comics, games, clubs,
puzzles and toys that can be built and made. This room will
bring back lots of memories of whiling away rainy
afternoons for our adult visitors.
GALLERY FOUR
STAR ITEM
We love the giant Meccano wheel in this gallery.
This wheel is made up of lots individual parts and had to
be built by hand. It was built by Robin Hill in 1985-6. We
imagine it took lots of patience and dedication to complete.
GET INTERACTIVE
As this gallery is all about hobbies we have provided lots
for you to try out for yourselves. There is a board game
table with dice and counters, or you can try out needlework,
construction toys or puzzles from the drawers. For those who
prefer something more relaxed there is a bookshelf full of
books.
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
FIVE
DOWN TO
GALLERY THREE
TOILETS
SECOND FLOOR
Children and their clothes, 1930s classroom, Victorian Street,
Fancy Dress Party, Edwardian Nursery.
Gallery 5
STAIRS
Step back in time in gallery 5. Walk through an old street and
see the classroom and the old shop.
DOWN TO ALL
FLOORS
The magical part of this gallery is the wonderful sound of
children singing nursery rhymes and practising their times
tables; it really brings the scene to life.
GALLERY FIVE
GET INTERACTIVE
Visit our dressing up area in gallery 5 – a favourite with
all visitors!
STAIRS
DOWN TO
GALLERY FOUR
DRESSING UP
AREA
THIRD FLOOR
LIFT
STAIRS
LIFT
STAIRS
UP TO ALL OTHER
FLOORS/
DOWN TO
BASEMENT
UP TO GALLERY
FOUR
STAIRS
RAMP
TO GALLERY
THREE
SAME LEVEL
UP TO GALLERY
TWO ALONG TO
GALLERY THREE
GALLERY
THREE
GALLERY
TWO
GALLERY ONE
FIRE EXIT
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
FOUR
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
TWO
STAIRS
FIRE EXIT
SHOP
GALLERY
TWO
FIRE EXIT
GROUND FLOOR
MAIN ENTRANCE/EXIT
FIRST FLOOR
STAIRS
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
FIVE
DOWN TO ALL
FLOORS
DOWN TO ALL
FLOORS
GALLERY
FOUR
STAIRS
UP TO GALLERY
FIVE
DOWN TO
GALLERY THREE
DOWN TO GALLERY
ONE
GALLERY
FIVE
STAIRS
TOILETS
SECOND FLOOR
DOWN TO
GALLERY FOUR
THIRD FLOOR
The disabled toilet and baby changing facilities are located on the
basement floor. Please ask a visitor assistant for access to these.
CAN YOU SPOT THESE?
Designed by the City of Edinburgh Council Corporate Governance 12.174/CG/SR/January 2013