There’s a little artist in all of us! Nurture your creativity with a gallery tour of phenomenal fine-scale miniature paintings—then sit down with a glass of wine and a tiny paintbrush to create your own masterpiece.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. In honor of New York Fashion Week, Adam MacPharlain, Curatorial Assistant and Collections Manager of Fashion Arts and Textiles at the Cincinnati Art Museum, will explore the work of two dynamic women, Mesdames Lafitte and Désirat, who created doll-sized versions of French couture in early twentieth century Paris.

Say goodbye to summer with free admission at T/m! Explore the galleries with a brand new scavenger hunt that will take you back in time. An unstable time portal is sending objects to the past, and the museum needs your help to find them! Visit a family-friendly craft workshop to make your own time-travel spectacles for your journey through the museum. Activities available while supplies last. FREE OVERFLOW PARKING for this event is in lot 32W at the corner of 52 and Cherry. https://www.umkc.edu/maps/documents/volker_maps/UMKC_Volker_campus.pdf

We’ve been planning a surprise for you all summer! Visit this special program for a never-before-seen craft focused on one of the museum’s miniatures.

We’ve been planning a surprise for you all summer! Visit this special program for a never-before-seen craft focused on one of the museum’s miniatures.

Give our cool, kinetic marble mazes a run, and then roll into a workshop where you can make a marble maze of your own using recycled materials.

Give our cool, kinetic marble mazes a run, and then roll into a workshop where you can make a marble maze of your own using recycled materials.

Do you ever wonder how miniature artists make such tiny furniture? Learn the secrets with a gallery visit, and then pull up a chair to construct and decorate your own 1:12 scale wooden table and fabric tablecloth.

Do you ever wonder how miniature artists make such tiny furniture? Learn the secrets with a gallery visit, and then pull up a chair to construct and decorate your own 1:12 scale wooden table and fabric tablecloth.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a superhero that you made! Discover early action figures and the stories behind your favorite characters. Then, make your own superhero to take home.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane…it’s a superhero that you made! Discover early action figures and the stories behind your favorite characters. Then, make your own superhero to take home.

Journey through time on an exploration of miniature room settings, then decorate your own miniature room complete with tiny furniture.

Journey through time on an exploration of miniature room settings, then decorate your own miniature room complete with tiny furniture.

Enjoy a 10% discount on all upcycled goods. (20% discount for members) all day. Barbie shoe earrings, anyone? Alexis Webb Bechtold, a Kansas City artist who upcycles toy and game pieces into X37 Adventures jewelry, will be here from noon to 3:00pm with a trunk full of her creations. Other items on sale include handbags crafted from board games, wallets created from playing cards, and journals made from vintage bingo cards. Museum admission is not necessary to visit the T/m Museum Store.

Try your hand at “knuckling down” in the Playing for Keeps exhibit. After becoming a “mibster” (marble player), create your own marble key ring or necklace guaranteed to make you look marvelous! Please note that this week’s Little Adventures will be on Thursday, July 5, and Saturday, July 7, due to the Independence Day holiday.

Try your hand at “knuckling down” in the Playing for Keeps exhibit. After becoming a “mibster” (marble player), create your own marble key ring or necklace guaranteed to make you look marvelous! Please note that this week’s Little Adventures will be on Thursday, July 5, and Saturday, July 7, due to the Independence Day holiday.

From pots that fit on the tip of your finger to plates so tiny they can only hold a crumb, discover miniature ceramics that will get you fired up to make your own pieces. Craft a tiny clay plate and top it with a miniature clay pie!

From pots that fit on the tip of your finger to plates so tiny they can only hold a crumb, discover miniature ceramics that will get you fired up to make your own pieces. Craft a tiny clay plate and top it with a miniature clay pie!

Blast off on a tour of outer space-themed toys. Then, return to Earth to build your own moving robot to take home with you.

Blast off on a tour of outer space-themed toys. Then, return to Earth to build your own moving robot to take home with you.

Be inspired by T/m’s fine-scale miniature painting collection with works created using brushes that only have one hair! Then, channel your inner Monet or van Gogh to paint a miniature masterpiece and finish it off with a tiny frame.

Little Adventures is back—with new adventures and expanded hours! With a different theme each week, discover something new in the collection with a guided tour, and then craft a toy or miniature in the hands-on workshop. Little Adventures takes place Wednesdays and Saturdays, with the exception of the first week of July, when it will be Thursday, July 5 and Saturday, July 7 due to Independence Day. Tours start at 11am, 1pm, and 2pm. Become a member to enjoy all nine weeks for free. Recommended for ages 6 and up.

Be inspired by T/m’s fine-scale miniature painting collection with works created using brushes that only have one hair! Then, channel your inner Monet or van Gogh to paint a miniature masterpiece and finish it off with a tiny frame.

Experience the thrill of marble competition! Contestants ages 9-15 will play at least two games of marbles in the tournament and take home special prizes. Each “mibster” (marble player) must submit an entry form by email, mail, or at the museum’s information desk. Space is limited to 64 mibsters. The tournament begins at 10am.

If you’re too old (or young) to knuckle down in the tournament, enjoy free admission to The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures from 9am to 4pm. Explore the museum with an exciting scavenger hunt, then enjoy marble activities in the galleries and marble races on the lawn. Bring your friends and family for this free day of marble fun.

The Kansas City Marble Tournament is supported by the City of Kansas City, MO, Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund.

Overflow Parking on Saturday, June 9: T/m visitors may park free of charge at the Rockhill Parking  Garage at 5277 Charlotte Street (see map). A shuttle between the garage and the museum will run throughout the day.

Come to T/m, you will! This May 4th, visit your museum not so far away for an epic outer space adventure. Don your outer space garb, learn the ropes of space battling, meet your favorite characters, and graduate from an exciting experience that will qualify you to decide who shot first. This is not a trap– visit with your friends and family 18+ to enjoy out-of-this-galaxy snacks and drinks, and to celebrate May the 4th Be With You Day. At $5 per person and free for museum members, it is your destiny.

Remember those long weekend mornings enjoying entertaining cartoons and delicious cereal in your cozy pajamas? Now is your chance to relive those days with classic Saturday morning cartoons from the 1980s and 90s. Wear your PJs if you want; we’ll serve up the cereal. Included with museum admission. Free for museum members. Space is limited, so RSVPs are required. Call (816) 235-8005 or email mercierk@toyandminiaturemuseum.org to reserve your spot.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. On April 8, Curator of Collections Amy McKune will trace the history of this optical toy and share how she captured three-dimensional digital images and turned them into View-Master reels. Included with museum admission. Free for museum members.

Create a special marble craft to take home! On March 15 and 29, kids of all ages can create a special necklace or key chain made out of a crackled marble. On March 22, make a forever friend by crafting an animal using clay and marbles. Included with museum admission. Free for museum members.

Step back in time to experience the fun of pouring liquid goop into metal molds to create creepy insects, creatures, and figures. Spend the afternoon making three “crawlers” with the toy Time magazine included in its list of the 100 most influential toys. $5 museum admission includes all materials, but the workshop can accommodate only 15 people so reservations are required. Call (816) 235-8005 or email mercierk@toyandminiaturemuseum.org to reserve a spot. Please note, due to the use of hot surfaces, participants must be eight years of age or older and accompanied by an adult.

Create a special marble craft to take home! On March 15 and 29, kids of all ages can create a special necklace or keychain made out of a crackled marble. On March 22, make a forever friend by crafting an animal using clay and marbles. Included with museum admission.

Create a special marble craft to take home! On March 15 and 29, kids of all ages can create a special necklace or key chain made out of a crackled marble. On March 22, make a forever friend by crafting an animal using clay and marbles. Included with museum admission. Free for museum members.

Don’t miss your chance to become a“mibster” (aka marble player)! Join a trained mibster March 12 through 30 for daily marble lessons. Learn the art of knuckling down and practice shooting marbles out of a ring in T/m’s special exhibit, Playing for Keeps. Work on your skills before the Kansas City Marble Tournament on June 9! Marble lessons will occur daily at 10:30am and 1:30pm. (Museum closed Tuesdays.) Included with museum admission. Free for museum members.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. On March 11, meet Donna Moore, the Kansas City toy designer who created iconic plush toys in the 1980s and 1990s. Moore will speak about her design process, her inspiration, and the stories behind some of her most popular toys. Program includes a lecture and gallery visit. Included with museum admission.

It’s time to find your marbles! Bring your friends and family 18+ to enjoy a marble-ous evening of games, snacks, and drinks. Visit the museum’s special exhibit, Playing for Keeps, and learn how to knuckle down in a regulation-size marble ring. Play a variety of marble games (Hungry Hungry Hippos, anyone?) and enjoy marbled ice cream, cake, and nostalgic snacks. $5 general admission. Free for museum members and UMKC faculty, staff, and students.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. On February 11, Bruce Breslow will discuss his love of marbles as a toy and art form. He will show some examples of his work, and demonstrate some of his favorite marble toys. Included with museum admission.

At Union Station starting on January 25, 2018, The Way We Played is a first-time collaboration featuring toys from the T/m collection in conjunction with The Art of the Brick exhibition.

Our toys reflect our place in time, the values our parents held dear, and the technological advances of our society. But the way we used them to shape our stories, the way we played, is our own. These rich personal experiences are the heartbeat of The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. The stories featured in The Way We Played reflect T/m’s dedication to the preservation of toys and the tender recollections of those who treasured them. Visit unionstation.org for more information.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. Ever wondered what lies beyond the doors and windows of fine-scale miniature room settings? Discover the magic and secrets of secondary spaces in the fine-scale gallery with Curator of Interpretation Laura Taylor. Included with museum admission. Free for museum members.

Team up with the world’s smallest superhero, Miniaturia, to save the museum from the evil Giganto-Ray in an exciting, family-friendly scavenger hunt. All superheroes who complete the scavenger hunt during the month of January will receive a super special prize to take home to their lair. Included with museum admission.

Take a break from the hectic season to enjoy traditional holiday music on stringed instruments in the museum’s Tureman Education Center. Included with museum admission.

We’ve decked the halls and trimmed the trees! Hear stories about holidays past in T/m’s Tureman Education Center, formerly a 1911 residential mansion. Enjoy festive decorations and admire special displays of antique Christmas crèches from the Bud and Jan Koupal Collection. Included with museum admission.

Father Christmas is stopping by T/m to share stories of holiday traditions. Professional storyteller Jim “Two Crows” Wallen will engage the entire family with interactive tales of Old Saint Nick in the museum’s Tureman Education Center. Be sure to bring your camera so you can snap a keepsake photo of your family with the man in red! Included with museum admission.

We’ve decked the halls and trimmed the trees! Hear stories about holidays past in T/m’s Tureman Education Center, formerly a 1911 residential mansion. Enjoy festive decorations and admire special displays of antique Christmas crèches from the Bud and Jan Koupal Collection. Also, at 1:00 there will be a reading and book signing of “The Twelve Days of Christmas in Missouri” by the author and illustrator during December 16th’s Christmas Stories event. Included with museum admission.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. On December 10, enjoy special displays of Christmas crèches from the Bud and Jan Koupal Collection. Hear a talk about the history and tradition of holiday crèches, and stay afterward for cider and cookies. The program includes a lecture and museum visit. Included with museum admission.

The annual tradition returns! See T/m’s nine-foot-tall dollhouse decked out for the holiday season. Get up close as T/m opens the doors for a day of in-depth talks about this giant dollhouse. Talks at 10:30am, 1pm, and 2:30pm, or come anytime between 10am and 4pm to view the house.

It’s a day of marble magic with fun for the entire family. Explore the museum’s special exhibit, Playing for Keeps: The VFW Marble Tournaments, 1947-1962, and try your hand at “knuckling down” during a marble lesson. Then, pick out your own marble and turn it into a piece of wearable art to take home with you. Included with museum admission.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. On November 12, author Scott McBride will discuss the game of marbles and the stories of tournament participants featured in T/m’s new temporary exhibit, Playing for Keeps: The VFW Marble Tournaments, 1947-1962. The program includes a lecture and gallery visit. Included with museum admission.

Don’t have a Clue what to do for your next Mystery Date night? Scrabble over to the museum on October 13, when we will team up with KC board game cafe Pawn & Pint for a Monopoly on classic board games. At $5 per person for all-you-can-play games, cider, and Halloween goodies, there’s little Risk involved. Please bring friends that are 18+ for this grown-ups-only night. $5 General Admission. Free for Members.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. On October 8, museum educator Katherine Mercier will trace the history of magic lanterns, fantastical devices that introduced the world to projected images and became popular Victorian toys. The program includes a lecture and gallery visit. Included with museum admission.

Presented in partnership with the International Guild of Miniature Artisans, Miniature Masterworks is a three-day event at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures featuring fine-scale miniature artists showcasing and selling their work. Attendees will be able to tour the museum’s collection of fine-scale miniatures, meet the artists, attend gallery talks and programs, and view the works presented with the Barbara Marshall Award for Artistic Achievement. Learn more on the Miniature Masterworks page.

Check one last thing off your “summer fun” list with free admission to T/m. Help the world’s smallest superhero, Miniaturia, save the museum from Giganto-Ray, a top-secret machine with evil intentions in a brand new scavenger hunt. Free parking is available in front of the museum. Additional parking is available one block east of the museum at the corner of 52nd and Cherry (Lot 32W on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus).

You may not know who Donna Moore is, but if you grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, there is a good chance you played with one of her soft toys. Based in Kansas City, Moore was one of the most prolific toy designers of the late 20th century and her products were sold all over the world. From the “Crazy Crop” characters for Hallmark to the Beatles John, Paul, George, and Ringo for Determined Products, explore Moore’s career and artistic process.

Explore the museum collection through gallery talks and guided tours, then visit the hands-on workshop to make your own toy or miniature. From robots to miniature rugs, each week features a new theme. Included with museum admission. Become a member today to enjoy all ten weeks for free! Recommended for ages 6 and up. Little Adventures is generously supported by the National Miniatures Trust.

T/m is proud to be a Blue Star Museum this summer and all year round! Blue Star Museums offer free admission to the nation’s active-duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day to Labor Day. To find other Blue Star Museums near you, check out the map.

See The Wonderful Wizard of Oz come to life with puppets in a 35-minute performance that is fun for the entire family. Kraig Kensinger, a resident puppeteer at the Puppetry Arts Institute in Independence, Missouri, will present the live show with puppets from longtime museum volunteer Sally Ruddy as well as some of his own design. Included with museum admission. Space is limited. Reserve a spot today by calling (816) 235-8005 or emailing mercierk@toyandminiaturemuseum.org.

Get to know the experts at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures through this monthly exploration of special topics. On March 12, Lindsay Mican Morgan, keeper of the Thorne Rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago, will examine Mrs. Thorne and the role of women artists in the creation of the miniature rooms. Included with museum admission. Space is limited. Reserve a spot today by calling (816) 235-8005 or emailing mercierk@toyandminiaturemuseum.org.

Don’t have a Clue what to do for your next Mystery Date night? Scrabble over to the museum where we have a Monopoly on classic board games, including some from the Land of Oz. At $5 per person for all-you-can-play games, snacks, and hot cocoa, there’s little Risk involved. Please bring friends that are 18+ for this grown-ups only night.

New Date! Join us for a special viewing of Over the Rainbow: Toys from the Land of Oz and a complimentary pancake breakfast with the Good Witch. Enter the merry ‘ol Land of Oz for pancakes from Chris Cakes, sing-alongs, and photo opportunities. Breakfast is available for the number of people in each membership level: two, six, or twelve people per visit. Become a member today for as little as $25 to attend!

Published in 1900, L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz is considered America’s first fairy tale. Since then, the story of Dorothy’s fantastical journey through the land of Oz has enticed generations. Explore the original literary story and its many retellings, including the 1939 Technicolor film, Return to Oz, and The Wiz, through playthings, first edition books, and original costumes at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.

In Victorian photographs, children were often posed with their prized toys. During the museum’s day-after-Thanksgiving workshop, bring your favorite toy or choose one from the museum’s education collection to get your snapshot taken and turned into a faux daguerreotype. Then, decorate a case for your new portrait just like those in the temporary exhibit, Forever Young: Victorian Photographs of Children and Their Toys. Included with museum admission.

Before taking a picture was just a click of a button, having a photograph taken was serious business. A portrait was a rare record of not only an individual’s appearance, but their personality and history. Children were posed with their favorite toys giving contemporary viewers a rare glimpse into Victorian childhood. Explore over 100 photographs, including post-mortem portraits, and examples of the toys pictured.

T/m is honored to premiere three new fine-scale miniature room settings on long-term loan from Ede & Ravenscroft, the oldest tailor in London and the exclusive provider of robes for the British Royal Family. Treasures of the Kings highlights Louis XV and Louis XVI royal furniture arranged in three room settings from the Palace of Versailles. The centerpiece of the collection is Denis Hillman’s Bureau du Roi. Comprised of over 16,000 individual pieces of fruitwood in seven marquetry designs, the desk took over four years to complete. Opened July 2016; remains on display.

Let the art of imagination inspire you at the museum’s first Write-In: a gathering of people writing together at the same time for fun and productivity. Find a comfy spot in the beautiful Tureman Education Center with your laptop or borrow some paper. Prompts featuring the museum collection and tours at 11am and 2pm can help get the creative juices flowing. Snacks will be provided. Included with museum admission.

Featuring the private collection of noted author, lecturer, and collector Arabella Grayson, explore the 150-year evolution of cultural images of African Americans in paper dolls from Little Black Sambo and Aunt Jemima to Jackie Robinson and Missy Elliott. Photography is not allowed in this exhibit. Learn more in the press kit.

Alan Scott Pate, the leading American authority on Japanese dolls, will give a lecture about the American/Japanese Friendship Doll Exchange of 1927 in conjunction with the museum’s special exhibit, Messengers of Goodwill. After his talk, Pate will answer questions in the exhibit gallery, which features 5 of the original Japanese Friendship Dolls, including the museum’s own Miss Fukushima. Seating is limited. RSVP 816.235.8005 or mercierk@toyandminiaturemuseum.org

Experience America’s obsession with four-wheeled vehicles big and small in an exploration of the history, design, and production of pedaled playthings. From the Garton Kiddilac to the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile, see how suburban kids have rolled in style!

Discover the story of how dolls were used to mend diplomatic relations. Step into 1920s Japan and America to view five of the three-foot-tall friendship doll ambassadors reunited for the first time since 1927.

While the museum was closed for renovations, The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art presented a selection of room settings, ceramics, furniture, and silver from T/m’s fine-scale miniature collection. Some of the miniatures featured were replicas of works in the permanent collection of the Nelson-Atkins.

Antiques Roadshow host Mark L. Walberg and appraiser Marshall Martin visited The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures and gave two of our dollhouses their moment in the spotlight. Don’t miss Kansas City, Hour 2 of Antiques Roadshow at 8/7c!