Denver doll and toys museum rekindles childhood magic

Magic exists. It lives within the creative minds of children as they dress dolls to their own liking, ignoring the norms after which their own clothing is modeled; build worlds of their very own out of blocks, worlds where they can reign supreme and all dreams can be reality; find old toys belonging to their parents and grandparents, and for the very first time, understand that history is more than just a subject in school. And still, as we grow older, magic resides in our warm memories of the days when fantasy and playtime was all we knew.

At the Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys, sentimental childhood memories are not fleeting, but are kept alive and well — beautifully displayed behind sheets of glass. Established in 1981, the whimsical museum has acquired a diverse collection of 10,000 items through local and international donations. With displays originating from countries all around the world and ranging from contemporary to hundreds of years old, there is surely something to resonate with most every visitor.

The museum is a special and chimerical contribution to Denver’s burgeoning arts and culture scene, too. Whether you’re searching for a great location for a low-key, yet creative, afternoon date or find yourself waxing nostalgic for a trip down memory lane, this enchanting museum, with its storybook-like charm, will leave you under its spell.

“The museum can appeal to people in a lot of different ways,” said Jillian Allison, assistant director of the museum. “Our name can be a little bit of a stumbling block for people sometimes. [Visitors] get hung up on the word ‘doll’ or they don’t know what to make of it — is it for grandmas? Is it for kids? We really try to make it welcoming and engaging for everyone.”

Engaging it certainly is. While the museum, located in the Pearce-McAllister Cottage in City Park West, might be dwarfed by its larger peers (the Denver Museum of Nature, Denver Art Museum), it makes up for it in charm, history, character, and a unique touch — humanity.

“My favorite doll [in our collection] is an old Raggedy Anne that was dropped off by a woman in her 80s a few years ago,” said Wendy Littlepage, the museum’s director. “She’d had it since she was 4-years-old, and it has jam stains on the face and looks pretty well-loved.”

The museum houses many other unconventional items. A couple of audience favorites include giant teddy bears (the largest stands over six feet tall) and a large miniatures model of a circus. The latter is one of Allison’s personal favorite displays, along with an unusual stuffed bear sure to be appreciated by the museum’s more mature (or perhaps far-out) guests.

“[My favorite item] is a tiny stuffed bear called a Shuco Janus Bear — it has two faces. One looks like a traditional teddy bear and the other looks wild, with giant eyes and a tongue that sticks out. There is a knob on the bottom of the body that makes the head rotate and shake ‘yes’ or ‘no,’” she shared.

The museum also features the beautiful Someday House, a replica of an old mansion at 1st Avenue and Gaylord Street, along with classi Barbies, historic Japanese Friendship Dolls and American Indian and Southwest dolls and miniatures. For those particularly struck by the museum’s offerings, a library was recently added for guests to continue their explorations.

“It is a great place to come think about the toys you loved as a kid, but may have forgotten. A place you can see what toys your grandparents may have played with. Even a place to think about what a person sees as a perfect world through the dollhouse they created,” Littlepage said. “I think that people underestimate the value of both dollhouses and toys as a lens to look at how people live and what they value.”

“It can be a quiet, cozy place or a very intriguing, unique place where you can really get the feeling that you are discovering something,” Allison added.

The Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys is located at 1880 Gaylord St. The museum is open 10:00 am to 4:00 pm Wednesday-Saturday and 1:00pm to 4:00 pm on Sundays. Guided tours are offered the first Friday of each month at 11:00. For more information on the museum, or to check out upcoming workshops and events, please visit DMMDT.org.