Antique Toy Museum

We joined Brady and Karen at the Musee du Jouet yesterday morning. Karen's parents were visiting from North Carolina, so we were a gang of 6 ready to play! When we arrived I was a little uneasy because the unassuming museum seemed at first glance a little overcrowded, junky and dusty and there were a lot of glass display cases with antiques. I wondered how our busy toddlers would take to this type of play.
But when we started meandering around we found so many treasures! All of the toys were antiques, nevertheless play was highly encouraged. So Brady and Connor climbed all over these amazing old toys. You definitely would NOT find this type of toy museums in the USA - too many fears about recalls and other cautions. But for us it was a real treat. There were cars, buses, trains, and planes. Goldie Oldie familiar favorites from my childhood and from generations before. I got the sense toys were donated from families and they just put them out on display til they break. Quite a concept!
Connor loved the antique baby carriage and a rather plain doll with a turquoise dress - which she proceeded to carry with her throughout all the floors of the museum. The museum keeper seemed more amused by it than bothered by Connor's attachment.
As our eyes adjusted to the packed toy museum we had so much fun spotting all the treasures in every corner. There was even a marionette theatre similar to the one they made on "The Sound of Music" with real puppet shows for school groups.
The photo below is one of my favorites. It was just like the "Little House on the Prairie" schoolhouse! An abacus and folding desks and everything. Connor still with her doll with the turquoise dress!
It was a gem of a museum. What a cool place! We couldn't stop thinking of how much Cara would have loved it given her collection of antique toys.

Click here for Fun at the Musee du Joet (full album)