Visit the first purpose-built museum for toys in the world; the Mint Museum of Toys in Singapore. Opened back in 2006, this is a private museum showcasing an extensive selection of vintage toys which includes unique and rare pieces. Noted as Southeast Asia’s largest collection of its kind, the assortment of the museum’s exhibits amount to almost 50,000 pieces from over forty countries including the United States, United Kingdom, Bulgaria, Japan, Germany and Singapore. Though the collection is made up of vintage toys, they are still in mint condition, making the museum’s name all the more appropriate.
The collection belongs to a Singapore citizen, Chang Yang Fa and includes a teddy bear collection, a ‘Door of Hope’ Chinese doll collection, Pre-war Japanese toys, Dan Dare, Bonzo the Dog, Batman, Astro Boy, Disneyana toys and much more. Besides toys you can also expect to see The Adventures of Tintin collectables and Chinese comics that date back to the 1920’s.
The museum’s building itself will enthral you; it is a contemporary five-storey building having won awards such as Museum of Architecture and Design “International Architecture Awards” in 2007 and The Chicago Athenaeum. The building was made without including windows, so as to ensure that UV-rays will not reach the exhibits. What gives the museum an iconic appearance in the urban landscape of the city is its signature facade consisting of 26 glass panes formed into a wavelike structure. It is also impressive how shelvings are designed in a way to ensure that no shadows are cast on the displays and are fitted with LED lights.
With all such exceptional features, the site mainly seeks to reach out to the inner child of each of us, creating an emotional link with our childhood. A visit to this attraction is bound to be one full of excitement and nostalgia. Also worth noting is that the toys in the collection reflect fascinating global cultural trends, each narrating a unique story of the era it was created in.
Make your time spent in the city all the more memorable with a stay at a Singapore serviced apartment. A desirable choice in this regard is The Heritage Singapore which offers gracefully appointed long stay apartments in Singapore overlooking captivating views.
Umanga Kahandawaarachchi is a passionate travel writer who writes under the pen name, Maggie Tulliver. Her field of writing covers a wide array of content and articles related to travel and hospitality industry.