Toy Museum is one of the first private cultural institutions in St. Petersburg. Located on the waterfront Karpovka, not far from the historic center. Toy Museum opened in spring 1997. It was the second similar cultural institution in our country after Sergiyev Posad Museum of toys. Included in the Union of Russian Museums. Museum director - Maria Marchenko.

Petersburg Toy Museum was founded as an art museum, the main purpose of scientific activity is the collection, storage, exhibition and study of toys not only as a unique phenomenon of material culture, but also as a special kind of art in which are interwoven national traditions and modern art trends. The existence of the museum is supported by donations from individuals and companies-founders.

Museum of toys will be interesting not only for children but also for adults. According to dolls and toys that are available in the museum's collection, you can study the history of the country and St. Petersburg, and his cult of life at different stages of its development. Still toys have always been a reflection of trends of the time and tradition of the state. And so to all who are engaged in the study of Russian culture and the cultures of other countries, it will be interesting to visit the museum.

Besides Russian toys the museum has exhibitions that focus on the toys from other countries. Therefore, there is an opportunity for visitors to trace their specificity, to make a comparative analysis of fun and games in different countries.

Toy Museum consists of four halls: folk toys, toys industrial hall, gym hall of the author's toys and temporary exhibitions (exposure changes every 2 months).

In the hall of popular toys, which is a permanent exhibition displays more than 17 trades and crafts of our country and other countries. Here are the traditional peasant "fun" from the wood, clay, paper, cheese and dough. You can also see knitting, straw and rag dolls, costumes which reflect the life of the various sectors of society.

In the industrial toys, which is a permanent exhibition, you can see the wide factory production of different countries. Dolls, railways, sports, mechanical and soft toys, paper theaters, tin soldiers make up this exhibition.

Section author toys is changing exhibitions. She is represented by art gaming facilities.

In total, the St. Petersburg Museum of toys there are more than 7000 items created from the XVI to the XX century. Among the rarest pieces can be distinguished theatrical toys from Italy, toys cheese from Transcarpathia, kite from Japan.

From the guide, you can learn about the history of toys, about the symbolism used in its manufacture, on entry into the country of another culture and what impact it had on the fashion of a particular time. In the museum you can choose an excursion on different topics: "The Tale of the world in dolls", "Doll in costumes of different times and peoples", "Creating a toy", "artist and doll" and others. During school holidays, performances are organized for children. The museum regularly hosts special exhibitions, for example, "Toy for Salvador Dali."

Petersburg Toy Museum is famous abroad. So, since 2004, its exhibitions devoted to the Soviet toy roamed not only in our country but also in Austria, Italy and Finland.