Muzeum Domków Lalek, Gier i Zabawek

About the museum

The Museum of Dollhouses, Games and Toys (Muzeum Domków Lalek, Gier i Zabawek) opened on 1 June 2016, on Children’s Day, initially at the Palace of Culture and Science. It was initiated by Aneta Popiel-Machnicka, who has been collecting and conserving dollhouses since 2006 and also founded the Belle Époque Foundation, which runs the museum. The institution receives no public subsidies and is financed from ticket and shop sales. The museum was located at the Palace of Culture and Science until October 2020.

The museum is now at ul. Podwale 15 in the Old Town of Warsaw, in the Basilian Palace; the entrance leads through a gate inscribed “FRYDERYK”. Four permanent exhibitions show more than 150 fully furnished dollhouses, shops, schools and workshops from various parts of the world, and the oldest objects are more than 200 years old.

The collections also include sacred toys, including miniature chapels and altars, a collection of more than a thousand dolls from around the world, and Polish games and toys of the 20th century. This is a traditional museum without interactive displays: the objects are presented in closed display cabinets. The museum and the foundation have been repeatedly honoured for their educational and cultural activities, and in 2021 they received the certificate “Najlepszy Produkt Turystyczny Mazowsza” (Best Tourist Product of Mazovia).

Highlights

• More than 150 fully furnished dollhouses
• The oldest objects are more than 200 years old
• Sacred toys: miniature chapels and altars
• More than a thousand dolls from around the world
• Polish games and toys of the 20th century

Permanent exhibitions

• W świecie dawnych domków dla lalek – Dollhouses from around the world, from a 16th-century house from Bavaria to mass-produced 19th-century items, showing old interiors, clothing and crafts.
• Zabawki sakralne – Miniature chapels, altars and religious scenes from Catholic Europe of the 19th and early 20th centuries, and dolls in ceremonial costumes.
• Lalki świata – More than a thousand dolls from many cultures, arranged by world regions, showing the significance of traditional costumes.

Founded

2016

Operated by

Fundacja Belle Époque

Admission & discounts

Free admission also applies, among others, to museum employees, members of ICOM and ICOMOS, journalists, licensed guides, war veterans and holders of the Warsaw Pass. Tickets are bought at the ticket office without booking (cash, card or BLIK) and are valid on the day of purchase; groups book their visit by telephone.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Most of the museum is accessible to wheelchair users: the building has a ramp and a lift, but there are a few steps inside, so it is worth calling beforehand so that a member of staff can show the way. Wheelchair users can enter the main exhibition on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00. Guide dogs may enter without the reception’s permission.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations: not available
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children of any age may enter the museum; children under 13 need adult supervision. Children’s prams may not be taken into the exhibitions and are left at the reception. The museum runs workshops, family events and birthday tours, but does not organise birthday parties on site.

Getting there & parking

The entrance is through the gate inscribed “FRYDERYK” in the Basilian Palace; then turn left in the courtyard.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Wi-Fi: not available

The cloakroom is free and unattended, and the museum has toilets for visitors. The museum shop sells souvenirs, children’s books, dollhouse-building kits and miniatures; the museum has no café and no free Wi-Fi.

Events & venue rental

Lectures and conferences can be arranged by e-mail; the museum does not organise birthday parties.

Plan your visit