The NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures, currently located at 108 Fourth Street in Spencer, NC, is in sight of the NC Transportation Museum and would be a great compliment to a fun double outing for the family. If you have all boys, don't worry. And if you only have older kids, I think they would like it too.
I had noticed that Spencer had a doll museum one day and thought my youngest would particularly enjoy this museum because she has loved dolls for many years. Her dad took her to the museum. After they returned, they both insisted that the whole family would absolutely fall in love with this museum, so I packed my camera and loaded up the crew to check it out.
Although the parking area immediately in front of the museum is quite small, it is just across the street from a shopping center with plenty of parking. This museum plans to move to a larger location in that shopping center soon, so the above address will be changed.
At this time, the museum is only open Thursday through Saturday, but they also offer parties and other group activities for people who would like to experience a wider array of activities. My family visited during normal business hours just to look around and enjoy the exhibits. We were the only patrons during our visit.
The museum was created to memorialize Amy Dawn Morris, who died in her early 20's. She collected many dolls, and some of her dolls were on display when we visited. We asked lots of questions about the museum and exhibits and learned quite a bit while we were there. I'm sure Amy would be proud to see all the exhibits in her memory.
When we first entered the museum, we immediately noticed a large dollhouse that was an exact replica of Angela Peterson's home in West Virginia. Her father was Senator Harvey Marsh. It was interesting to look at this 15-room house that included some fabric on the drapes that were in the original home. We noticed it had only one bathroom and wondered how many people lived in that large home and how long everyone had to wait to use the restroom!
The museum has several isles with multiple cases of dolls. We learned that many of the dolls, toys, miniatures, and stuffed animals have been donated over the years. Displays are rotated, so what you see in these pictures might be different if you visit the museum in the future.
Several dolls were from the 1800s. It was easy to imagine how these much loved dolls must have been carried around and treated to tea parties for many years. Those dolls probably know more secrets than most of us except perhaps excluding some faithful pets.
Several soft dolls were hand-made from fabrics, such as several Raggedy Ann and Andy and Edith Flack Ackley doll collections. Handmade dresses made from fabrics, yarns, corn husks, and other unusual items were on display when we visited.
We noticed quite a few collections of dolls of well-known figures such as Shirley Temple and Princess Diana, a barbershop quartet, circus figures, and even Captain Hook.
Other dolls of all different sizes and colors had beautiful faces and dresses. Many were vintage or modern collectibles like American Girl and Ginny dolls. Some had accessories such as tiny sewing machines, pocketbooks, stoves, or jewelry.
Doll houses of various styles and sizes caught our attention as we walked around. The miniature houses had furniture that seemed to bring the scenes to life. Some were made by hand and looked to have taken many hours to complete. Many were elaborate and some were quite detailed.
Television and action figures like Mork and Mindy, characters from Happy Days, Spiderman, and even Howdy Doody smiled at us from their stages behind the glass.
We also saw dolls and memorabilia celebrating Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as well as some action figures related to the military, in particular one depicting a battle at Waterloo.
We also noticed an interesting collection of games and toys, both indoor board games and a few outdoor games like croquet. Chemistry sets and some old Mickey Mouse era toys also caught our eyes. Many of the toys look quite old but have been preserved well.
I couldn't help but smile to see toys and posters featuring old western characters like John Wayne and Gene Autry. My step-father used to work in a movie theater in southwestern Virginia and he has talked about how those actors would travel around and perform live shows before the movies. He unexpectedly got a chance to take care of Trigger at that theater.
Those interested in transportation will enjoy seeing the model airplanes that hang from the ceiling. There is a good sized model train exhibit with numerous miniature scenes, some with moving parts. You'll also find toy tractors, cars, trucks, motorcycles, scooters, and more. A lot more.
If you are interested in unusual dolls, this is a great place for you to explore. Some dolls have faces made of nuts while others wear clothes made of corn husks. Some have two dolls in one, called reversible story dolls, in which storytellers can flip it upside down to reveal another character for the story.
I love to learn about other cultures, and I found the dolls celebrating a wide range of cultures, shapes, ages, and sizes to be quite interesting. Many of them had information cards nearby so that I could learn more.
As you can see, this museum will appeal to people of different ages and who have a wide variety of interests. The adults in my group enjoyed this trip as much as the youngest in our crew.
If you want more information, visit the NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures web page or Facebook page to learn more and to verify the location, hours, and contact information.
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