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Friday, April 15, 2022

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer NC Boasts an Amazing Variety

NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer NC © Katrena

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.

Doll Museum in Spencer NC © Katrena

Unusual Ballerina Doll at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

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.

Betsy McCall's Doll Collection at NC Museum of Dolls © Katrena

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.

Collection of Miniature Dolls in Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

Vintage Porcelain Doll at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

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.

Amy Dawn Morris - Inspiration for NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

Barbie Dolls from Amy Dawn Morris's Collection at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

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.

Angela Peterson's Home Replica at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

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!

Impressive Variety of Dolls at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

Vintage Handmade Dolls at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

Vintage Dolls Made from Bottle Nipples at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

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.

Dolls on Display at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Rowan County © Katrena

Find Old & Interesting Dolls in NC © Katrena

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.

Soft Dolls on Display at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

Boy Dolls at NC Doll Museum © Katrena

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.

Vintage Circus Scene at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

Peter Pan and Tinkerbell at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer © Katrena

Vintage Puppets at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer © Katrena

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.

Cute Dolls and Accessories on Display at NC Museum of Dolls © Katrena

Doll with Cat from the 1800s at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

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 Market Scene at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

Furnished Miniature Doll House at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer © Katrena

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.

Vintage Spiderman Doll at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

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.

Boy Scout Dolls at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

Vintage Toy Car at Spencer Toy Museum © Katrena

Waterloo Battle Scene at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

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.

Vintage Bullwinkle Game at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

Vintage Winnie the Pooh Game at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

Vintage Chemistry Set at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

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.

Wild West Toys at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer NC © Katrena

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.

Toy Planes, Trains, & Trucks at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

Train Engineer Doll at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

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.

Nuthead Dolls at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer © Katrena

Reversible Story Doll at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer © Katrena

Dolls Made from a Variety of Items at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

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.

Gypsy Doll at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer © Katrena

Variety of Unusual Dolls at Doll Museum Near Salisbury NC

Wooden Dolls at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

Cultural Doll at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures in Spencer © Katrena

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.

Old Ball Glove & Unusual Toys at Spencer Museum © Katrena

Paper Dolls at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

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.

Campbell's Girl Doll at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

Old Dolls in Vintage Carriage at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

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.

Hand-made Bread Dough Peddler Doll at Spencer Doll Museum © Katrena

Having Fun & Laughs at NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures © Katrena

Thanks for checking out my article. Feel free to visit my Travel NC with Kids site map to find all of my articles or you may particularly enjoy reading more of my articles below:

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