#MacabroTurístico: The old toy museum in #CDMX

Open since 2006, with a collection of toys dating back to the early 20th century, El Museo del Juguete Antiguo takes us on a tour of the country's alternate history through its toys.

Located in the Doctores neighborhood of Mexico City, architect Roberto Shimizu Kinoshita's toy collection (which he started at age 10) fills all four floors of a building. The collection spans from the 19th century to the 1980s, emphasizing toys that were popular in Mexico, with a few foreign pieces that collectors will surely appreciate.

Visitors who walk in expecting a typical museum with neatly ordered cases and rows of labeled objects may be in for a shock with Kinoshita's collection, since what he has built is more a celebration of toys and childhood than a collection of trinkets. Every inch of the space is packed with toys in handmade displays built by the owner or by local craftspeople. The toys can be found arranged by theme in a few corners, but most are scattered across every floor of the building. One of the best-known pieces is a giant's head with two maracas, rescued from a nightclub, that fills the inner atrium.

A recent addition to the museum is a mural on the rooftop depicting a dive bar. It's called "the dive" because it isn't open to the public unless a special request is made at the museum's front desk. This not only offers a chance to see paintings by some talented Mexican and international artists, but also a view of the surrounding area.

Address: Dr. Olvera #15, Colonia Doctores, Cuauhtémoc borough, 06720, Mexico City. Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Saturdays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Sundays, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Information from Atlas Obscura. Link to the original article: https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/museo-del-juguete-antiguo-mexico

Photo: Internet