A museum that those who came as children now visit with their own children…

Founded on 23 April 2005 by Belgin Akın and the poet and writer Sunay Akın, the Istanbul Toy Museum not only exhibits the finest examples of toy history but also offers its visitors a world of knowledge interwoven with art and culture, and is now excited to celebrate its 20th anniversary.

The children who visited the Istanbul Toy Museum, which brought the history of childhood into Turkish museology in the modern sense, in its first years now walk through the museum’s door holding their own children’s hands.

With a collection of about 6,000 pieces spanning from the 1700s to the present day, the museum conveys to its visitors the culture of childhood from the 18th century to the modern era, and the social, political, economic and scientific events of the past, through the language of toys.

Since its founding, the Istanbul Toy Museum has exhibited not only under its own roof: with its exhibition “Toys of Türkiye” it was shown for a year at the Nuremberg Toy Museum, one of the most important toy museums in the world, and it has organised exhibitions in many cities of Türkiye, above all “Artifex Ludens – Play with Art”. It has also hosted projects that bring different disciplines together, such as the “Giraffe” designer toy exhibition featuring works by young designers. With digital exhibitions and virtual tours, it has continued its vision of being an accessible museum.

Also active internationally, the Istanbul Toy Museum is a member of ICOM (International Council of Museums). In 2011 it became the first toy museum to reach the final of the European Museum Forum, and in 2012 it was the only toy museum to reach the final of the EMA (European Museum Academy) awards. In the same year it led the founding of TOYCO (Association of Toy and Children’s Museums).

With creative drama workshops, children’s theatre, musical storytelling, workshops and art seminars, the museum is a many-sided cultural space for adults as well as children. Thanks to partnerships with schools, children have been able to experience the museum as a place for learning and dreaming.

Bringing three generations together and uniting tens of thousands of people around the shared ground of childhood, the Istanbul Toy Museum is completing 20 years of art, culture and education and, aware of everything it has built, is preparing for a joyful celebration.

As part of this special celebration, children aged 0–18 can visit the museum free of charge on Wednesday 23 April. On the same day, a poster exhibition prepared specially for the museum’s 20th anniversary will open to visitors. Visitors can watch a children’s play acted and directed by Mehmet Erbil, join various workshops and sing along to festival songs performed by the Üsküdar Children’s Choir, celebrating 23 April National Sovereignty and Children’s Day together with the Istanbul Toy Museum’s 20th anniversary.

The poster exhibition “Play On: The Istanbul Toy Museum Turns 20!”, opening as part of the celebrations, will feature designs that reflect the spirit of the museum and the universal language of childhood, each interpreting the museum’s 20-year journey in its own way. The exhibition will show poster designs by Ethem Onur Bilgiç, Berkay Dağlar, Önder Sakıp Dündar, Gürbüz Doğan Ekşioğlu, Ramize Erer, Bülent Erkmen, Özge Güven, Gökçe İrten, Utku Lomlu, M. Kutlukhan Perker, Oğuzcan Pelit, Burak Şentürk, Haluk Tuncay and Emrah Yücel.

With the experience of the past, the joy of today and its faith in the future, the Istanbul Toy Museum invites all children, and everyone who has not forgotten their childhood, to celebrate its 20th birthday.

23 April Programme at the Istanbul Toy Museum

14:00 “23 April Begins with a Tale” – children’s play with Hayalbaz Theatre

14:30 Üsküdar Children’s Choir

15:00 “20 Years of Play and Toys” poster design workshop

For more information, write to info@iomuze.com.