The Toy Museum in Nuremberg, Germany

For an interesting twist to your next trip to Nuremberg, Germany, visit the toy museum. Nuremberg is considered the toy capital of the world, even holding an international toy fair that draws the top manufacturers every year. The museum currently holds over 65,000 toys from around the world. The museum's collection of dolls and miniature dollhouses should not be missed. For visitors who enjoy model trains, there is a room-sized depiction of the town of Omaha Nebraska.

The toy museum in Nuremberg, Germany: The building itself

The toy museum (or Spielzeugmuseum Nürnberg, in German) is located in the city of Karlstrasse, Germany. You will know you are in the right place as soon as you see the fountain right outside the door. This fountain is designed to look like a traditional Bavarian wooden toy, right down to the details of the paint. Even the museum's building is meant to look like an antique house, but it is relatively new and far larger than it appears from the front.

The toy museum in Nuremberg, Germany: Historical toys

Once you enter the Nuremberg toy museum, you will see a number of amazing historical toys. The oldest may be the 2,000 year old baby rattle. For visitors who enjoy dolls and dollhouses, the museum houses a massive collection. While you are looking through these 19th century toys, you will come upon an odd looking leather pig. This ancient clockwork toy can actually walk alongside a person under its own power. The dollhouses themselves are also quite exquisite, with several interesting miniatures in the collection. The Nuremberg toy museum contains one of the world's smallest dollhouses, which can only be seen in detail through a magnifying glass. The miniature Catholic altar is also impressive with its attention to detail.

The toy museum in Nuremberg, Germany: Railroads and wooden toys

One of the largest toys on display at the Nuremberg toy museum is a model train that takes up an entire room on the upper level. The model railway is designed as a replica of Omaha, Nebraska. Besides the Omaha model, there are other models of rail stations and locomotive engines from different time periods, including the famous Adler type of steam engine. Other toys with wheels on display at Nuremberg include an assortment of wooden pull toys dating back to the 19th century. Some of these are carved in the shapes of unconventional animals such as snails. Wooden nutcrackers are also prevalent in the Nuremberg toy museum, some of them shaped like elephants or other wild animals.