Whether you’re young or just young at heart, you’ll feel like a kid again at MINT Museum of Toys, which has an extensive collection of vintage toys and collectables from the 1980s all the way back to the 1840s.
Let your child – or inner child – run free here. The recently revamped museum currently has a collection of over 50,000 toys and collectables from more than 40 countries. Think a melange of action figures, first-edition comic books, and confectionery biscuit tins, among many other display items. Some of these are displayed in the permanent exhibition spread across 5 storeys.
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Image credit: @chiilimissy via Instagram
MINT – which stands for Moment of Imagination and Nostalgia with Toys – has actually been around since 2007. But you’d have likely taken notice of it more recently as it was revamped during the pandemic, and reopened at the end of 2021 with a refreshed interior.
The museum was set up by a toy enthusiast – no surprise there.
Image credit: @delhorn via Instagram
You’ll want to dedicate a good couple of hours to explore the museum as its collections are divided into 4 themes across different floors: Outerspace, Characters, Childhood Favourites, and Collectables.
Image credit: @nekojust via Instagram
Some unique pieces from these specially curated collections include an extremely rare Popeye & Olive Oyl Tank toy from Japan from the 1950s and even an Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland doll owned by the real-life Alice who inspired the novels.
For fans of DC, they’ve also got a Bandai Batman figurine that’s said to be the only one of its kind in the world.
Play giant versions of classic board games.
Image adapted from: 韩冬 via Google Maps
Character statues and display dolls isn’t all. Remember wooden spin tops? Likely, if you were born before the era of the T-series NRIC. Nostalgic childhood games such as a wooden spin top from the 60s and Pepsi bottle cap spinners can also be found here for a #throwback into our younger days.
Image credit: @nekojust via Instagram
For the fans who visited the museum pre-Covid, expect new spaces created for seasonal exhibitions and private events on your return visit. Another fresh feature is the augmented reality section with AR experiences including story colouring books that’ll thrill the kids to no end.
Image credit: @luvzog via Instagram
Plus, there are also a handful of new upgrades including new motion sensor lights, fans, and energy-saving air-conditioning systems – perfect for those looking for an opportunity to escape the incessant heat.
The 26 wave-shaped glass panels on the facade of the museum protect the toys from SG’s scorching heat.
Image adapted from: MINT Museum of Toys
You can book your tickets online, which start at $30/adult and $20/child. This includes a 15-minute guided tour at one of the permanent exhibits. If you want a full 60-minute tour of the museum, it’s $33/adult and $23/child.
P.S. Insert a coin into this giant gumball machine, filled with seasonal exhibition-exclusive merch.
Image credit: @mintmuseumoftoys via Instagram
It’s no surprise that a toy museum has activities for the young ones. The Learning Journey workshops are tailored to children according to their education levels.
Preschoolers will learn about art, music, and movement through 4 available trails, while lower and upper primary kids have activities related to landscape art and science catered towards them. Secondary school kids will even get to learn about artificial intelligence and advancements in technology that power newer toys.
Not to be left out are adults, who can attend design skills and creative thinking workshops, learning how to use creative tools that might be useful in the workplace.
An exhibition from a previous season’s Unbox, Masks of Singapore.
Image credit: @y_lyn via Instagram
A visit to MINT need not be one-off, because they often play host to pop-up events at their Guerilla section. Not to mention, the Unbox section also features rare artworks you can feast your eyes on. And if you’re an art collector or a craftsman yourself, the museum invites you to showcase your work.
The museum also runs a number of temporary exhibitions and events, such as POP-UP In The Museum, which will be held from now till 21st July 2024.
Go on a guided tour of beauty trends from the 1920s-1950s, and if you feel inspired by the timeless styles of that era, there’s a display and sale on rare, vintage handbags. You can even turn this into a date by grabbing a drink at the rooftop bar from 12pm-6.30pm daily. While the event is free, you’ll have to book your tickets in advance online.
Book tickets for POP-UP In The Museum.
Image credit: @kkkidggg via Instagram
After exploring the museum, head down to the basement to a neon vinyl listening bar that is open till midnight.
Image credit: @nat.lc via Instagram
Vertigo26‘s menu has hearty mains such as Vertigo Burger ($23.80), a double-wagyu beef smash burger with bacon, cheese, onions, and pickles; and Vertigo House Pasta ($22.80) that features buttery noodles and a crispy soft-shell crab.
There are bar bites too, such as Arabiki Sausages ($9.80 for 6 pieces), Crackling Pork Belly ($10.80) served with mustard aioli, and Vertigo Wings ($13.80 for 6 pieces) that comes with a sriracha mayo dipping sauce. Pair these with signature cocktails ($22) like the gin-based Watermelon Sugar or Rush Rush.
They also have unique draft beers such as Brewerkz’ “Sentosa” Lychee Pale Ale ($16) and a variety of whiskies, cocktails, and wines.
The records can also be purchased.
Image credit: @vertigo26.sg
The listening bar has a library of vinyl records consisting of various genres of music from over 1,000 albums, with turntables on the cabinets for you to jam to the beat. There’s also a DJ at the bar counter, so you can chill on the sofas with sick tunes playing in the background.
Before you leave the museum, check out the MINT shop if you’d like to browse or purchase their collection of old-school games and vintage toys.
You don’t have to be a toy collector to appreciate MINT. Most, if not all of us, grew up playing with some kind of toy or another, so this museum will resonate with the kid in you.
It’s not uncommon to see kids glued to tablets watching cartoons or playing games on their mobile phones these days, so visiting MINT will be a welcomed break from all that screen time. It’ll give them a chance to see how toys used aided in imagination and creativity.
As for the adults, this place will surely be nostalgic AF. The MINT Museum of Toys is worthy of a visit, if you want to go down memory lane with your childhood faves.
More museums to visit in Singapore:
Cover image adapted from: @chiilimissy via Instagram, 韩冬 via Google Maps , @luvzog via Instagram
Originally published by Rachel Tan on 6th April 2022. Last updated by Raewyn Koh on 9th July 2024.
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