Over the last decade, it's estimated nearly 30 toy and doll museums closed across the United States. The Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City provided an update yesterday on its capital campaign to sustain the museum and its collection. The Toy and Miniature Museum, a 38-room house on the campus of UMKC, has a collection of 80,000 objects. According to The Kansas City Star, this makes it "one of the largest toy and miniature collections in the country."
In April, the museum launched a capital campaign with three goals: "improve the museum’s environment, build the endowment, and create a master plan for exhibits and interpretation."
To date, more than $8 million of the $9.2 million goal has been raised, including gifts from the museum's board, museum founder Barbara Marshall, foundations, and other donors. The campaign is expected to conclude later this year.
The museum will close during the building and HVAC renovations, slated to begin in 2014. According to a release, these improvements will "create an environment that meets museum standards for collection preservation."
When the museum re-opens (at a date not yet announced), it will be known as the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures.
