Kidd Toy Museum

Jyväskylä

Go ahead, give another 1 star reviews because you were offended by 19th century toy XD

Lizz Bartos

Be aware that there is a SIZABLE collection of toys depicting stereotypical caricatures of black people that will be offensive to some visitors. These items are prominently displayed at the beginning of the museum, and lacking any signage to provide context about their place in history, so it comes off as quite racist. Because of this, we left the museum quite quickly. Ignoring that material (if you can), the small museum may be worth a visit. Admission is free, but hours are limited. It has a barely-labeled nondescript exterior door, and inside is just a few rooms to walk and view antique toys. There are no interactive components or additional written information provided beyond the displays. The last room is primarily a large collection of locks, rather than toys. To the owner -- I would HIGHLY recommend they reevaluate how and where the more controversial pieces are presented. As a second (much less important) note, I'd recommend incorporating additional information next to displays, a walkthrough guide, and/or interactivity -- for example, a simple printed scavenger hunt could work very well for this type of content.

Jill McMillan

Greatly enjoyed this museum! It's a must-go if you are in the Portland area, and are interested in history and toys!!

OCC, LLC

It is quite amazing to take in the nearly overwhelming number of pre 1940's toys that are on display here. This very unique and at times controversial collection lives tucked away in a non descript cement building on Portland's inner SE side. The building looks so bland among others that the first time I visited the museum I accidentally drove right past it. Future visits allowed me to notice the toy murals that adorn the walls that frame the tiny parking lot. Many people have written about some of the pieces that could be deemed as controversial in Frank Kidd's collection. It's easy to see why as they are almost certain to illicit some type of reaction from the viewer. I left with the thought knowing that toys themselves are incapable of being racist, but they can certainly serve as stark reminders of this country's views on minorities in our not so distant past. I think it's important that we preserve these reminders of our painful past as a nation so as to reflect and not repeat our collective mistakes. As to the rest of the collection, I've been 4 different times over the course of several months and I feel that I could easily spend 15-20 more hours just taking in the depth of what has been amassed within this small museum. I'm told the museum is in danger of losing it's status with the city as the longtime manager/director has passed away leaving no one tending to it's daily operations. I know Frank devotes a lot of time to the museum but even with his dedication and amazing amounts of energy, age can catch up quick when you are much closer to 100 years old than you are to 55 years of age. Even more amazing is the fact that what is on display doesn't even represent the majority of the collection. There still remains a plethora of antique toys that are stored in boxes, totes, and pallets awaiting unpacking, sorting and categorizing. The whereabouts of which are kept secret now due to a robbery nearly a decade ago in which over $350,000 worth of priceless specimens were stolen from a previous storage location. I'd recommend visiting this one of a kind place to nearly any audience with the caveat of advising parents of younger children to help explain some of the toys and depictions of African Americans.