Mission
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures educates, inspires, and delights adults and children through the museum’s collection and preservation of toys and miniatures.
Black Lives Matter
The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures stands with Black people everywhere in the fight against structural racism, discrimination, and police brutality. We grieve the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade and Rayshard Brooks, and countless others.
We support Black Lives Matter. We are speaking out to acknowledge our accountability and to amplify our dedication to listen, learn, and create dialogue around social change.
Acknowledgment is T/m’s first step in committing to the work toward racial equity. We pledge to invest intentional efforts and resources for greater diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion for our community.
HISTORY
T/m was established in 1982 as the Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City, featuring the collections of Mary Harris Francis and Barbara Hall Marshall. Operating in the historic Tureman Mansion on the corner of 52nd and Oak on the University of Missouri – Kansas City campus, the 7,500-square-foot museum had two full-time staff members.
Over the next 30 years with expansions in 1989 and 2004, the museum grew to 33,000 square feet. During the same period, the collection increased to over 72,000 objects. In 2012, the museum embarked on its first public capital campaign to raise $10.2 million to support building and exhibit improvements. The campaign raised $10.73 million, and the museum began a 19-month renovation in 2014.
The museum reopened as The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures on August 1, 2015, with the world’s largest fine-scale miniature collection and one of the nation’s largest historic toy collections on public display. T/m’s collection currently numbers more than 86,000 objects.
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1982
T/m was established as the Miniature Museum of Kansas City
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1989
Museum expansion
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2004
The museum grew to 33,000 square feet during another expansion. With this expansion, the museum was able to increase its collection to feature over 72,000 objects
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2005
Mary Harris Francis (co-founder) passes away
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2010
Barbara Hall Marshall (founder) retires
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2012
The museum embarked on its first public capital campaign to raise $10.2 million to support building and exhibit improvements
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2014
Raising $10.73 million, the museum began a 19-month renovation
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2015
The museum reopened as The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, with the world's largest fine-scale miniature collection and one of the nation's largest historic toy collections on public display
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2016
Toys from the Attic exhibit receives Leadership in History Merit Award from the American Association of State and Local History
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2018
Playing for Keeps: The VFW Marble Tournaments, 1947-1962, exhibit receives Leadership in History Merit Award from the American Association of State and Local History
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2021
Barbara Hall Marshall (co-founder) passes away
our staff
ADMINISTRATION
DEVELOPMENT AND MARKETING
Sarah Biegelsen, Marketing Coordinator
(816) 235-8009LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT
Madeline Rislow, Sr. Manager of Learning and Engagement
rislowm@toyandminiaturemuseum.org (816) 235-8004
CURATORIAL AFFAIRS
EARNED REVENUE AND VISITOR SERVICES
Ash Wood, Earned Revenue and Visitor Services Manager
ashleewood@toyandminiaturemuseum.org (816) 235-8007
Mandy Farrow, Lead Visitor Services Representative
farrowma@toyandminiaturemuseum.org (816) 235-8010
Milica Acamovic, Visitor Services Representative
(816) 235-8010
Audrey Seider, Visitor Services Representative
audreyseider@toyandminiaturemuseum.org (816) 235-8010
Altan-Erdene Sodnomragchaa, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
816-235-8006board of directors
MUSEUM FOUNDERS/ Mary Harris Francis, Barbara Hall Marshall
OFFICERS/ Lori Beam (Chair), Corey Ziegler (Vice Chair), William A. Hall (Treasurer), Rachel Sterbenz (Secretary)
BOARD OF DIRECTORS/ Wolfe Brack, J. Scott Francis, Troy Lillebo, Anne Manning, Teresa Martinez, Margaret McGuiness, Saralyn Reece Hardy, Margaret Silva, Susan Stanton, Jean-Paul Wong
COMMITTEE MEMBERS/ Dr. Antonio Byrd, Julia Gargallo, Julia Jackson, Bob Simmons
HONORARY DIRECTOR/ David Francis, Emeritus
Careers
Thank you for your interest in working at The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures. T/m is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining a highly qualified workforce and offers a variety of career opportunities. At T/m, employment is much more than just work. Employees enrich and develop their love of museums, history, and art while contributing their specific skills and talents to the museum mission. The museum is an equal opportunity employer. For more information on our diversity mission, visit the Office of Diversity and Inclusion website. Join the T/m team today!
press
For further information or to schedule a press visit, please contact info@toyandminiaturemuseum.org or 816-235-8000.
PRESS KITS
Museum Fact Sheet 2022
PHOTOGRAPHY
For hi-res images of the museum and collection, please contact info@toyandminiaturemuseum.org or 816-235-8000.
Please review the museum’s photography rights and permissions.
ANNUAL REPORTS & FINANCIALS
2018 Audit
2018 990
2019 Audit
2019 990
2020 Audit
2020 990
