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
CURATORIAL AFFAIRS
LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT
Madeline Rislow, Sr. Manager of Learning and Engagement
rislowm@toyandminiaturemuseum.org (816) 235-8004
Joelle Melling, Museum Educator
(816) 235-8005EARNED REVENUE AND VISITOR SERVICES
Mandy Farrow, Lead Visitor Services Representative
farrowma@toyandminiaturemuseum.org (816) 235-8010
Abi Hoffman, Visitor Services Representative
abigailhoffman@toyandminiaturemuseum.org (816) 235-8010
Audrey Seider, Visitor Services Representative
audreyseider@toyandminiaturemuseum.org (816) 235-8010
Altan-Erdene Sodnomragchaa, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
board 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, 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!
Assistant Educator
The purpose of this role is to support T/m’s mission by administering the volunteer program, scheduling group visits, and assisting in the delivery of formal and informal educational experiences on-site, off-site, and virtually. The ideal candidate must be an energetic self-starter with high standards and exemplary problem-solving skills and must be able to work collaboratively with other museum staff. Museum experience and knowledge of foreign language skills are a plus, but not required. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until filled; application review to begin on June 6, 2022. TO APPLY: Link coming soon; UMKC Job number 42053.
Assistant Museum EducatorMarketing & Communications Coordinator
The Marketing & Communications Coordinator is responsible for creating and distributing print and digital marketing efforts and is the first point of contact with the media. The ideal candidate will have experience across multiple marketing platforms and social media channels/groups, have exceptional writing and editing skills, and strong ability to work with variety of internal and external partners. This position will work closely with other staff members to plan and develop messaging and strategies to promote attendance, program and event participation, and social media engagement. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until filled; application review to begin on May 31, 2022. TO APPLY: Visit link below; UMKC Job number 41936.
Marketing & Communications Coordinator:Museum Registrar
The museum registrar is responsible for the management and preservation of collection records and archives according to AAM accreditation standards. This includes, but is not limited to, legal documents, files, and retrieval systems associated with collections, acquisitions, accessions, deaccessions, cataloging, loans, packing, shipping, customs, inventory, insurance, and storage. Interfaces with potential donors, collectors, lenders, volunteers, and interns. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until filled; application review to begin on May 2, 2022. TO APPLY: Visit link below; UMKC Job number 41346.
Museum Registrar:Earned Revenue and Visitor Services Manager
In collaboration with the Executive Director, this position manages earned income and ensures visitor services are provided and meet the highest museum standards. The Earned Revenue and Visitor Services Manager is responsible for daily bookkeeping, visitor services, and store merchandising. APPLICATION DEADLINE: Open until filled; application review to begin on February 28, 2022. TO APPLY: Visit link below; UMKC Job number 40526.
Earned Revenue and Visitor Services Manager:
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
