Mechelen (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The Mechelen Toy Museum, led by Niek De Meester, promotes interactive play with its vast collection of 35,000 toys. It aims to increase annual visitors from 50,000 to 80,000 by enhancing engagement and community activities
The Mechelen Toy Museum, led by Niek De Meester, is changing how people visit museums by making them very interactive. The museum has one of the biggest toy collections in Europe, and it encourages visitors to not just look at the toys but also play with them. This makes the visit fun and engaging.
How is the Mechelen Toy Museum enhancing visitor experiences?
The museum started in 1982 and covers 7,000 square meters, showcasing a variety of toys from different times and cultures, like construction toys, stuffed animals, and board games. Visitors can touch and play with the toys, which creates a deeper connection and brings back memories. With the motto “Try it, touch it, feel it,” the museum encourages everyone to rediscover the joy of play. It has been said that this interactive approach is part of a larger trend in museums to engage visitors and enhance learning, making the Mechelen Toy Museum a unique spot for families and toy fans.
The museum wants visitors to have fun by playing with toys instead of just looking at them. They encourage people to pick up and explore different toys, which makes it exciting and helps with creativity and teamwork. This shows how important play is for learning and growing. The museum also teaches about the meaning of play in different cultures and how toys have changed over time. They want to be welcoming to everyone by having play areas, workshops, and activities for the community. By listening to visitors, the museum keeps improving to celebrate the joy of play for all ages.
The Toy Museum has 35,000 toys, but most are stored for future displays. It includes old and new toys so grandparents and grandchildren can find familiar ones. About 50,000 people visit each year, but they want to grow that number to 80,000. The mayor of Mechelen, Bart Somers, says the new location is great because it’s near the city center and the train station, making it easier for families to visit other fun places like Planckendael and Technopolis, which helps make the city more family-friendly.
