Nestled inside a beautifully restored house in central Tehran, a new museum is reviving childhood memories through a vibrant display of toys from around the world — spanning from ancient Persia to Soviet Russia and modern-day America.
The Tehran Toy Museum, founded by Azadeh Bayat, opened last year after six years of careful renovation. What began as an educational project for children has evolved into a nostalgic destination for visitors of all ages.
“I always thought that the target audience would be children and teenagers,” said Bayat, 46, a researcher in children’s education. “But now even adults visit the museum frequently,” she told AFP.
Bayat has collected more than 2,000 toys from different eras and cultures. Her goal, she explained, is to bridge generations through shared play. “By discovering the toys of their parents and grandparents, children learn to better understand and connect their world with that of older generations,” she said.
A nostalgic journey through history
Inside the museum, a clay animal figurine from ancient Persia sits alone in a glass case — a quiet reminder of the earliest forms of play. Nearby, a set of Russian matryoshka dolls, painted in vivid colors, stand proudly beside a display of Soviet tin cars, gleaming under soft light.
From the 1980s, a vintage Atari console evokes memories of early gaming, while a row of American Barbie dolls reflects global cultural shifts. Once heavily restricted in Iran as symbols of Western influence, Barbie’s popularity eventually inspired Iran’s own creations — the “Sara and Dara” dolls, modestly dressed local alternatives introduced in the early 2000s.
“There was so much publicity around the two Iranian dolls,” recalled Maedeh Mirzaei, a 27-year-old visitor. “Their faces appeared on books and notebooks everywhere.”
Reviving play through culture and creativity
The museum’s collection doesn’t stop at static displays. In one section, a museum worker demonstrates “Ali Varjeh” — a traditional wooden acrobat puppet, known as Ali the Jumper — whose movements come to life with a simple pull of a string.
The museum also hosts cultural events and interactive sessions. Recent activities included a celebration of Tintin, the beloved Belgian comic character, along with shadow puppetry performances inspired by Persian folklore.
For visitors, it’s more than a museum — it’s a time capsule of innocence and imagination. “I remember playing with friends in the street or at home with these toys,” said Mehdi Fathi, a 31-year-old fitness instructor. “Some children today may think our toys were primitive, but those toys helped us grow.”
The Tehran Toy Museum stands as a heartfelt tribute to the evolution of play — a space where generations meet, stories unfold, and the simplest of toys bring back the purest of memories.
