Audio GuideIstanbul Toy Museum

Set within an elegant villa in Istanbul’s Göztepe district, the İstanbul Oyuncak Müzesi—also known as the Istanbul Toy Museum—is a place where echoes of childhood can be found around every corner. The museum was established in the mid-two-thousands by Sunay Akın, a prominent Turkish poet and storyteller. Akın’s inspiration came after visiting a toy museum in Germany and imagining a similar haven in his own city. For more than two decades, Akın explored over forty countries, gathering toys that capture vibrant fragments of world culture.

Sefa Gökce

It is no coincidence that the museum first welcomed visitors on the twenty-third of April, a date celebrated throughout Turkey as National Sovereignty and Children's Day. This special holiday marks both the country’s independence and its hopes for future generations, making it the perfect occasion for a museum devoted to imagination, play, and storytelling.

Deniz Çataltaş

Step inside and you are welcomed by a sprawling four-storey building—a former family home with a classic white timber exterior, distinguished by the timeless Turkish architectural touches typical of old Bosphorus neighbourhoods. Inside, one airy room opens into another, all beautifully restored and curated to transport visitors on a journey through time.

Sefa Gökce

The collection contains around four thousand toys, including rare examples dating back nearly two hundred years. There are themed rooms to discover: in the space gallery, model rockets and lunar rovers captivate the eye, while the train section invites you aboard an old carriage to admire tin engines and carriages from the early twentieth century. In another hall, ornately furnished doll’s houses stand side by side.

Yağız Eğe

Every toy tells its own story. Many reflect eras of peace and prosperity, while some hint at more troubled times. There are toy soldiers and model aeroplanes made during the difficult years of the Second World War, along with miniature figures representing famous leaders from across the globe. The oldest piece in the collection, a French doll crafted around eighteen twenty, offers a window into early European pastimes.

Outdoors, the museum gardens continue the story. Life-sized giraffe sculptures in gold, silver, and bronze—cast in concrete—recall local legends, while beloved characters from Turkish folklore, such as the crafty Keloğlan and the wise Nasreddin Hoca, bring the open space to life, merging art, history, and imagination.

Since opening, İstanbul Oyuncak Müzesi has inspired a wave of new toy museums throughout Turkey. With its generous blend of nostalgia, cultural richness, and playful curiosity, it invites people of all languages and backgrounds to relive the magic of childhood at the very heart of Istanbul.