The Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh gets a major refurbishment
- Published
Curator Lyn Wall with Emu at the Museum of Childhood
The Museum of Childhood in Edinburgh has closed for its first major refurbishment in 30 years.
The work will see new cases, floors and lights installed and objects displayed for the first time in years.
Curators have been packing away hundreds of artefacts, including dolls, toy cars and an Emu Puppet, ahead of the five-month project.
The world's first museum dedicated to childhood history will re-open in March next year.
The museum first opened in 1955 and relocated to the Royal Mile in 1957 to accommodate the growing collection.
In 1986 the museum expanded again into adjacent buildings.
Childhood through the ages
The ground floor of the museum will be opened into an interactive space, with dedicated zones focusing on memories of life at home, in school and at play.
An area for film and a digital photo album will also be launched, focusing on how children have grown up in Edinburgh over the decades.
Donald Wilson, City of Edinburgh Council's culture and communities convener, said: "With over 225,000 visitors every year, the museum is one of Edinburgh's flagship venues.
"From dinky cars and teddy bears to school books and first shoes, the museum boasts an impressive collection of more than 60,000 objects reflecting childhoods from the 18th century to the present day.
"This refurbishment will allow us to re-display some of these items, and tell the story of childhood in new ways.
"The result will be a new, open space for children and adults to explore, learn and play, with new interactive elements, hands-on history and film.
"We are hugely grateful to Museums Galleries Scotland and the Friends of Edinburgh City Art Centre and Museums for contributing towards this redevelopment, and look forward to opening again in March 2018."