International Dolls Museum

Location: Sector 23, Chandigarh
Established In: 1985
Highlights: Different kinds of dolls from India and abroad
Timings: 10 am to 5 pm daily (except Sundays and official holidays)

Chandigarh, the capital city of Punjab and Haryana, serves as the adobe of a number of tourist attractions, some of which are well-renowned across the country. The city is best known for its magnificent temples, parks and museums. The place witnesses the inflow of hundreds of tourists from every nook and corner of India and even abroad, every year. International Dolls Museum is one of the hot spots of Chandigarh. Established in 1985, the museum is located at Bal Bhawan, in Sector 23, Chandigarh.

Set up as an entertainment hub for kids, International Dolls Museum has turned into a major tourist attraction of the city. It encompasses an amusement park for children as well as toy trains, apart from its collection of beautiful dolls. As many as 300 different kinds of dolls, collected from Denmark, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Korea and Russia, are displayed in the museum, which is simply a visual delight for kids. Ten murals of the important landmarks of different countries, with colored blowups, form the backdrop for the exhibition of dolls.

International Dolls Museum brings an insight into the cultural ethnicity of India, through its separate section dedicated to dolls that depict the popular dance forms of India. Kids would also be spell-bound by the dolls that depict famous story characters, like Aladdin and his Magic Lamp, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Ali Baba and Forty Thieves and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. This makes the museum a must-visit destination for kids. The huge model of German railway station, at the middle of the exhibition hall, is also a visual delight.

With a view to promote international tourism in Chandigarh, the government has upgraded International Dolls Museum over time. The museum underwent renovations in the recent past as well, which has added to its existing beauty and magnificence. The great interiors and pleasant ambiance that have resulted from the renovations have added to the value of the museum, as a chosen tourist spot of Chandigarh. The museum is open from 10am to 5pm on all days, except Sundays and official holidays.