The museum was founded by the Turkish poet and novelist, Sunay Akın, in 2005. The museum opened on April 23, a national holiday in Turkey, National Sovereignty and Children's Day. Currently, the museum has on display 4,000 toys and miniatures from Turkey and abroad; many of the exhibits are antiques, some of which date back nearly 200 years. The first floor of the museum is the site of the Eyüp Toy Shop, a famous toy shop that closed down in the 1950s.
In 2012, the museum was nominated and shortlisted for the annual European Museum Academy Children's Museum Award.[1]
The museum is open weekdays (except Mondays), 9:30-18:00, and weekends, 9:30-19:00. It is located at Ömerpaşa Caddesi, Dr. Zeki Zeren Sokak 17, Göztepe-Kadıköy, Istanbul.