About the museum

Mission and History

Mission

This specialized museum has a nationwide reach and is focused on the documentation of the history and current trends of puppetry and the development of children’s toys, as well as the history of the region in which it is located. The cultural, artistic, historical, archaeological, and national items collected, analyzed, and protected by the museum are presented to the public via permanent expositions, exhibitions and cultural activities. They are immensely popular among children. The castle area consists of the ruins of an old gothic castle and a baroque mansion, which is the seat of the museum.

History

In 1991, the former Regional Museum of National History and Geography in Veľký Krtíš with its seat in Dolná, moved to the vacant baroque mansion (built in 1730) at Modrý Kameň Castle. Since 1993, it has developed its activities as the Museum of National History and Geography of Modrý Kameň Castle, as the successor institution of the Regional Museum of National History and Geography. Pursuant to the decision of the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic, the museum changed its profile and was renamed as the Museum of Puppet Cultures and Toys in 1996. However, as the successor institution of the Regional Museum of National History and Geography, it continued to fulfil its role as a regional museum dedicated to the history of the region and its ethnography. In 2002, the Museum of Puppet Cultures and Toys at Modrý Kameň Castle became a specialized museum of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava.