A Museum of Scale Models: Just dreaming....

Hi all,

I volunteer at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading, PA (www.maam.org). The walls of our main hanger are lined with glass display cases filled with scale models! The workmanship on the models is outstanding, as is the variety of subjects. It's well worth a visit just to see the models -- not to mention the cool 1:1 scale planes. ;)

Regards,

Here are a couple:
http://imopm.4t.com/index.html
http://www.toymuseum.co.uk/
http://www.patentmodel.org/default.aspx
http://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/
http://www.themodelcarmuseum.org/
http://www.toys-n-cars.com/
http://www.guillotine.net/museet/museet2.htm
http://www.sdmodelrailroadm.com/
http://www.bearspage.info/h/tra/ca/bc/va/mo.html
http://www.memlane.com/nonprofit/mhmma/

These run the gaumit from model railroad museums (the Choo Choo barn was ok but the San Diego one was awesome), model ship museums, model car museum (located here in Salt Lake City), some unusual models (not kit built) and one that is all kinds of different kits.

The Verlinden Museum in St. Louis has unfortunately gone out of business (lack of traffic).

Our club president holds the Guinness World Record for number of different aircraft models with currently over 1700 different kits(markings). These are located mostly in one room of his house. Would make a great start for a museum. But have to agree that unless you have financial backing.

I think that a modeling museum would be good but better yet would be a gallery.This could be used to sell our work and make modeling a happyjob in which we could all take our time.This in turn would be good for us and give us a chance to show our work around the world.It would also give manufacturers a chance to here us in what we would like to see come out in future kits,also in a gallery people who buy for museums would have a overall veiw to buy for speical display set ups on themes that they are doing.This would be a win-win for all of us.Digger

I think I'd have a huge train layout all lighted and motorized, etc., to draw in the crowds, and have a scale model museum adjoining. Having additional stuff would be a lot but it's possible.
Would take a long time though. At least 20-30 years to get the train layout complete and to collect the models for a museum.

Dave

I think that would be a great idea. I think you should have modeling clinics set up there as well. Maybe an area where some donated kits would be available for children to work on with the guidance of parents or volunteers. It might not hurt to have models for sale there as well, just not like a full blown model store. Yah, start that baby up.

i been to the choo choo barn ! its fantastic !

When I was a kid my parents took me to a place in Pennsylvania called the Choo Choo Barn. It was a gigantic train layout/diorama, all lighted, animated and motorized. The place did very well. The 2 or 3 times I went there was always a crowd. This place is in the touristy Lancaster area.
I think it could be done, but I think you'd have to have plenty of lighted, animated and motorized displays, and I think it would have to be in a place where there is significant tourism.

Dave

model maniac from thailand has a small museum in home home from what i gather. but that is personally financed

it's not easy getting something that ambitious off the ground, especially since people (at least around here ) consider model building to be the bastard stepchild of the toy/hobby/craft genre. they think that all you have to do is throw open the box and the pieces fall together.keep up the good work and if you get it off the ground, let us know, because i'd donate some things to it.

It would be great to visit & a thrill to have one of your models accepted for display. Unfortunately, the costs of setting it up & maintaining it would take much deeper pockets than mine.

Regards, Rick

There are currently a few regional model museums around the country that seem to focus on one or two genres, but they're not the easiest places to find. Over the past year, there was some discussion on the IPMS Forums about establishing a national modeling museum. However, most everyone pretty much agreed that without having rather significant financial backing, its probably a longshot.

Enjoy your modeling...

that would be interesting... I would go for one...

one step further... get the best work of modellers willing to donate them... get some good diorama builders and try to put them in context... heck even some model RR guys would work for the bigger scenes... (P-40's flying the hump in Burma.. have them do the mountains..)

I seem to recal an article in FSM about 4 or 5 years back about just such a museum out in Italy somewhere.

why dont you start ? get a room, and volunteer to take any models that people dont have space for, but dont want to throw away. you might get a few from me within a year or so.

VLS/Verlinden used to have just this very thing in the St. Louis area.
I don't know if it is still up and running or not.
It had a lot of dioramas and models on display from modelers all around the world, I believe.