Travel
MINI TIME MACHINE MUSEUM OF MINIATURES TRAVEL :
Where small is good but tiny is better
When someone says “ good things come in small packages ” it may bring to mind diamonds , emeralds or other valuable gems . For hardcore basketball fans of a certain age it might rekindle an image of 5 ’ 6 ” Spudd Webb , winner of the NBA ’ s 1984 slam dunk competition . Numerous examples exist of the goodness of small things including favors , debts , jewelry , taxes , and , of course , Peanut M & Ms . We recently experienced some beautifully crafted small items at an unusual museum in Tucson , Arizona .
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures is home to incredibly tiny realistic models of houses , shops , stores , castles and room boxes ( display boxes for a single room of miniatures ) filled with equally realistic miniature furniture , books , lamps , dishes and silverware , wall hangings , appliances and more . The models are so realistic that closeup photos of exhibits are nearly impossible to distinguish from the real thing .
The museum was the brainchild of Patricia and Walter J . Arnell who wished to showcase miniatures Pat had created or collected over a period of three decades . The collection comprises exhibits from numerous time periods and worldwide locations , thus the museum ’ s name . It is a nonprofit 501 ( c ) 3 dedicated to preserving and advancing the art of miniatures . In our opinion the museum directors do a pretty darn good job .
Self-guided tours begin with an introductory film about the history of miniatures in different cultures , the earliest of which is thought to be nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt . These early miniatures were handcrafted for adults and relatively expensive to purchase . Small collectables became quite popular with children in the 1950 ’ s when mass production allowed the manufacture of inexpensive plastic miniatures of people and furnishings and doll houses constructed of printed metal sheets . At the same time adults continued to make and collect more expensive handmade dollhouses and accessories . While most of today ’ s models are constructed utilizing a 12:1 scale ( 1 inch equals 12 inches in real life ), early miniatures were crafted without utilizing a standard scale .
Following the film visitors stroll along a hallway flanked by displays of special exhibits that are altered throughout the year .
The hallway leads to a large history gallery that includes exhibits from long-ago artists dating to the 1700s . Here visitors discover the museum ’ s oldest miniature that is from 1782 . A neighboring contemporary gallery contains exhibits from modern artists . A third large room designated “ Enchanted Realm ” is occupied with Christmas exhibits and other fantasy miniatures including “ The Addams Family House ” constructed by artist Ara Bentley .
The old-fashioned four-story department store was constructed to showcase miniatures designed and made by Farrow Industries . The close-up photo of ' Farrow ’ s Department Store ' is of the store ’ s second-floor soda fountain .
Salvat Fidai ’ s micro miniature lead sculpture , ' The Bird in a Cage ,' emerges from the point of the pencil from which it was carved . The museum has 3 micro sculptures by Salvat Fidai in the collection .
One of us ( it ’ s not difficult to guess which ) was not particularly excited with the thought of visiting a museum of miniature dollhouses . As it turned out we both very much enjoyed our morning spent examining some amazing craftsmanship and would enjoy returning . No matter how much time a visitor spends exploring the exhibits , additional visits would almost certainly reveal numerous new details . The museum website offers several excellent videos of individual dollhouses and room boxes , plus sixty other miniatures with written descriptions and photos . Visit : theminitimemachine . org .
The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures is located northeast of downtown Tucson at 4455 E . Camp Lowell Drive . Except major holidays it is open Tuesday – Sunday : 9 a . m . to 4 p . m . Tickets are $ 14 for adults with discounts for seniors , military and students . Phone ( 520 ) 881-0606 for information .
Kay and David Scott are authors of “ Exploring the Oregon Trail : America ’ s Historic Road Trip ” ( Globe Pequot ). They live in Valdosta , Georgia . Visit them at blog . valdosta . edu / dlscott .