Moving attention to detail

The Spielzeug Welten Museum Basel (Toy Worlds Museum Basle) features a number of revolving carousels and carnival rides. Some are faithfully recreated models of the originals, and some originals can still be admired each year at the traditional Basle Autumn Fair. 

The carousels play an important role in the history of our museum. Fascinated by the diversity of the fair booths and the colourful hustle and bustle of the Basle Autumn Fair, the founder of the Spielzeug Welten Museum Basel (Toy Worlds Museum Basle) set out to reproduce the scene in 1:12 scale. This was followed by the first acquisitions and, inspired by the gift of an exceptionally beautiful carousel, she came up with the idea of making the growing collection accessible to the public.  

The oldest carousel in the exhibition dates from around 1900. The rides by Frans Smulders and the Autumn Fair by Marc Rippstein were created between 1950 and the end of the 1990s. Marc Rippstein’s models with the artistically designed and clothed figures are not only faithfully reproduced in every detail, but also particularly authentic on account of the fact that the Swiss artist worked as a showman himself at the Autumn Fair. 

A special feature of the Spielzeug Welten Museum Basel (Toy Worlds Museum Basle) is that all carousels, rises, and our teddy Formula One racetrack are motorised and can be set in motion by pressing a button.