News From the Director

Thanks to you, we are proud to share that we are OPEN at our forever home!

We hope you're planning a special visit to the museum in 2025! You will be amazed by the bright, beautiful new space. Our collection truly shines!

We have come such a long way, and it is all thanks to your support. Thank you!

We do still need your help as we enter a new year of museum excitement!

Scroll down to see all the highlights from the past month at the museum and consider making a gift shop purchase, attending one of our 2025 events, or renewing your museum membership for the new year.

Whether you are a repeat visitor or simply someone who admires and enjoys the museum from afar, we appreciate your ongoing support so very much.

Beth M. Nance

Founder and Executive Director

Upcoming Events

Afternoon Tea

Every Thursday at the Museum!

Join us at the museum every Thursday for our all-new Afternoon Tea series! 

Every Thursday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

At the NC Museum of Dolls, Toys & Miniatures

440 South Salisbury Ave, Spencer, NC 28159

Ages 13+ 

Enjoy afternoon tea with friends inside our beautiful doll, toy, and miniature museum!

A variety of tea and goodies will be provided by your hostess Marie Clanton along with door prizes, games, friendship, and entertainment, including two British TV staples: “Keeping Up Appearances,” a comedy sitcom, and “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries.” 

CALL AHEAD to reserve your spot as seating is limited:

(704) 762-9359 

Pay when you arrive - just $5 for museum members, or

$10 for non-members plus the cost of museum admission.

If you’re not a museum member yet, sign up at: https://ncmdtm.org/memberships/ 

Super Saturday Sale

Paused Until April 12

Our Super Saturdays sale is on pause during January, February, and March as we gear up for our first BIG event of 2025: our much-anticipated Treasures of the Past Annual Live Auction on March 8!

Shoppers rejoice: Super Saturdays will then return on April 12 and will continue on the second Saturday of each month through the rest of the year.

Now Open!

Our New Home

Our museum's forever home is open!

Come and visit us Thursdays through Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm.*

Our new address is 440 South Salisbury Avenue, Spencer, NC 28159.

*We update our hours to reflect holiday closures and other changes. You can always find our most up-to-date hours for a particular date by looking us up on Google Maps, searching for us on Google, or visiting any of our social media pages.

Meet Our New Gift Shop

We Can Ship!

We are so excited about our all-new museum gift shop! We have photos on Facebook as well as a little video preview for you below.

We can ship! If you're interested, please reply to this email or reach out to us on social media. We would be more than happy to assist.

All your purchases from our gift shop go a long way towards supporting the museum!

Merry and Bright!

Winterfest & Housewarming

Participating in our town of Spencer's annual Winterfest celebration was the perfect way to enjoy the holidays!

We opened our doors to the public and hundreds of excited visitors got to see a sneak peek of our forever home.

With special appearances from Santa and Mrs. Claus, holiday decor throughout the museum, and visitors of all ages sharing joy and community, we loved this event and hope to make it a part of our annual calendar!

Our First-Ever

Holiday Miniatures Contest

Our first-ever holiday miniatures competition was amazing! We were captivated by the 30+ entries in the contest during Winterfest as local miniature artists expressed their creativity and skill and helped us fill the museum with holiday cheer.

An extra-special shoutout to our three People's Choice winners, pictured above.

First place: ”Twas the Night Before Christmas” by Debbie Love of Charlotte, NC. 

Second place: "Jesus is the Reason for the Season” by Michael Hansen of Concord, NC.

Third place: “Santa’s Workshop” by Lynn Frank of Yadkinville, NC.

You will not want to miss a single one of these exceptional mini exhibits, as each and every one of them was truly magical.

You can watch our video preview or view our full album of photos on Facebook to see more of these mini marvels!

Mrs. Claus

Returns for Tea!

Mrs. Claus made her merry way back to Spencer!

This favorite seasonal gathering includes crafts, book readings, door prizes, and magical Christmas cheer for all ages.

Making Magic

in Gingerbread

Our sold-out Magic in Gingerbread workshop was so special!

We are thankful to Ginger Gingerbread Lady Lindsay Deibler for coming down to share some of her gingerbread magic with us as we crafted unique Gingerbread Snow Queens to celebrate the season.

See some of the fabulous and festive creations in this video:

Madame Alexander Doll Club

Fall Luncheon

Madame Alexander is a beloved part of the doll community's past and present, and we were grateful to have the chance to celebrate these dolls at our Madame Alexander Doll Club (MADC) Fall Friendship Luncheon in November.

Dolls for a Cause

with Pink Heels Doll Club

The Pink Heels annual doll club donation gathering took place in Raleigh in December as club members styled and packaged dolls to donate to charity for the holiday season.

Since 2013, Pink Heels has donated over 1,000 dolls! We're thankful that we got the chance to be a part of this year's efforts.

A Museum Moment

Honoring Legacies

"Today, I donated my mother's baby doll. It was a bittersweet feeling, but my brother, sister, and I know it is going to a good home."

We were grateful not only to receive this heartfelt donation from Bob Thomas but also the follow-up post on Facebook sharing this beautiful photograph.

Bob gave a special acknowledgement to Trish for the letter she shared thanking him for the donation.

We know how difficult and painful it can be to decide what to do about a loved one's treasured possessions after they pass away.

It is an honor for all of us to have the chance to become stewards of some of these items - and to know that those who lovingly donate them to the museum can rest assured that the items will be loved and appreciated in their next life.

Collection Spotlight

The Elmer Nutt Dollhouse

Our Christmas miniature contest and Winterfest displays created the perfect backdrop for celebrating one of the museum's treasures.

This beautiful miniature house was handcrafted by Elmer Nutt as a Christmas gift for his granddaughter, Laura, in 1977.

Elmer started the project over Thanksgiving and worked tirelessly in his spare time to bring it to life for Laura. It was his first-ever dollhouse.

Local craftspeople and Elmer's wife helped to design the interior elements, including mini furnishings and wallpaper that would match some of Laura's own family home.

Laura, who remains in contact with the museum today, donated the beautiful house to us so it could be enjoyed and appreciated for years to come.

Trains, Trucks & More

"Gauging" Your Interest

We want to share a special thanks to our train team at the museum.

In preparation for our Winterfest housewarming and sneak peek at the museum, they ensured that not only would our model trains be operational to delight visitors but also that visual aids would help to showcase gauges and scale.

We saw many visitors of all ages during Winterfest marvel at the model trains and miniature displays, and we are so grateful to be able to bring some of the magic of model trains to life with the support of passionate volunteers.

Museum Memberships

This membership list was last updated on December 21, 2024.

Your annual membership provides critical funding for our maintenance, acquisitions, and programming. To see the different levels of membership we offer and sign up, click here.

You can pay your dues by mailing in a check, or you can pay online.

Thank You! 

Thanks to you, our mission continues to preserve history, enrich the community, and spread joy.

Reply to this email if you’d like to connect with a member of our staff, volunteer, share feedback, or make a suggestion. We love hearing from you!