Dolls play a vital role in developing social, emotional, and language skills in children, and also train them to interact with others in a social setting. To promote these values, the International Dolls Museum was set up in Chandigarh as an entertainment and developmental hub for kids. It was established in 1985 in the complex of Bal Bhawan. The building sits adjacent to a small auditorium next to spacious green lawns.

To appeal to the imaginations of kids and introduce them to the cultural heritage of various countries, around 300 different kinds of dolls were initially acquired from 25 countries including the USA, South Korea, Russia, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, Japan, Malaysia, etc. The information boards, which form the background for these artefacts, display geographical and demographic details of the respective countries. This not only catches the curiosity of the kids but also helps to disseminate information about the dolls. There are also colourful life-size cutouts of the dolls with hollow spaces for kids to insert their faces and take photographs.

The exhibition area consists of one big circular hall with large show windows covered with sheet-glass for the display of the dolls, puppets, and marionettes. Dolls representing various tribes, brides in their wedding attire, and jewellery from different parts of India provide a domestic cultural flavour to the exhibits. Narrative scenes depicting the stories from mythology, history, fairy tales, and legends are recreated in ey- level glass boxes. Tales of renunciation of Lord Buddha, the Sacha Sauda story from Guru Nanak Dev’s life, the story of Eklavya from Mahabharata, etc., are all beautifully displayed here. Korean dolls dressed in traditional hanbok and Japanese dolls in their silk kimonos enchant both the kids and adults alike. Dolls made of natural sea pearls add a sense of wonderment to the collection. A doll from Sweden donated by an old couple in the memory of their daughter, worth 6.5 lakh Indian Rupees is another highlight of the museum.

Shadow puppets from Indonesia, though technically belonging to performing arts, add to variety to the doll collection. Bunraku puppets from Japan, Kachina dolls from Denmark, wooden hanging dolls from Belgium, peg-wooden dolls from Germany, ballerina dolls from Latvia, and troll dolls and porcelain dolls from the USA make up the main body of the doll collection.

If a guided tour is required, one can request the same from the information officer seated in the reception area.