Miniatures — whether dollhouses, trains, or toys — are always a major hit with my kids, who get a kick out of playing the part of a gigantic Gulliver in a Lilliputian world. From an enchanted castle built by Hollywood artisans to an entire three-ring circus carved with a penknife, here are some of the best little exhibits across the nation.1. Girard Collection at the Museum of International Folk Art, Santa Fe, New Mexico: This colorful assortment of folk art includes thousands of tiny objects depicting village scenes from 100 countries around the world. Displays are set low so children can see them. $6 to $8, free for ages 16 and under; 505-476-1200;
2. Denver Museum of Miniatures, Dolls and Toys, Denver, Colorado: Located in a historic house, this intimate museum contains a 3-foot-tall replica of the 19th-century Kingscote Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, and a room dedicated to southwestern miniatures, including an adobe hacienda and Native American dwellings. $4 to $6; 303-322-1053
3. The Kruger Collection, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska: Thousands of miniature objects, from chimneys to commodes, show the evolution of design. Look for the
2K-inch-tall chess table with working pieces, including a king that measures just e/af-inch tall. Free; 402-472-3560
4.
Toy and Miniature Museum of Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri: At 33,000 square feet, this is one of the nation's largest miniature and toy museums. Among this vast collection of 19th- and 20th-century toys and more recent creations is an 8-inch-tall tepee and a replica of a room in the Palace of Versailles. $4 to $6; 816-333-9328
5. The Colleen Moore Fairy Castle, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago, Illinois: Some of Hollywood's finest artisans used real gold and gems to make this enchanted castle for actress Colleen Moore in 1928. Kids can spy such fairy-friendly objects as Cinderella's slippers and Sleeping Beauty's bed. $9 to $13; 773-684-1414
6. National Toy Train Museum, Strasburg, Pennsylvania In a building that looks like an old train station, you can send toy locomotives around one of the five train routes, each fully landscaped and accessorized. Open April through December. $2.50 to $5, $12 for families; 717-687-8976
7. The Panorama of the City of New York, Queens Museum of Art,
Queens, New York: Occupying 9,335 square feet, this architectural model features every building constructed in the city before 1992, including the World Trade Center. The multimedia system provides narrated audiovisual tours, simulates different light conditions, and re-creates sounds of the city. Suggested donation $2.50 to $5; 718-592-9700
8. Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont: Marvel at a pair of wooden circuses complete with animals, clowns, acrobats, and circus wagons, all hand-carved. The circus parade stretches more than 500 feet, and the three-ring circus (carved with a penknife) has 3,500 pieces. Open mid-May to mid-October. $9 to $18; 802-985-3346
