Teddy Bear Museum of Naples
Encyclopedia
The Teddy Bear Museum of Naples was a visitor attraction located in north Naples
, Florida
, USA. It opened in 1990 and closed in 2005. It operated as a non-profit organization, and received funding from donations, as well as profit from museum tickets, gift shop sales, and Hug Club membership.
teddy bear from a grandchild. After this, she started collecting teddy bear
s and opened the museum six years later, in 1990. The collection expanded to around 5,500 individual bears until the museum closed. Many of the bears were donated from private collectors. In the late 1990s, the Museum was sold to the North Collier Hospital, and the hospital planned to relocate the museum to a new location as part of a new children's hospital. The plan fell through, and the museum was again separated.
In 2005, a year after Hayes died, the museum director, George Black (known among museum staff and volunteers as 'Brownie'), announced that the museum would be closed and all of the exhibits would be sold off. Reasons included rising operating costs, a lack of volunteers, and flat admission numbers.
The main museum building itself was a circular shaped building with a central atrium. An auxiliary building contained a small gift-shop.
The museum contained various exhibits, such as a Teddy Bears' Picnic
, a parade
, a wedding
ceremony, a "beard of directors", and collections from around the world.
Naples, Florida
Naples is a city in Collier County, Florida, United States. As of July 1, 2007, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city's population at 21,653. Naples is a principal city of the Naples–Marco Island Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated total population of 315,839 on July 1, 2007...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA. It opened in 1990 and closed in 2005. It operated as a non-profit organization, and received funding from donations, as well as profit from museum tickets, gift shop sales, and Hug Club membership.
History
The museum started when Frances Pew Hayes received a small M&M'sM&M's
M&M's are dragée-like "colorful button-shaped candies" produced by Mars, Incorporated...
teddy bear from a grandchild. After this, she started collecting teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
s and opened the museum six years later, in 1990. The collection expanded to around 5,500 individual bears until the museum closed. Many of the bears were donated from private collectors. In the late 1990s, the Museum was sold to the North Collier Hospital, and the hospital planned to relocate the museum to a new location as part of a new children's hospital. The plan fell through, and the museum was again separated.
In 2005, a year after Hayes died, the museum director, George Black (known among museum staff and volunteers as 'Brownie'), announced that the museum would be closed and all of the exhibits would be sold off. Reasons included rising operating costs, a lack of volunteers, and flat admission numbers.
The museum
The museum contained various exhibits, such as a Teddy Bears' Picnic
Teddy bears' picnic
"Teddy Bears' Picnic" is a song consisting of a melody by American composer John Walter Bratton, written in 1907, and lyrics added by Irish songwriter Jimmy Kennedy in 1932. It remains popular as a children's song, having been recorded by numerous artists over the decades. Kennedy lived at...
, a parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
, a wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
ceremony, a "beard of directors", and collections from around the world.
Teddy Bear Fair
One of the annual events held by the Museum was the Teddy Bear Fair. It was usually held in October and consisted of various activities, such as games, performances by bands and groups, and petting zoos. The fair was initially located at Cambier Park in Naples, but during the North Collier Hospital ownership, the fair was held at the hospital.External links
- Teddy Bear Museum official website from Wayback Machine