One of the largest displays of dolls & teddy bears and
the largest research library of related books in the world

Why Visit This Museum?

What makes this Museum unique in the world of dolls and teddy bears? No other museum in the world offers all of these features and attractions:
• One of the largest doll museums in the U.S.
• Largest teddy bear museum in the U.S.
• Largest doll and teddy bear library in the world
• Most frequent visitor response: “I need to come back. There is just so much to see.”
• Admission includes option of a personally conducted tour by the owner, Susan Quinlan
• Classical background music
• Free tea and coffee after viewing the Museum Galleries
• Hand-painted wall-to-wall, ceiling-to-floor murals
• Voted “best display cases”
• Handicapped accessible
• One of the best educational websites

News & Events

Quinlan Museum Launches Its First Convention

“I have attended many conventions and shows in my 25 years as an artist
and yours was all of the best rolled into one! Amazing! Educational! Fun! Inspiring!”
       – Virginia Jasmer, bear artist

“I have been attending doll and teddy bear events for 30 years,
and this event rates up there in the top three. It was terrific!
I had a great time and learned a lot…want to do it next year.”
          – Nancy Joyner, doll collector

This is what Susan and Terry Quinlan from the Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library had in mind when they held their first annual Artist Doll & Teddy Bear Convention in Philadelphia on May 12-14, 2011. They wanted to turn back the clock to those days when things were affordable and really fun to attend, as well as, to stimulate interest in dolls and teddy bears among today’s younger generation. (click here for details)

Museum Conducting the First Extensive Collector Survey

Doll and teddy bear artists, dealers and auctioneers want to know what appeals to collectors and why they buy certain pieces, while collectors want the same artists, dealers and auctioneers to understand what appeals to them in order to meet their interests. The Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library will be conducting the first-known extensive survey about the buying habits of antique (pre-1930), artist (designed and made by artists) and contemporary (1930 & later) doll and teddy bear collectors. Most collector studies report on the effects of collector purchases. This study will address the causes of their purchases. Why do people collect dolls or teddy bears? Why do they buy artist, manufactured, or antique pieces? Where do they go to shop? What do they look for in the pieces? How do they make their buying decisions? What determines how much they spend per piece and in total at a show or auction...and much, much more.

The incentive to participate in the study is that you will receive a copy of the Survey Results, you will be a participant in a drawing for nearly $2,000 in cash prizes, and you will learn a lot about yourself and your buying habits compared to other collectors. There will be 13 winners in the drawing with each receiving a check for $100 or $300. Winners will be notified and posted on this website by May 1, 2012. Don’t delay. Complete the Survey before you forget. To participate in the Survey, click HERE. You can fill-out the Survey online or print a copy of the Survey and submit it by  fax or postal mail.

Major Acquisition for the Museum Collection

The Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library is proud to announce that dolls and settings created by renowned doll artist Nancy Wiley to illustrate her recently published edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are now part of the museum’s collection and are on permanent display. As part of the unveiling of the collection to the public at the museum on March 6, 2011, Nancy was on hand to sign copies of the book after setting up the scenes in the museum’s display cases.

Information about the book and how it was created can be found on Nancy’s website at www.nancywiley.com. She has based her version of the story on an edition written and illustrated by Lewis Carroll. She has also created limited editions of some of the figures from the book that will be available for sale from her website.

Nancy has been making dolls since 1989, and one of her dolls was the inspiration for the cover of the June/July 1996 issue of “George” magazine featuring Demi Moore. She has also been the subject of a number of books and articles, including the book The Creations of Nancy Wiley by Louise Fecher. Her works have been on display in many museums including the Muscatine Art Center, and most recently at the Margaret Woodbury Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. Nancy has now begun work on an illustrated edition of Little Red Riding Hood.

Museum Co-publishes Doll Artist Book

The Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum & Library had the honor to support the National Institute of American Doll Artists (NIADA) by co-publishing their recently published book NIADA Art Dolls, Rich Traditions, New Ideas – a well deserved tribute to many of the best doll artists in the world who have been awarded membership in NIADA. The Museum provided the funding for the book so that 100% of the proceeds from the book will be pure profit for NIADA.

The Quinlans think of the book as giving you your own personal, portable doll museum that you can take home where you can retreat whenever you wish to enjoy the beautiful creations of these gifted doll artists. The book allows you to see how doll art has developed over the years, as well as how individual artist works have changed. A book is like a museum – looking without reflection is like shopping without buying. Between these pages is where true doll lovers live.

To order a copy of this 432 page book that illustrates the works of 160 leading doll artists with over 630 dolls displayed, simply go to NIADA’s website (www.niada.org). The proceeds from purchases made directly on the NIADA website goes entirely (100%) to the support of the wonderful work done by NIADA to promote excellence in doll artist creations.

Click here for more information

Susan Quinlan Receives NIADA Award

The National Institute of American Doll Artists (NIADA) held their annual conference at the Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN on September 8-13, 2009. At the banquet dinner, NIADA presented Susan Quinlan with their Patron Honor Award for her support in their recently published doll artist book entitled NIADA Art Dolls, Rich Traditions, New Ideas. At the banquet, the Quinlans announced that they were tearing up the original interest-free loan agreement with NIADA and making the funding a gift to NIADA so all proceeds from the book sales would go directly back to NIADA in support of their member artists.

Click here for more information