Teddy Bear Museum of Naples
EstablishedDecember 1990 (1990-12)
DissolvedMay 31, 2005 (2005-05-31)
Location
Coordinates26°12′44″N 81°46′00″W / 26.2122°N 81.7666°W / 26.2122; -81.7666
TypeTeddy bear
Collection size5,500 teddy bears
DirectorGeorge Black
OwnerFrances Hayes
Websiteteddymuseum.com

The Teddy Bear Museum of Naples was a visitor attraction located in north Naples, Florida, United States. It opened in December 1990 and closed in May 2005. It operated as a non-profit organization, 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's teddy bear from a grandchild. After this, she started collecting teddy bears and people bought opened the museum six years later, in 1990.[1][2] 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 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 and Hayes' son, George Black, 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.

In 2007, Greater Naples YMCA bought the museum for $2.25 million, equivalent to $3.18 million in 2022, for plans to use it as an early childhood development center.[3][4]

The museum

Inside the gift store.
The Teddy Bear Fair in 1999.

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.

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.

References

  1. ↑ "Teddy Bear Museum of Naples". May 20, 2004. Archived from the original on May 20, 2004.
  2. ↑ Lade, Diane (May 4, 1991). "TEDDY TERRITORY". Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  3. ↑ Stackel, I.M. (May 17, 2007). "YMCA to buy former Teddy Bear Museum". Naples News. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  4. ↑ Fletcher, June (March 26, 2014). "Naples YMCA may have buyer for former Teddy Bear Museum site". Naples News. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.