Permanent Exhibition of Vintage Toys
When toys tell the stories of our childhood
Toys are not just objects we once played with. They are precious witnesses of their time – of society, technological progress and the way of life of different generations.
The Grom Vintage Toy Museum in Vransko takes visitors into the world of childhood in the second half of the 20th century, above all the era of the former Yugoslavia, when toys meant much more than just fun. They encouraged creativity, technical knowledge, manual skills and imagination.
At the heart of the collection are toys made by the renowned Izola factory Mehanotehnika, later Mehano, whose products shaped the childhoods of many generations at home and around the world.
Mehanotehnika – the factory of childhood dreams
From post-war reconstruction to an internationally recognised factory
After the end of the Second World War in 1945, Slovenia became part of socialist Yugoslavia, a federation of six republics led by Josip Broz Tito. The new era was marked by the rebuilding of a war-torn country, nationalisation, rapid industrialisation and the growth of large manufacturing companies.
The political system was based on one-party rule, while the economy, after an initial period of central planning, gradually moved to a distinctive Yugoslav model of socialist self-management.
In 1948 Yugoslavia broke politically with the Soviet Union and began to develop a more independent path to socialism. The country gradually opened up to international economic ties and later became one of the leading members of the Non-Aligned Movement.
It was in this setting that Mehanotehnika was founded in Izola in 1952 – a company producing metal and plastic products and toys. It took its name from its first product, the Mehanotehnika construction set.
Production began in 1953, and in 1959 the company gained a new production hall and exhibited at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, opening the door to demanding foreign markets.
In the 1960s and 1970s Yugoslavia went through major social changes. Employment, living standards, access to education and the range of consumer goods all grew. New homes were built, the car industry developed, and more and more families could afford better-quality toys.
Mehanotehnika became one of the recognisable symbols of this progress. Its toys were meant not only for fun, but also for learning. In 1965 the company began working with experts in child and adolescent psychology from the University of Ljubljana on the “Good Toy” (Dobra igrača) project.
Its best-known products included electric trains, locomotives, wagons, tracks, toy cars, construction sets, building blocks and a variety of electric and technical toys.
Educational electrical kits such as Pionir elektrotehničar (Pioneer Electrician) held a special place, teaching children about electricity and the basics of engineering. Toys like these reflected society’s emphasis on technical education and industrial development.
In the 1970s and 1980s the company developed new products and expanded its presence in foreign markets. Mehanotehnika became known far beyond the borders of Yugoslavia, above all for its model railways.
The end of an era
After Tito’s death in 1980, Yugoslavia increasingly faced economic crisis, inflation, debt and political tensions between the republics. In the second half of the 1980s, major social and political changes began that led to the break-up of the common state.
In 1990 the company took the name Mehano, and a year later, in 1991, Slovenia declared independence.
This also brought to a close the era in which Mehanotehnika toys were one of the most recognisable parts of everyday life for Yugoslav children.
Their legacy, however, lives on. Today we admire them not only as toys, but as an important part of Slovenian industrial, technical and cultural history.
The toy collection – memories that never fade
The heart of the Grom Vintage Toy Museum is a collection of original Mehanotehnika and Mehano toys that were once an indispensable part of childhood for many generations.
Electric trains hold a special place: with their locomotives, wagons, stations and tracks they created small railway worlds of their own. For many children, a train set was their first big wish and one of their most treasured gifts.
Also on display are toy cars, various vehicles, construction sets, building blocks and educational technical toys. Of particular interest are the Elektro pionir and Pionir elektrotehničar kits, which gave children their first steps into the world of electricity, circuits and technical experiments.
Electric trains
Locomotives, wagons, stations and tracks – small railway worlds.
Toy cars and vehicles
Vehicles that filled children’s rooms all over Yugoslavia.
Construction sets and blocks
Building toys for creativity and manual skills.
Pionir elektrotehničar
First steps into electricity, circuits and technical experiments.
These toys tell the story of a time when play often had to be built with your own hands – trying out different solutions and developing patience, precision and creativity.
For older visitors the collection is a nostalgic return to their youth, while younger ones get to discover the world before smartphones, computer games and digital screens.
Children in traffic – from play to responsibility
A special part of the museum is devoted to children in traffic, road safety education and the development of road safety.
The centrepiece of this section is Mopi, and alongside it the “pionirčki” (little pioneers) hold a special place, reminding visitors of the organised road safety education of children in the former Yugoslavia.
In schools, pioneer organisations and various road safety activities, children learned their first lessons about traffic rules, crossing the road safely, road signs and responsible behaviour as pedestrians and cyclists.
Road safety education was also linked to wider social development. As the number of cars, motorcycles and other vehicles grew, road safety became ever more important.
This section therefore tells not only of children’s toys, but also of raising generations who had to learn to live in an increasingly motorised world.
In this way the Vintage Toy Museum is also symbolically linked to the Grom Motorcycle Museum, as both tell the story of technology, mobility and our relationship with vehicles.
More than just a toy collection
The Grom Vintage Toy Museum is a place where generations meet.
Older visitors can rediscover the objects that marked their childhood, while children find out how their parents and grandparents used to play.
The collection preserves the memory of an important part of Slovenian industrial heritage and of a time when toys made in Izola travelled to children’s rooms across Yugoslavia and far beyond its borders.
Join us on a journey back to a time when a few pieces of track, a small locomotive, a toy car or a box of building blocks were all it took for a great adventure.
Grom Vintage Toy Museum – where childhood never grows old.
Admission
Discover two unique collections in one visit – historic motorcycles and the fascinating world of vintage toys.
| Visitor category | Vintage Toy Collection only (self-guided) | Motorcycle Museum + Vintage Toys |
|---|---|---|
| Adults | €10 | €15 |
| Children (up to 10 years) | €5 | €7 |
| Students | €7 | €10 |
| Groups (more than 15 people) | €7 | €10 |
Prices are per person and include VAT. The Vintage Toy Collection can be visited separately on a self-guided basis. The combined ticket includes admission to both the Motorcycle Museum and the Vintage Toy Collection.
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