Although she doesn’t look it, Barbie is now a half-century old (her official birthday is March 9, 1959). Of course, the fashion diva has had a few makeovers, but that doesn’t matter to those who loved her as a child and love her now. And even if you have some less-than-fond thoughts on this international icon, you’ll want to head down to the Toy and Miniature Museum in Kansas City to see the special Barbie exhibit on display until the end of the year. It really has something for everyone.

“Of course, we have girls coming to see the Barbie exhibit and they are very excited,” says Toy and Miniature Museum educator Laura Taylor. “But what we are finding is there are a lot of adult women coming to the exhibit. They grew up with Barbie, so it’s muliti-generational.”

The exhibit begins with a trip through Barbie’s early years, starting with the original doll that started it all: Bild Lilli, a doll designed for adults based on a sassy cartoon character in Germany.

“Most people don’t realize that Barbie was based on a doll that Ruth Handler (creator of Barbie) discovered while in Germany,” Ms. Taylor says. “They first took her to the new toy fair, but it didn’t do well because they didn’t think mothers would buy a doll like that for their daughters.”

Also in the collection, you’ll see one of the original Barbies from 1959, followed by close to 300 Barbies divided by category: friends and family, Barbie’s careers, collector Barbies, Barbie fashion and Barbie’s “material culture,” which includes things like her accessories, houses and cars.

“She’s had a lot of stuff,” Ms. Taylor says, “and in that way she really does mimic American society.”

At the end of the exhibit is an interactive section, where you can take a Barbie trivia quiz and jot down your Barbie memories. So far the memories have run the gamut, Ms. Taylor says, from hating Barbie and never playing with her to crying for hours because a brother broke Barbie’s head off.

“It’s so nice because you can look at Barbie from the material standpoint, but also from a personal perspective,” Ms. Taylor says.

And while you are there, make sure to check out both floors of the museum. There are all kinds of antique toys, trains, planes and cars, as well as a turn-of-the-century dollhouse that’s 9 feet tall and an impressive collection of fine scale miniatures, some of which are fully functional.

“For instance, we have a set of dueling pistols that function,” Ms. Taylor says. “Of course, it’s hard to fight a miniature duel, pulling the trigger on something so small.”

If you enjoy great craftsmanship, make sure to note the miniature early American furniture, then afterward, head down the block to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and see its new American collection with the same thing, only in full size. Or if you have children, check out the antique trains, then have lunch at Fritz’s at Crown Center, where a tiny train will bring you your burger. With all the Crown Center shops, the new National Archives, the World War I Museum and Wornall House just a short distance away, you should find plenty of ways to turn Barbie’s 50th anniversary into a fun weekend for the whole family.

Lifestyles reporter Sylvia Anderson can be reached at sylviaanderson@npgco.com.

Playful history

Toy and Miniature Museum, 5235 Oak St., Kansas City, (816) 333-9328, www.toyandminiaturemuseum.org

Museum hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday

Admission: Adults $7; Seniors (65+) $6; Students (full-time) $6; Children (5-12) $5; Children under 5 free