Story by Sooyeon Lee

Dr. Walter Arnells says it's a bug, disease and much more. Patricia and Walter Arnell's disease is commonly known as collecting and they've been experiencing symptoms for more than 30 years.

Everywhere they go, the Arnells are looking for one thing..miniatures. The first dollhouse Patricia received was in the 1930s. But it wasn't until the Arnells moved to Tucson in 1979 that she rediscovered her love for miniatures. Their collection eventually outgrew their house and storages.

So to house their massive collection, the next step was this: The Mini-Time Machine Museum of Miniature. The 16,000 square-foot building holds over 170 dollhouses, 60 room boxes and countless little items. Patricia Arnell is more than a collector: She's also an established artist in this field, which requires a tremendous amount of patience and dexterity. The museum features one of the oldest dollhouses in the world.

The founders say this museum is also about education, history and culture: You can also summarize their massive collection with two other words: fantasy and fun! Even though they found a place for their collection, they admit they may still need some room to grow.

Grand Opening
The Mini-Time Machine
October 3rd
4455 E Camp Lowell
881-0606