In one corner of the room, a chamber quartet performs baroque music. In another, a man demonstrates his pet poodle's impeccable training. Downstairs, the maid works in the kitchen and a wealthy man shows a child around his library. The thing is, this all takes place in a space no larger than a cinder block. It's just one of the exhibits at The Mini Time Machine Museum, which captures scenes—whether historical, sociological, or fantastical—in stunningly tiny detail.

• Size: big enough to contain a 1775 English estate, a four-story German household from 1880, an early 20th century toy manufacturer, and a 1559 garden pavilion in Old Shanghai. In other words, small enough to see everything over the course of an hour or two.
• Eye Catcher: Oddly enough, the most iconic fixture of the museum is the towering Enchanted Tree, which grows in a room full of magical displays. One face smiles over scenes of fairies playing, one scowls in the direction of spooky witches and goblins, and a frost-bearded third oversees vignettes of hard-working elves in Santa's Workshop.
• Permanent Mainstay: The Snow Village is one of the largest displays in the museum, with 56 lighted buildings that visitors can look down upon through a glass-floor display case.
• Hidden Gem: Take a close look at the Enchanted Tree—inside, you'll find eight hidden scenes of cozy little mice tucked away within its knots and roots. Wait long enough, and you just might catch a glimpse of the fairy Caitlin, though she comes and goes as she pleases.
• Don't Miss: the automated house of Emil Wick. Like many of the displays, this 19th-century Swiss village literally bustles with activity thanks to hidden mechanisms; unlike most of those displays, this one dates back to the 1880s.