Pollock’s Toy Museum

Besides a small case near the end of the exhibit space, the toys in this museum’s collection are not the toys of your childhood. They’re the toys of your grandmother’s childhood more likely. And as much as I give this museum credit for not trying to cash in on the wave of nostalgia that is currently rampant for 1970s and 1980s toys, I can not honestly say that the collection felt complete without a few more of these.
What they do have in abundance, squeezed into every nook and cranny of this pretty small space (including placing some classic games on each of the staircases) is some of the most historic toys in the world.
The highlight of the collection is one of the oldest known teddy bears in existence. It’s not exactly cute though since the Victorians were seemingly more bout accuracy than sales appeal. And there are other toys dating back even further into history from all over the world. It is very cool to see the toys that distant cultures have had in the past.
However, it’s really the organization and maintenance of the place that, unfortunately, drag it down in my mind. It’s the kind of museum that seems like an afterthought to the main business it’s attached to (in this case a working Pollock’s Toy Store). The amount of dust in the place drove my allergies crazy and there is little to no labeling of the toys with the exception of a few that are in the welcome brochure. Someone could at least visit the museum and dust it once in a while since they do charge not a small admission.
In the end, it’s wonderful toys and there are some classics if you know what you’re looking for. But one shouldn’t have to be a toy expert on high doses of Benadryl to be able to appreciate a toy museum.

An amazing destination for toy fans, collectors, historians, and pop culture enthusiasts. The depth of the museum itself was shockingly plentiful. A definite inclusion on the «must see» list.

I never new this placed existed but it was actually quite fun looking at all the old toys and history of them. The museum itself runs through two townhouses. There are lots of stairs and some cramped walkways, so make sure you are comfortable with that. You have classic items such as originally donated Sooty & Sweep, as well as old puppet style back drops. Be warned of the dolls room, it feels like you’re in a horror movie and they will all start moving any second, there’s hundreds of them. (Visit — 27-​06-​2015)

This place could use a sugar daddy and some TLC. It has a weird vibe, like Gomez Addams meets Rosebud – eclectic and nostalgic. Most items could be far better displayed and the interior contents could use a good cleaning. But yes, I’m glad I went. It’s kind of like being in the outbuildings of some of those people on American Pickers, but classier and more organized.
Small.

I only visited the gift shop (story of my life!) but it was magnificent. There are old books and toys for sale in one part, and I had a lot of fun looking through some Enid Blytons that I remembered from my childhood. They also have new toys that are just a bit old fashioned and really unusual. It’s just the sort if place that I would have loved to spend my pocket money in years ago!

Great place to take kids along, and as an adult you will have some laughs too. Took over a niece and nephew a few weeks ago, and they had the time of their life!

If you developed a fear of dolls after watching the Chucky movie then Pollock’s Toy Museum is definitely not for you. Neither is it if you were born after 1970 and are looking for some childhood nostalgia. I was gutted to see a complete absence of Transformers, Thundercats, Star Wars and Micromachines.
What Pollock’s does offer is a slightly bizarre collection of toys, predominantly from the first half of the 20^th century. Staring back at you with blank button eyes are wide selection of dolls, toy soldiers, cars, truck and puppets, which, once loved and played with, now sit in old wooden, glass-​fronted display cabinets.
The Museum is housed in two adjoining Georgian houses and at times you feel like that’s exactly where you are, catapulted back two centuries. This is not a modern museum but a rather creaking, atmospheric place that is verging on bizarre.
Whilst I am glad I went, it is fair to say that although unusual, I would really struggle to recommend the museum unless you have visited London’s countless other more worthy attractions.

Sorry but I didn’t see it the way other reviewers did at all. Yes some of the old toys were quirky and interesting and the funny little building was charming. For that I give 2 stars. But there was very little information about anything except on the insubstantial pamphlet you are handed on entering. In my view this is an interesting collection, but certainly not a museum. I certainly didn’t think it worth the £6 admission the prices are not shown on their website which is ridiculous, I think it was £5 concessions and £3 children, my 2 year old was free but min age wasn’t stated. The toy shop was pointless, mostly full of dreadful plastic knick-​knacks that will last five minutes and that you could get anywhere.

I visited this lovely little museum on a Saturday afternoon and was delighted to find that it was utterly crowdless. Aside from some crying children, it was a great museum experience.
At first glance, I actually thought the museum was closed but it turns out they just like to save money on electricity. At £5 per person (£4 for students) it’s a pretty good deal. I saw toys I didn’t even know existed and got a nice nostalgic pinch from my childhood. The building itself is perfect for the museum. Going from tiny room ro tiny room and climbing stairs here and there all add to the adventure of, «What could be around this corner?»
I just can’t leave out how creepy some of these toys are though. And, of course, I’m referring to the porcelain dolls. As much as I loved these when I was a kid, if I was a kid in the 1800s, I’d stick to my teddy bear.
Overall, I was impressed. I am a museum junkie but this is not just a museum for kids. In fact, I’d say kids won’t enjoy half as much as adults who can say they got half the stuff for Christmas when they were 5.
Oh, and don’t forget to browse around the toy shop on your way (not that you have a choice) and see some lovely toy for kids and adults.

This place gets points for the feeling that you are sneaking into someone’s attic. Loads of old toys (mostly early 20^th C by my estimate) on display and the shop has a nice edited selection of toys from years past. However, the cramped space also doesn’t lend itself to good explanations of what you are seeing so if you like the subject matter it may absorb you for a couple of hours but I don’t think it’s worth going out of your way for.

I found Pollock’s fascinating. It has loads of toys, but they’re all packed in together so it feels less like you’re at a museum and more like you’re at the home of your crazy uncle who is a toy collector.
I’d highly recommend it as long as you’re not prone to having toy nightmares.
I reviewed it with pictures here:

Quite honestly the most perfect place in the whole
of London for a child, or indeed anyone who loves
the world of fantasy.
The museum is like a time travel capsule. In the 18^th
century it was a little cottage; in the 1960’s this
lovely Georgian building housed a workmens’ caff.
Now, it is back to its original glory, spread across
a number of floors & housing magical toys, dolls
puppet theatres, wind up musical trinkets & books.
The staff are helpful & friendly.
When it first opened, it reminded me of a smaller
version of the Sir John Soanes Museum, which has
similar wonderful surprises

Forget Hamley’s!
If you have kids (or are a big kid at heart) this is the place that will set imaginations on fire.
It may be a small shop but the shelves are full of quirky old-​fashioned toys of yesteryear that are still incredibly appealing and relevant for the children of today.

This is an amazing place, especially if you love toys as much as I do, or if you’re getting ready to shoot a horror movie like Child’s Play. The dolls stare at you from every wall, and you feel as if you’ve entered some strange universe where childhood is not so different than a series of haunted memories.
Since I love this stuff, I love this place, but it’s not for everyone. However, the toy shop below is for everyone. It’s charming and fun, and doesn’t have one inch of the creepiness in the museum above.

This museum suffers from poor collection management — one of the best collections of toys I’ve seen, but so tightly packed together, it was really difficult to appreciate the gems, and a lot of the toys needed some TLC — cleaning/​dusting around them
Interesting information, lots of «oooh, I had one of them» and some really nice things. Then the toy shop deserves a review of its own. Again, understocked, but really nice stuff, and worth visiting for its own sake.

Please take any children that you know here at least once. It is fabulous, if i could i would try and move in! When i was a child i came here just the once but it made a impact on me so when i was able to i found it again and come along. They staff are very friendly
and attentive. Kids will really enjoy it and be really suprised that there where toys before Playstation!!!

The best part about visiting Pollack’s Toy Museum is the «I had that one!» feeling. This is how I learned that I was raised on a lot of Victorian-​era toys, all of which appear to present a major choking hazard. Wishful thinking on my parents’ part, I suppose.
This small museum packs a lot of vintage toy punch for the £5 admission fee. Be prepared for a lot of creepy old dolls, wistful memories and racially charged debates on golliwogs. The gift shop is great – I came home with a metal springy toy and a fortune-​telling fish today. (It says I’m fickle.) Worth a visit to the shop even if you don’t go to the museum.

From Pennsylvania ironware, Japanese acrobats, South American traditional and folk toys, Edwardian table games, Victorian toy theatres, famous and rare wax dolls with war dolls and toys, Pollock’s toy museum sets the examples of what entertainment was before the age of rubbish retail and other dysfunctional industrial cretins bore us and made us lazy. a visit to the museum sets the examples of recreating such activity in our homes and in friend circles. The day and age of personal game playing entertainment, for both adults and children has become priceless. With this surviving museum in the heart of London it sets a lighthearted tone of the otherwise harsh commercially driven Fitzrovia.

If you happen to be around the West End and you have a little spare time on your hands, and you’re any kind of collector or toy aficionado, then I suggest you take a trip to Pollock’s Toy Museum.
Pollocks, a purveyor of all things toys since the Victorian era, has packed this place to the rafters with toys now forgotten. Anyone over the age of 15 will appreciate the vast collection of toy theatres, string puppets, jack-​in-​the-​boxes, teddy bears and doll’s houses from around the world. However, if you’re anything like me, you may find the assembly of dolls staring out from behind the display more than a little freakish.

This is one of the most extraordinary museums I’ve ever been to. Take the standard notion of a museumnow throw it away. The museum is set out across a labyrinth of small rooms and interconnecting staircases. It feels like you’re walking through some crazy old lady’s house. And because of that, it’s absolutely awesome. The collections of stuff they have is incredible. I guarantee that half of the items in there will make you go Oh man, I remember that!
This place is definitely worth a Sunday afternoon session.