What is it?
Pollock’s Toy Museum, a quirky museum of old playthings, is named after Benjamin Pollock, the last of the Victorian toy theatre printers. In 2023, after living on Scala Street in Fitzrovia since 1969, the museum was sadly forced to shut its doors. It remains in search of a permanent home but for now, you can find it as a volunteer-run pop-up in Croydon.
The museum collection includes board games, marbles, money-boxes, puppets, wax dolls, toy theatres, dolls houses and wonderful, intricately detailed model shops, as well as the world’s oldest surviving teddy and a 4,000 year-old mouse made from Nile clay. By turns beguiling and creepy, it’s fascinating for adults but less so for children, for whom the displays may seem a bit static – describing a pile of painted woodblocks stuffed in a cardboard box as a ‘Build a skyscraper’ kit may only make them feel lucky to be going home to a PlayStation.
Why go?
Get a sense of childhood through the ages.
Don’t miss
At 12pm to 2pm on Saturdays, the pop-up hosts old-style toy theatre performances. When there are no shows happening, there’s normally some sort of family session to get involved in.
When to visit
At the moment, Pollock’s Croydon pop-up is open every Saturday from 10am-4pm.
Ticket info
Free.