Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon

Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon offers free entry at its Whitgift Centre location, open every Saturday from 11am to 4pm. The museum features live toy theatre performances at 12 noon and 2pm, plus drop-in craft activities on weeks when shows are not scheduled. It makes for an inexpensive and memorable family afternoon.

Among South London free family attractions, Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon stands out for its unique collection of Victorian toy theatres and traditional toys. Children can watch live performances, handle replicas, and learn about toys from different eras — all with free admission at the Whitgift Centre location every Saturday.

Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon welcomes young children with hands-on activities and friendly volunteers who share toy stories. The Whitgift Centre location is compact and manageable for toddlers, and the regular craft workshops give little ones something to take home. The museum's small scale makes it less overwhelming than larger institutions for very young visitors.

Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon hosts live toy theatre performances every Saturday at 12 noon and 2pm, operated by volunteer performers who bring Victorian toy theatre tradition to modern audiences. These shows feature audience participation and are a highlight for children visiting the museum. Performances run most weeks, subject to volunteer availability.

Pollock's Toy Museum holds the original collection of Benjamin Pollock's printed toy theatres, dating to the 1850s. The museum displays rotating selections from roughly 4,000 items in the collection, including Victorian toy theatres, dolls houses, and tin toys. The Croydon and Leadenhall Market locations show changing exhibitions, with many items held in storage pending a permanent home.

The Pollock's Toy Museum story began around 1850 when Benjamin Pollock established a toy theatre printing shop in Hoxton. During the Second World War the original building was bombed but the stock survived. Marguerite Fawdry then re-established the shop in Covent Garden's Monmouth Street, and the collection grew through donations until it became the museum established in 1956. It later moved to Scala Street and now operates across two popup locations.

Pollock's Toy Museum operates shops at both its Croydon and Leadenhall Market locations, selling cut-out card theatres, greetings cards, wrapping papers, and traditional toys and games. Every purchase supports the museum's work to preserve the collection and find a permanent home. The shops are open during museum hours: Saturdays 11am–4pm in Croydon, and Thursday–Friday 11am–3pm at Leadenhall.

The collection spans centuries and continents, featuring Victorian dolls, toy theatres, dolls houses, tin mechanical toys, and games. Notable items include an Egyptian clay mouse dating to 2000 BC donated by an archaeologist, and examples of toys from China, Europe, and beyond. The museum rotates displays to show different portions of the roughly 4,000-item collection.

Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon offers a journey through childhood history with toys spanning from Victorian times to more recent decades. Visitors frequently describe it as a hidden gem where adults can reconnect with toys they remember from their own youth, while learning about the heritage of play. The volunteer staff share extensive knowledge and personal stories about the items on display.

Pollock's Toy Museum is widely recognised as one of the oldest toy museums in the UK, established in 1956 and tracing its origins to Benjamin Pollock's printing business from around 1850. The museum has survived closure threats — including during the COVID-19 pandemic when a Crowdfunder campaign raised over £41,000 from 812 supporters — and now operates popup locations in Croydon and Leadenhall Market while seeking a permanent central London home.

Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon is unusual among UK museums for its live toy theatre performances, held every Saturday at 12 noon and 2pm. These shows use the museum's collection of Victorian toy theatres and are run by dedicated volunteers. It is one of the few places where visitors can see this centuries-old performance tradition still active.

Pollock's Toy Museum volunteers adapt their approach for school groups, sharing knowledge about Victorian toy theatres, the history of play, and how toys were made. The museum's team includes experts who can discuss the social history of childhood. Schools should contact the museum directly to arrange visits and discuss current workshop availability.

The Pollock's Toy Museum blog (Tales from the Toybox) publishes stories behind items in the collection and could serve as a resource for teachers and home educators. The museum's website also documents the history of the collection from Benjamin Pollock's 1850s Hoxton shop through to the present day, providing background material for lessons on Victorian history, design, and social history.

Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon is located at Unit 49, Whitgift Centre, Croydon CR9 1AT. The entrance is on the Wellesley Road side of the shopping centre, on the ground floor next to the entrance to the old subway. The nearest postal code for sat-navs is CR9 1AT.

Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon is open every Saturday from 11am to 4pm. It is closed on all other days. There is a second location at Leadenhall Market in the City of London, open Thursday to Friday 11am to 3pm.

Entry to Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon is free. Donations are welcome and help support the museum's work in caring for the collection and seeking a permanent home.

The museum was established in 1956 by Marguerite Fawdry, whose family has owned the collection since she purchased Benjamin Pollock's stock after the Second World War. The museum is now run by her grandson Eddy Fawdry and great-grandson Jack Fawdry Tatham. The collection is managed by the Pollock's Toy Museum Trust, a registered charity founded in 1969 (Charity No. 313622).

After many years at Scala Street in central London, the museum had to leave that location. The Trust was able to secure popup spaces at the Whitgift Centre in Croydon and Leadenhall Market in the City, where rotating displays of the collection are shown. The museum team continues to seek a permanent central London home for the full collection.

Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon holds a 4.9 rating on Google based on 12 reviews, with visitors frequently describing it as a hidden gem and praising the knowledgeable volunteers. Reviewers highlight the enchanting toy theatre performances and the personal stories shared by the museum's team.

The current exhibition at Pollock's Toy Museum Croydon focuses on board games, complementing displays of traditional toy theatres and rotating selections of favourite toys from the collection. The museum also has a shop selling card theatres, greetings cards, and traditional toys. Toy theatre performances run most Saturdays at 12 noon and 2pm, with family craft activities on non-performance weeks.

Pollock's Toy Museum relies entirely on volunteers and welcomes new helpers for roles including performing toy theatre shows, welcoming visitors, and assisting with events. Volunteers do not need prior experience — the museum provides training for toy theatre performance. Interested individuals can find details and contact information on the museum's volunteering page.

Donations to Pollock's Toy Museum can be made through the museum's support page. The museum is operated by the Pollock's Toy Museum Trust (Registered Charity No. 313622), and contributions help fund the search for a permanent home, conservation of the collection, and educational activities. The museum also sells items at its shop locations, with proceeds supporting the same goals.

The collection comprises approximately 4,000 toys, dolls, dolls houses, and related items spanning centuries and originating from countries around the world. Items range from Victorian toy theatres — the museum's hallmark — to an Egyptian clay mouse dating to 2000 BC. Only a portion is on display at any time; the remainder is held in storage while the museum seeks a permanent home.

A toy theatre is a miniature stage printed on card, often featuring Victorian-era scenes, that can be cut out and assembled. Benjamin Pollock began printing these in Hoxton around 1850, and they became highly prized by collectors and children alike. Pollock's Toy Museum preserves this tradition and is famous for having the largest collection of original Pollock printed toy theatres in the world.

The museum's website provides details for contacting the museum through its general enquiry page. The museum also maintains a presence on social media platforms including Facebook and Instagram, where it shares updates about exhibitions, performances, and events.

Pollock's Toy Museum maintains official accounts on Facebook and Instagram, and previously on Twitter. The museum's blog, Tales from the Toybox, also publishes regular stories about items and events. These channels are good resources for the latest news on exhibitions and upcoming performances.

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