Pollock’s Toy Museum Croydon

Open every Saturday 11.00am-4.00pm. Free entry.
Unit 49, Whitgift Centre Croydon, CR0 1UQ (map)
(Centre Car Park: CR9 1AT)

A group of vintage toys, some from China, appear against a red background. They include a mechanical drummer boy, a wind-up acrobat on a horse, a simple boy doll in a green outfit, and a gymnast suspended from a bar.

​Pollock’s Toy Museum has taken up residence in Croydon with a mini-museum packed with theatres, toys, games and dolls.

Listen to the Victorian Polyphon, buy unique Pollock papers, theatres, cards and toys in the museum shop; hear stories about the toys and chat with the museum team about your toy memories.

There will be toy theatre performances or children’s activities most weeks, subject to volunteer availability. Find out more about volunteering.

Upcoming Live Toy Theatre Performances on Saturdays at 12 noon and 2pm

  • Toy theatre shows will restart in late spring
  • Family activities take place on weeks when there are no performances
In front of a printed bunny template stands a fully handmade Easter bunny toy, with googly eyes and a wobbly polystyrene-like bottom. Felt tips in pink and grey lie nearby, ready to decorate the next bunny, and there are a number of polystyrene half-spheres ready to wobble more Easter rabbits.

Family drop-in activities

  • On weeks when there is no toy theatre performance we offer family drop-in activities. Pictured is our recent Easter activity, when participants made their own wibbly wobbly balancing Easter bunnies, inspired by our moving toys exhibition.

Current exhibition: Moving toys

Our current exhibition, Whizz, jump, spin, hoot, flutter and fly, opened in November and focuses on dynamic toys (toys that move).

Accessibility

The Whitgift Shopping Centre and the museum unit have level access and there is space for wheelchairs to enter, navigate through the displays and into the activity area. Visitor toilets are available outside the museum in the shopping centre.

Entry, performances and family workshops are free but donations to save the collection are welcome.