Hamleys toy store in London is definitely a must if you are visiting London with children, as it is not only one of the largest toy stores in the world, but also one of the most famous. Hamleys is located on the famous Regent Street in central London, in the commercial center of the British capital, next to Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street and Carnaby Street. It is a paradise for children. At the door there are usually several people in disguise greeting everyone who passes by, and paying special attention to children, usually with bubble guns or some toy. The shop windows are without a doubt one of the most colorful in London, in which toys or characters from current fashion movies are usually the protagonists. What will you find in this article?
Hamleys in London: The most famous toy store in the British capital
Its founder, William Hamley, opened his first toy shop in Holborn in 1760 called Noah’s Arc. In 1881 he opened the toy store we see today on Regent Street, one of the main shopping streets in central London, and this is the toy store we now know as the world’s largest toy store . As soon as you walk through the door you will find the toy store that all children dream of, being a wonderland for the little ones: many lights, children’s songs, giant lego sculptures, adults and children playing, entertainers with remote-controlled helicopters, stations to test toys, stations to paint children’s faces, storytellers, magicians doing magic tricks…
What to buy at Hamleys toy store in London
Some of the things that can be purchased at Hamleys toy store are: And much more! But below we tell you what you can find on each floor of Hamleys.
Hamleys Guide: The 7 floors of Hamleys in London
Inside the Hamleys toy store we can tour its seven floors, and I can assure you that each one of them will leave you speechless! The 7 floors of the Hamleys toy store are distributed as follows:
Lower Ground (Basement): Special Harry Potter
In the basement of Hamleys toy store in London you will find a lot of interactive toys, electronic games and gadgets of all kinds. But also, it is where we will find a special section dedicated to the magical world of Harry Potter . It is one of the perfect places if you come to London and want to visit one of the Harry Potter shops . You’ll also find Star Wars merch and Fortnite items here . In spring and summer we also find things to play outside, and here we include all kinds of tricycles as well as scooters and even garden items for children, as well as items for different outdoor sports.
Ground (ground floor): stuffed animals, sweets and souvenirs
On the ground floor of the Hamleys toy store in London, which we access by entering through the main door located on Regent Street, we find hundreds of stuffed animals and a candy store . There are stuffed animals of all sizes, but the giant stuffed animals stand out above all. The one that impressed me the most was that of a giraffe that was taller than us! On this floor we will find many things related to the famous Paddington Bear , a London classic and one of the most typical things to buy in London . On this floor we also find a shop with different souvenirs from London, a must if you are looking for gifts for children.
First floor ( Floor 1): Pre-school
On the first floor of the Hamleys store in London we are going to find mostly toys for young children, specifically for babies and pre-school children . Of course, in this plant there is no shortage of toys from the most famous toy brands, such as Disney, Fisher Price or Vtech . We will find a multitude of traditional toys, as well as books and toys to play with in the bathtub. We find sections dedicated to some of the children’s favorite cartoons, where we can find toys from Paw Patrol (paw patrol), Peppa Pig and PjMasks. We also find a section dedicated to the Brio brand and its famous trains, and to Playmobil. Here you can also find Thomas the tank engine toys, the famous Thomas train.
Second floor ( Plant 2): Girls
The second floor of Hamleys in London is entirely dedicated to girls . If you are a fan of My little Pony, Barbie or Hello Kitty you will not want to leave this floor! This year there is also a section dedicated to the Frozen movie, LOL dolls , Sylvanian families and Lego Friends . As you can imagine, there are a multitude of dolls and dresses, and it is a magical paradise for the princesses of the house.
Third floor ( Floor 3): Board games
The third floor of Hamleys in London is dedicated to board games, and we can find such classic board games as Scrabble or Monopoly . Here you will also find everything you need to play chess, where we even find collector’s figures. In addition to numerous educational games there are puzzles, simulation workshops and science experiments. We also have a ” Build a Bear ” section where kids can make their own stuffed animal from scratch. To begin with, they must choose the stuffed animal they want, then they fill it in themselves and finally they choose the clothes they want to put on the stuffed animal.
Fourth floor ( Plant 4): Hobbies and interactive games
On the fourth floor of the Hamleys toy store we find all the interactive games you can imagine and a huge section of Marvel items. All kinds of models, from the smallest to the largest. There are many different train games besides the famous remote control cars. The Scalextric and magic games sections stand out . If you are looking for a particular Hot Wheels car, this is your place! From experience, I can tell that parents also tend to drool a bit when they go up to the fourth floor of Hamleys!
Fifth floor ( Floor 5): Lego, Toy Story and cafeteria
On the top floor of Hamleys toy store in London, action figures predominate, including everything related to Transformers . Here we also find more interactive and construction games, but the Toy Story and Pokemon sections stand out . On the fifth floor is one of the toy store’s biggest attractions: the giant Lego figures . There are usually several figures made entirely with Lego pieces, but the central figure stands out, which is updated every few months. On the fifth floor of Hamleys toy store in London there is also a cafeteria, perfect for recharging your batteries after touring the world’s largest toy store with the kids! I also have to mention that there are several bathrooms with changing tables for babies, which always comes in handy if you are visiting London with a baby .
Hours and location of Hamleys in London
- Address: 188-196 Regent Street, W1B 5BT. See map . Hamleys is included in our London Itinerary 2 .
- Hours: Monday to Friday: 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturdays: 9.30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Sundays: 12 – 6 pm.
Meet Santa at Hamleys
If you are going to spend Christmas in London with children , I recommend taking them to a Santa’s Grotto, Santa’s cabin. In Hamleys at Christmas we can find one of the most beautiful Santa’s Grotto in the city, and of course it is one of the most popular so you have to book several weeks in advance. Hamleys Santa’s Grotto is recommending for children aged 3-7, and basically they will meet Santa, they will be able to talk to him and Santa will give each child a present. The best thing is to take home the photo of the children with Santa.
More information to visit London with children
In addition to Hamleys, there are many things to see and do in London with children, so if you are planning a trip to London with your family, I recommend you take a look at our section on visiting London with children, where we tell you what to do with children in London, what transport tickets do children need in London and where to eat in London with children.