While traveling around Penang with my fellow travel blogger Raymond Walsh (lover of quirky things) he convinced me that we should visit the Penang Toy Museum. After I had already dragged him around to see all of Georgetown’s street art and the famous Snake Temple it seemed like the next great fun thing to do.
Me and a really, really bad Indian Jones mannequin.
Opened in 2005 the museum houses 70% of the entire 120,000+ piece Toy Collection owned by Mr. Loh Lean Cheng who started collecting toys in the early 1970s. The Penang Toy Museum is said to be the largest and most costliest toy museum in all of Asia and possibly the world. Housed in a large warehouse, if you take your time looking at each piece you could literally spend the whole day there.
A large part of the toy collection is toys from popular movies and TV shows. Aside from the popular Spiderman, Batman, Star Wars and Star Trek toys there are even toys from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, the TV show Lost, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Astro Boy, a myriad of different Barbies, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Harry Potter, Lara Croft Tomb Raider, Winnie the Pooh and so much more.
As of April 2014 the museum costs 30ringit per person which is roughly $10usd each. The museum has recently moved and is currently located at 1370, Mk 2, Teluk Bahang, Penang near the Heritage Gardens. NOTE: Google currently shows you the wrong spot on its maps and some of the paper maps that we picked up in Penang still didn’t have the updated location on them either however it isn’t too far from its original location. Open daily 9am to 6pm.
To see more from the Toy Museum watch my video and see more photos below.
Everything Superman. Superman, some kind of Superwoman/Supergirl/Superlady, Superdog and Supercat!
Will Smith from the Wild Wild West movie. I think the museum owner had a thing for Will Smith because they also had Men in Black toys, iRobot Toys, and more.
It’s a life-size Wall-e!
Creepy life-size Heath Ledger as the Joker from the Batman film the Dark Knight.
Kurt Cobain from Nirvana, Kiss, John Lennon from the Beatles, and Freddie Mercury from Queen. Who knew they even made dolls of these guys?
Dozens of Star Wars Storm Troopers
NSYNC marionette dolls… secretly my favourite item…
All of the Astro Boy toys ever made?
Toys from the movie Gremlins. That movie still haunts me from my childhood.
Watch the video, which toy was your favourite? What would you like to see at the museum?
10 Comments
Ian
August 2, 2014 at 4:00 pmWhat a quirky attraction! I never heard of this place last time I was in Penang, but I’ll be sure to hit it next time I am in Malaysia.
Cailin
July 20, 2014 at 12:51 pmMy thoughts exactly! :)
elaine schoch
July 17, 2014 at 7:35 pmOk, this really does look like a lot of fun to visit. Although not being able to play with them may be difficult. ;)
Cailin
July 20, 2014 at 12:51 pmI agree Elaine! It would of been nice to touch a few but I guess if everyone did that it would ruin them :)
Sara @ The Let's Go Ladies
July 17, 2014 at 10:20 amI’m geekying out HARD over here! A whole museum dedicated to toys? That’s the BEST idea I’ve heard in forever! I’m loving that Astro Boy display so much. Also: my friend found almost a complete set of those N’Sync marionnetes in a local thrift store and has all kinds of regrets about not scooping them up when she had the chance lol!
Cailin
July 20, 2014 at 12:52 pmThe Astro boy stuff was pretty awesome but I think ET was the coolest. Bummer your friend didn’t get the N’SYNC dolls! haha
Raymond @ Man On The Lam
July 16, 2014 at 11:36 amI knew those N’Sync marionnetes were gonna be your favourite. :)
Cailin
July 20, 2014 at 12:57 pmThey were yours too I bet! ;)
Laura
July 16, 2014 at 11:21 amWhat a fun and quirky thing to do! I want to do this :)
Cailin
July 20, 2014 at 12:57 pmDefinitely check it out if you ever visit Penang! :)