Friendly staff and great selection when you need a birthday gift and don't want to use Amazon

Honestly a good shop good prices I visit every weekend only thing that could knock it is the guy in the front being grumpy sometimes but that's all it I would definitely recommend. read more

Puzzle Zoo - Bumblebee model - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

They sell Pokemon cards for basically $8-9 a pack when it should be $5 minimum. Also the man at the register is so unpleasant.

Came here before Christmas 2020 (12/20/20) to kill some time with a friend. We were consciously also looking for stocking stuffers and a "magic" kit. After mentioning to my friend that I was sad about not seeing slinkys around anymore, lo and behold Puzzle Zoo had them! Not the shiny silver metal ones that I had when I was young. Probably better now that they are either red or blue plastic. I paid $6.50 for two of them. Credit/debit cards accepted. Friendly staff at the register. We didn't get help on the floor, but COVID rules applied. While there, I saw some items, of course, overpriced. Toys included puzzles, board games, Funko Pop! dolls, LEGO sets, science-based toys, and other collectible items from Star Wars and Marvel, etc. read more

The biggest problem with many toy and game stores today is that they are overpriced, understocked and ignore a large section of the Market, Puzzle Zoo, does a good job of representing the whole spectrum of the toy and game industry, they have puzzles, toys, games, vintage toys, educational toys pretty much something for everyone, while not a huge store, they have a modest but representative selection of toys and games. Prices were very reasonable and the staff is very friendly. Highly recommended. read more

Greeted every time I walk in and employees willing to help. It gives that classic local toy store vibes

They markup Lego 50% and other types of toys more than retail value. Lego batmobile $47 on Amazon and Target, $70 at puzzle zoo. Nuff said.

Puzzle Zoo has it all!! Puzzle Zoo has a cool variety of games, toys, and other cool stuff. When visiting the Promenade we always like to stop in and check out their selection of pop figures. They have a huge selection and even have a clearance section that are 40-50% off regular price. While shopping on our last trip the associate on the floor was so friendly and answered all our questions. I told her I was taking a photo for my yelp review and she even helped me set the display for the pop figures I was going to photograph! How cool is that?? Above and beyond customer service! read more

Puzzle Zoo - Hello Kitty Pop! So cute 3 - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

It's a fun and exciting new toys are waiting for your toddler and kids! Check out the Puzzle Zoo in 3rd street Promenade @ Santa Monica. They have variety of toys from Stem toys to Legos to Video games to hobbies and collections for Infants to 12 year olds. The staff are very friendly and nice. Nice toys to check out and try out before buying them. They do have samples out on the displays and prices are sub par. Don't expect too much deals buying from here, since the rent in Santa Monica for businesses are ridiculous! But I shop anywhere from Amazon to Ebay to Target and Walmart.. and compared to the giant retailers, the puzzle zoo have all the toys that you might be looking for. If you are around the 3rd street promenade and your kid needs to excitement.. check it out! Should be well worth your time, as long as you are sticking to your budget :) read more

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This company is horribly racist. If you Armenian, don't even bother coming here, the Turkish owners will treat you horribly and overcharge you. They have old stock that is insanely overpriced, no wonder they do not sell online anymore, people got wise to their scheme and would prefer to buy from more reputable stores on Amazon. AVOID! read more

Brought my son to check out the Anime for his birthday and they closed right before even though posted hours say different. Thanks... for this read more

Puzzle Zoo - Says open until 9pm - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Basically a toy store in the Santa Monica area. They have a ton of stuff, but don't stay too current and seem like they are always a few months behind in the times. What does that mean? Don't expect Incredible 2 stuff, or whatever just came out in theaters. Still, they have a ton of cool stuff and the toy collector in you will have a good time if you have expectations that aren't too high. Overall, a nice little spot and warrants a little time to look through if you love toys. read more

A must stop for any collector of collectible collections. You might just stumble upon that one unique or rare item you've been looking for. Kind of a cross between a high end toy store and the old Discovery Channel Store (remember those?). Prices are higher than you'd find elsewhere but most of this stuff, you won't find elsewhere, so there it is. You'll find Marvel and DC comic heroes; NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL figures; puzzles galore and games you haven't seen before; movie characters; stuff for the little kids (we're all little kids). If nothing else, just walk through. Go when it's busy and you'll do a lot of sideways and shoulder navigating though the narrow store. Excuse me. Excuse me. Excuse me. Actually no one says excuse me anymore (the friendly employees do though). read more

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Awesome selection of old stuff as well as new stuff. Spoke to the guy about kidrobot stuff and he mentioned they haven't been receiving as much merchandise since the company got bought out but he had a lot of good information on it. Lots of cool Funko Pop stuff and old school action figures and the guy at the front was a great help and very friendly. read more

Please stay open! We love this cool, eclectic and very cool toy store on the 3rd Street Promenade. They have a wonderful selection of puzzles, toys, video games, and figurines. It's actually a great selection for adults also! But they do have stuffed animals and toddler toys as well. read more

Puzzle Zoo - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Very nostalgic, not because of some of the old, original toys in the glass cases toward the back but because of the fact that I used to buy Japanese action figures and Gundam model kits here when I was little. Honestly I still stop in when I'm in Santa Monica to see what's new. It's interesting how some things change but some don't. What I mean is some childhood favorites are now back in the mainstream and kids are exposed to those same characters (transformers, g.i. joe, etc). I guess it's mostly due to the reboots in television and movies that made them popular again. I also like a lot of the retro video game related stuff (super mario, street fighter). P.S. they actually have puzzles here at the Puzzle Zoo. read more

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Interesting toy and novelty shop on 3rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica. Has some interesting toys and other things, but due to the location everything is 30-40% over priced. (Hey, I suppose they need to pay that crazy rent.) Fun way to walk around and kill some time, but hard to justify the prices. 3 stars. read more

Puzzle Zoo - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Loved this place they have everything we will forsure be back. Staff was extremely sweet and professional with my little one as he searched for what he was looking for. read more

I love Puzzle Zoo. Whenever my boyfriend and i are at 3rd street, it's usually our first stop haha. He goes for the puzzles, and i go for the cute little wind up toys and the teeeeny tiny little animal figures. So cute. I suppose that's where the "Zoo" part comes into play. the one thing that sucks is how crowded it always is. I think they definitely need to consider re-designing the place cuz it's pretty obnoxious being surrounded by screaming children and not being able to escape fast enough, haha. My boyfriend bought 3 different kinds of Rubik's Cubes....he's obsessed. One of the one's he got was a gray/black/silver cube which we had never seen before, so that was kinda cool. Anyway, it's pretty hard to get bored in this store. there is something for everrryyonee. Usually the parents get more carried away than the kids, haha. read more

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i love Puzzle Zoo. So many puzzles, games etc. i use to go to toys-or-us to find board games but i enjoy the experience and staff much more here. I don't feel like I'm going into a children's store even tho it is very child-friendly. read more

Puzzle Zoo - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Overpriced toys...the employees didn't even know where the nearest restrooms were and they were 5 stores down. They told us to go to the Starbucks which was 2 stores away from the restrooms. And this was from the store manager!!! I'm a mother with kids in your store buying toys for my kids and we need help can you BE more helpful? One employee wanted to let us use the restroom there but she said hold on let me ask my manager, that didn't go well, anyways. We bought our toys and got outta there. This was at Santa Monica Promenade so 2 stores down is far!!!! Like across the street, waiting for street light and all! read more

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It's no Toys 'R Us, but was the perfect place to buy a chess set. My boyfriend and I were searching everywhere for a reasonably priced good quality chess set. We searched other toy stores, furniture stores, and department stores. Some sets looked cheaper in quality than the suggested price. We found what was called a Russian chess set that looked modern in design with black and brown pieces. It was the perfect present for my boyfriend's mom. There was a good selection which included in novelty pieces if you are a Winnie the Pooh or Wizard of Oz fan. The set we purchased cost us $130. There are sets that could cost more or less varying on color, size, and theme. It was pretty busy during the holiday shopping season so I could not do a thorough shop. However, I will return here if I want to buy some cool games, puzzles, or presents for my family and friends. read more

If you've ever thought to yourself that the retail price of Lego sets are just too darn cheap, then this is the place for you! Two of the sets my kids were interested in (75239 & 76134) are both retail price $29.99, as listed both on lego.com & Amazon. Both were listed for just $40 at Puzzle Zoo. I understand due to their location it's not realistic to expect cheaper than retail, but I certainly didn't expect to pay above it. read more

Toy store! Must go in! OMG cute toys/plushies! must get ... no! must resist ... prices above normal/steep ... resistance weak ... but we are "on vacation" purchased. :) read more

Puzzle Zoo - cutest petit lap giraffe ever - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

It's so hard to find good soft stuffed animals these days. Toys 'R Us used to be my go-to place but it has failed me recently. Other toy stores just didn't have what I was looking for. At Puzzle Zoo, they have a whole wall of stuffed animals. Apparently, they were sold out of large teddy bears (for V-Day perhaps?) but I didn't want one anyway. I came here with the bf to search for the obligatory stuffed animals that every relationship needs (before you move in together, get a dog, and have kids, you need some stuffed animals). It look a bit of searching but we found a super-cute giraffe and a funny looking monkey. I just got them today but I'm falling in love with them already. They're so adorable! read more

Puzzle Zoo - My babies at home (Timmy on the left and Toro on the right). I adopted them from Puzzle Zoo. - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The store is so cool The staff were very nice . They helped me and gift wrap my gift They have a great selection of games and toys not only for adults but also for kids read more

I came here with my boyfriend to kill some time for traffic to die. It was definitely an entertaining experience. The store is shaped kind of weird in that it's very deep and narrow. As we made our way through, there were a bunch of random board games and retro games for shoppers to play. We ended up spending 1.5 hours in here going deeper down the shop playing Super Mario Brothers, some basketball board game, and a tic tac toe ball game. Honestly, I was having the time of my life. An employee even helped explain a lot of the games and was acting as a referee for us since my boyfriend and I got super competitive. Amazing service from very professional and enthusiastic employees! We didn't intend on buying anything but we ended up buying Bounce Battle, because we had so much fun with it! I will say though, everything here is definitely marked up and expensive. But I'm honestly not surprised given it's location and the fact that it's a private toy shop and not part of a chain. read more

I love this store! Not one trip to the 3rd street promenade goes by without a walk into this fun shop! I'm an absolute freak for puzzles - so the puzzle wall on the right side of the building is like my own personal heaven! I just wish they would have some of the Norman Rockwell classics. It's a little Ravensburger heavy. But still lovely! This store will make a child (or your inner child) very happy! It is easily missed becuase it is a very narrow store, but you can find so many fun things inside it. read more

Puzzle Zoo - Living on the dark side! :-P Only time you can accuse me of having a big head! - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This is pretty cool because of all the old school toys they have. They even have some pretty cool collector figurines from Marvel to DC comics. They have a great selection of Lego sets and they also have those little bags where you have no idea what figurine you are getting. Towards the back of the store they have a more of a selection for smaller children like dolls and learning toys. They even have Monchhichi dolls which were my fave back in the day. If you are a fan of toys, I definitely recommend to take a look inside this store because you will be amazed. read more

Last week I visited the Puzzle zoo in Santa Monica promenade .their sale items attracted my attention and I bought a marble toy set for my second grand son as a gift. It's price was on sale (near half price) However Unfortunately when he opened it we found out that the some items were missing and the set was not complete as the the box showed . I came back next week and explained the problem to one of the managers. He tried to make excuse that this items are on sale and is not a big deal if some parts missing. He did not accept to return it either. Shoppers just be aware and check the items before leaving. read more

Puzzle Zoo - Shoppers be aware - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The customer service here is awesome! The people here are friendly, knowledgeable of the products, and helpful. Other than puzzles (duh) and board games, they have lots of collectors items from blind box toys, to new and old school action figures. They definitely have lots of Star Wars stuff and a huge display of the popular funko pop figurines. When I opened my blind box figure and didn't like it, I was able to exchange it with the one behind the counter hassle free. Since they're placed in a bag, the employees were able to find the other characters I wanted by feeling it out. Pretty impressive and amazing! The only cons is that some toys can be pricey and since the place got smaller, the aisles are cramped. Other than that, they have lots of stuff for the young and young at heart. read more

Puzzle Zoo - Storm trooper pirate flag - Toy Stores Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Great store, lots of selection of toys! Especially the funko pops if you collect. I was greeted kindly by Gerardo. He made me and my family's experience great :) read more

My friends and I came in from Chicago on Aug 25th with no intention to buy anything. Just to look around and kill time on the promenade. The store had lots of games/activities available to play such as the Buddha board, slingshot, hockey, and more! When messing around with the quick cups not knowing what to do with them, an associate named Terell came over and taught us how to play! We were able to play 4 players with Terell as our host, and it was SO MUCH FUN!! He taught us 3 different ways to play, and we didn't want to stop. Once we were done, we ended up grabbing the game and headed towards the counter. On our way there, we then came across another game called Jishaku? (magnet game) and he taught us how to play that game as well, and of course... WE BOUGHT IT! So shout out to Terell for taking the time to get to know us, and teach us some fun games. read more

2015 YELP 100 CHALLENGE - 002/100 I really enjoy this store! It's a really long, narrow store that has a TON of different toys ranging from Disney princesses, to Minecraft, to board games, puzzles, stuffed animals, Star Wars, collectible figurines, etc. There's something for everyone in here. My coworkers and I really love decorating our office spaces with Funko POP toys, so I always make sure I stop by Puzzle Zoo to check out their ginormous collection of Funko POP toys. This store has the best selection of Funko POP toys I've ever seen at a store. I normally get them at Barnes & Noble, but Puzzle Zoo has a MUCH larger collection! The store is very long and narrow which makes it a little bit hard to navigate through when it gets busy. Not a big problem, just a tight squeeze sometimes. Overall highly recommend Puzzle Zoo! I always find myself wandering in whenever I am at Third Street Promenade! read more

Unique and educational gift ideas. I got my daughter a sensory alphabet board, Montessori style. It was better than the comparable amazon one, and overall better quality. I wanted to buy lots more but restrained my consumer impulse. read more

the prices are ridiculous i used to LOVE Puzzle Zoo; so much awesome stuff for my collection ever since the one in the Valencia Mall closed, it's a treat to visit the Santa Monica store but each time the prices are more ridiculous and stupider than before Star wars Black Series for $30???? The Disney Store doesnt even charge that much!! All the other retailers and Amazon have Leia, Luke, greedo for under $20, yet they still charge $30 Breaking Bad figures $25?? $15 outside Gentle Giant Jumbo Kenner $115+? under $90 elsewhere NECA Prometheus (which have been on clearanxe at Toys R Us for months and STILL not selling) are $25+ here while $8 at TRU on sale.. sorry Puzzle Zoo, losing my business read more

I would come in here a lot but after I realized what they have done with their Pokémon card boosters I'd rather not They charge around 5.25$ for a single booster when booster cost 4.00$ The elite trainer box? don't even fucking bother 50$ For 8 boosters and some dice? No ( they usually go for 34.99 if the boosters are supposed to be 4.00 that's 32$ and the dice are basically thrown in goodies) and I'm pretty sure the packs in the Sun and moon box have been mapped as well. which means all the good cards ( holos and GX cards) have been taken out of the boxes( not by the employees hopefully. probably by a customer who wanted to chose his packs) so don't be expecting a amazing card from these packs I won't be purchasing anything from this store untill they lower the prices on these products which are well above MSRP. I understand this is a business and that they need to make money. But if a booster box has 36 packs And booster box cost about 100$ that means each pack would cost around 2.80. Which would mean if they charge 4$ they would still make a profit on the box. read more

I used to love coming to this place before I had kids. Now they would rather run customers out of the store so they can demo an electric skateboard in between aisles. In a store where you can barely fit down the aisles as it is. Lousy customer service especially if you need to shoo other customers away. I was genuinely interested in buying something for my son and daughter who was in another area of the store, but when I mentioned I don't necessarily need to buy this. I was told that's my perogative. You know what your right and that's when I set the item down and left the store. There's too many options to buy elsewhere to put up with that nonsense. Congrats on your electric skateboard sale today! read more

My has this place changed in size over the years. Though it never changed in being over priced and really a terrible place to buy toys in. As a young child I would look to this shop in wonder and awe. Mainly because as a child there's not much to look at on Third street in wonder and awe besides those half covered in weeds dinosaurs. Not to mention kids aren't normally into fashion and other such activities as the number of clothing stores on 3rd street seem to be. I would wander about in here and look at all the cool things. My favorite is the overly expensive props that they have in the back in the glass shelf. They have movie replicas and other such things. But then again, you'll find a sea of star wars toys that no one wants nor anyone cares about these days anyway. Very much a pass on this place. read more

Shopping for my sons in search of something a bit radder than stuff in a normal toy store or Target, I ventured forth into the haven that is Puzzle Zoo. Despite its size, there wasn't much in ways for my two young boys that I couldn't have gotten at a department store, however there were some very rad big kid toys. I will be taking a trek back to get a remote controlled R2D2 for myself... and maybe a light sabre. Yes I fucking said it... I want a light sabre. Proceed with the mockery or what not and.... Screw you I don't care. It's rad. The pricing was a bit too high for my sons to get and then wreck/not fully appreciate for its awesomeness. This is a great little place for your nerd schwag- lots of action figures from the Marvel busts to Star Trek to Rat Fink to a... male nurse & OCD action figure? Ok that's not that weird but if they had that how come I didn't see any boxing nuns? Boo. read more