We have been coming to Hot Springs for 35 years. When our children were young the vacation was not complete until we have visited the Toy Chest and picked out a special toy. As your children grow up toy stores become less important but we still stopped in just to look around and see what was new and what "old" toys were still being sold. Regardless of if we were shopping for toys or just looking around we always found the staff to be both friendly and helpful. Yes, they do have some expensive toys and ones that require special care but we or our kids learn to ask to see those toys or get a demonstration. This past visit we were looking for a dinosaur toy, walked in and they had a complete display of everything from packages with multiple small dino's to ones that were 12 inches with great details. we found a dinosaur book with pull up flaps with additional information. This was perfect for the three year old with an encyclopedic knowledge of all things dino related. The Toy Chest is not your normal retail toy store, the staff is very knowledgable about the toys they have and what works for the age of your child. Ask them for help and you will find out what personal service is all about, or at least we have for the past several decades. read more

We stopped here while traveling through Arkansas while on vacation. As toy stores are in short supply these days, this was a wonderful treat for our kids. This one offered a little bit of everything for various age groups; my son walked away with a toy dragon and my daughter a wooden espresso set. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Highly recommend a visit to this fun stop while in Hot Springs. read more

We were in town for spring break and stopped by the toy chest. The selection is awesome and the ladies working there were super helpful. Best of all the prices were super reasonable and my kids had a great time picking out new toys . If your in the area swing by and check this place out it's definitely worth your time ! read more

An elderly woman approached us/basically met us at the door when we walked in because my daughter was holding a plush toy that we were planning to buy for her. She was very rude and said she didn't want my daughters dirty face on it. My daughters face wasn't dirty! My mama bear mode kicked into high gear. She treated us like we were homeless. She acted like it was a china shop and not a toy store. It's to be expected that in a toy store kids will pick toys up to see if it's something that they want. If they don't want kids touching toys, they need to either put toys behind glass, have a sign posted, or have the toys in plastic wrap. This to me is the quickest way to lose business permanently! Needless to say we will never return. read more

Do not shop here. Staff is very rude. My daughter was looking at a hand puppet that she liked and i put it on and was talking to her with it and i was told not to touch the hand puppet because they don't want it to be worn by anyone. If you are concerned about a toy hand puppet in a toy shop being touched then why are there dozens of them in a toy shop. I would have bought it for my daughter but will not support a business ran by such horrible people. read more

We absolutely love this charming toy store that is locally owned and operated! Our grandkids always find treasures that they can't do without and my husband and I shop here for their gifts every birthday and Christmas. There's always a variety of choices for them both. Melissa and Doug, Calico Critters, great book selection, collectible army men, dress up clothes, squishies, games.... There's no parking strictly for the store, and no guarantee that you park close, but it's worth a block or two or more walk to shop here. And you might find another treasure in a different store you pass along the way. HIGHLY recommend visiting the Toy Chest. read more

Went in to buy my daughter some Christmas toys -our first time there- and was told my daughter couldn't touch anything. Not a greeting or anything. Just pure rudeness. ITS A TOY STORE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! Needless to say went went someplace else. read more

Makes a great treat when visiting Hot Springs. The ladies that work there are ever so friendly and familiar with the town. They have a great mix of fun and education toys, collectibles, and trinkets, and books. The train tables are a hit too! read more

Toy Chest - Lots of toys for the tots! - Toy Stores Near Me - Hot Springs, Arkansas

As others have said, the staff is rude. It isn't as if they are totally unapproachable, but in general they are very rude to people with children. We have been visiting this store for years, and the staff was never just the friendliest people ever, but they had a place for children to play. Our kids could play while my husband or I shopped. However, we visited recently, and the place for children was gone, and the women were not friendly to children at all. If you are going to have a toy store you need to like children and toys. They have a decent selection of fun toys. Some of the toys are overpriced, but it is neat to look. My 8-year-old asked to leave so she wouldn't get in trouble. We probably will not be back. read more

Impressed! The store was organized and staff was awesome... This is what a toy store is supposed to be... I found a soccer disc toy that hovers on the ground like an air hockey puck... I picked it up and this older guy who I am assuming was the owner turned it on for me and we kicked it back and forth for a little bit! You could really tell the owners love what they do! read more

Whilst shopping here, we met the man who owned the shop and he proudly proclaimed that he personally handpicks each toy in his shop and that you CANNOT find any of HIS toys in any Walmart, Target or other department store. You can definitely tel that he loves this little shop and it shows in the quality toys that are available for purchase. We chose two unique items for our nieces in Texas and we were ecstatic to learn that for a small fee (12$) they would gift-wrap and then ship them to Houston for us that same day. This place was a little pricey, but for QUALITY, SAFE toys? You can't beat it. Check out the hand-crafted castles, paper-dolls, clothing, doll-houses, army men that are painted by hand and the clearance section to the left when you first walk in! WILL be back! read more

Just a neat little toy store! The owner himself talks to all the customers and you can tell he really Cares about his store and customers. Tight quarters with a stroller but worth it. The kids got toys they loved and are playing with them as we speak! read more

The best toy store I have ever been to in my life. They always have the odd toys that kids enjoy. This is the perfect place to find that one gift that kids will remember for a lifetime! read more

Great toy store, wish I can open in Germantown, TN. . Old school toys no batteries needed.

Stopped in this shop on the way to the bathhouse. Just walking in turned out to be a very expensive decision. I tried out one of the toys, and the owner approached and lectured me for five minutes about how customers were not allowed to touch the toys, even after I apologized. I genuinely apologized and said I was sorry, I didn't see the sign, but he continued to scold me, saying the toys could get dirty, etc. One of the things he said was, "People play with them, they get dirty, and they don't buy them." At this point, just to make him stop, my husband said he would buy the toy and took it off the shelf. After that, the owner dropped the topic and was immediately friendly, telling us about his family and how much he enjoyed running the store and asking us what we did for a living. I believe he was a genuinely kind, friendly person, but was just so scared about getting merchandise dirty that it ruined the customer experience. I truly think this a quality shop and want it to succeed, which is why I'm leaving this review as a bit of advice. We ended up spending $35 on a plush toy we didn't want. It ended up in a box of things to be donated to GoodWill. read more

They have been in business for 25 years and I can see why. The owner was super friendly and explained his philosophy of having toys in stock that don't have batteries so that kids can play and use there imagination with being limited in there play. Take your time and explore. The toys are good for infants to about 12ish. read more

My partner and I loved this place. The owner greeted us at the door with a smile and built a rapport with us immediately. He informed us that this was a toy store with toys we would be able to reconnect with from our childhood days, pre electronics. He wasn't exaggerating since I found jacks, rocking horses, cowboys shooters, and my all time favorite-the slinky. My partner described this place best-it is a place where our childhood is revived through a land of fairy tales and imagination and where dreams from the past are allowed to breath new life and inspire more dreams, read more

Loved this place!!! The staff was so friendly, helpful and full of information and things I didn't know. They had little led soldiers that are very hard to find. I enjoyed shopping in their store! They had many toys you can't find at Walmart! I will be going back! read more

My wife and I bought a John Deere truck set for our Great Nephew; great toy and one I hadn't seen anywhere else! The owners are very nice and know their products. If you want to buy good quality toys for your kids buy from a place like this. The quality is so much better and you're supporting an independent business not the ginormous chain stores! Btw, they have Lincoln logs!!! read more

Always love coming in here with my daughter. The people are super friendly and they have so many cool and hard to find toys. We always find something in here we have to have. read more

What a great throw back of a store. A touch of the old school with a hint of the new and innovative. No need for batteries or plugs... the toys here are the genuine article and entice children of all ages to just play and be creative. Also, while you're here, if you get a chance to visit with the store's owner you are in for a treat. He has wealth of knowledge and stories about the items in his store, and how he got to Hot Springs. Reasonably priced and a great stop for kids! read more

Excellent service you can't find anywhere else! The owner was very friendly and helpful in directing us to the perfect toys for our nephew. High quality toys, puzzles, and books. Largest selection of Melissa and Doug toys I have seen. Train set and other toy sets for kids to play with. You will not be disappointed. read more

This is the best toy store I've ever been in, and I've been in a lot- what a great find in little Hot Springs, AR! The selection of toys is wonderful- great brands like Melissa and Doug, and each item seemed to have been carefully selected. The owners are wonderful and very knowledgeable, helping each customer select the perfect toy according to the intended child's age. As the owner said, these aren't the kind of toys you will find in Wal-Mart- much better! If you have children, you MUST put this on your must-see list while in Hot Springs! read more

Extremely rude staff. They ran us out 5 minutes before they closed and told us that if we weren't looking for anything specific we could leave. A lady that worked there got the ball that my 1 year old daughter was playing with and put it back on the shelf as if it was an inconvenience that anything in there was touched. We were gonna buy it but if she didn't want us to have it then we didn't want it. Needless to say we were glad to leave and won't be going back. read more

Disappointing to say the least. I went in looking for a gift for my grandkids and my 18 year old son was with me, he is very musically inclined and was checking the toy piano when he was rudely scolded by an elderly male employee not to touch anything. Needless to say, i bought my gifts across the way at Lamar Bathhouse gift shop. I recommend the walk across the street. Cute kid stuff and friendly staff over there. read more

Cute store. The owner was very friendly and talked to my daughter about many things he had in the store. The other employee was very curt and somewhat rude. Regardless, we will return. read more

Awesome, unique, special toy store. Absolutely brimming with super toys. The staff, especially the charming owner, was superb. Staff was especially friendly, helpful, and engaged. We loved every minute of it. Well-priced, quality toys. Really exciting to be in there. read more

It is strange to think that a toy store would be a hostile place for a family to visit. That was exactly our experience at The Toy Chest. To call the middle aged woman working there "rude" would be an understatement. The location of the store is great. The products they sell also appear to be good. I hope that either the ownership of this store changes hands or the staff is replaced. Until then, I would strongly discourage anyone from even dropping in. read more

Stopped in while we were visiting Hot Springs and it was great. We spoke with who I presume were the owners and they very obviously cared about children and selling toys that encouraged productive play. They encouraged our 1 year old to play with the different toys to see what he enjoyed. The selection of toys was good with a lot of brands that you won't find at the big box stores. read more