Whether you are a kid or a kid at heart, we all have this love and appreciation for toys. It’s inexplicable but there’s something about them that makes us giddy inside as the little child in us comes to life.
And if you want to go to a place where you can experience being a kid again, one place the Urban Roamer would recommend for you to check out is Yexel’s Toy Museum and see a wide array of toys and other items on display.
Opened in 2012, the museum was a former 3-storey residence that was converted to house the vast collection of toys, figures, and other items of Yexel Sebastian, a former actor and dancer and an avid toy collector. And yes, he is the brother of the late Jam Sebastian of the popular online duo Jamich.
It has since become a popular destination in south Metro Manila, so popular that Yexel opened up another branch of the museum at Manila Ocean Park, albeit the theme there is a bit different. Still, most of the collection can be seen here in the main museum inside Pilar Village in Las Piñas.
As with any good toy collection setup, the items are grouped accordingly to their respective themes. One section is filled with classic Disney characters, one section is dedicated to everything Dragonball Z-related, thare are sections dedicated to Minions figures, Super Mario characters, etc.
But perhaps the most impressive things to see in the museum are the life-sized figures, many of which were designed by Yexel’s team themselves. There are The Incredibles, the Japanese robot characters, and Super Mario characters too.
Then there’s one notable area in the museum would be the area designed like Tony Stark/Iron Man’s workshop. Here, one can see an impressive collection of life-sized Iron Man armor suits, including those seen in the Marvel films.
But nothing beats the section of the museum where one can view a larger than life Optimus Prime figure from head to chest. From what I heard, this is part of a planned giant Optimus Prime figure Yexel wanted to build.
As extensive as the collection is, some may find the museum a bit lacking. In particular, there are not much items in the Star Wars area of the museum compared to the other areas. Here’s hoping some more interesting items would be added in the future.
Nevertheless, let it not deter you from checking out the museum. If you are someone who would like to feel like a kid once again, then this is one place to check out.
Yexel’s Toy Museum is open from 10 AM to 8 PM daily with an admission fee of P300. It is located at 2 Sampaguita Rd, Pilar Village, Las Piñas. To get there, just take a jeep or bus passing by Pilar Village and ride the tricycle to take you to the museum.
For further details, check out Yexel’s Toy Museum on Facebook.
The Urban Roamer has more photos of Yexel’s Toy Museum on Flickr. Check out the album here
