So, this business recently moved and can't help but post this, filthy shoes at new location, that I had seen at the previous location too. Toy bags are dirty too even though that say they are sanitized. The owner Liza is rude no customer service skills just motivated by money. I get it it's her business but a business owner needs people's skills. read more

Toybrary Austin - filthy shoes!!! - Toy Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Here is why I'll give two stars. The concept is very cool and My kids enjoyed themselves , I picked out a very Old like vibration microphone, Harmonica , fridge magnets, two masks and a book.and 5$ slime .. The books are marked 50% off..The Cover Price. No matter condition or age of the book. Which is ridiculous. The cover price for my book for 19.99... anyway. I was aware of that, most items had no prices in the "Garage sale room" just barcodes. The owner Tally's up while you are waiting and tells you..okay its 37$ for the toys and 14$ for entrance. I'm blown away but feel obligated to pay because I never asked pricing..i assumed the cheap garage sale toys were 3$ at most and magnets? ..old in a ziplock bag..no more the 6$ right..nope. anyway. Payed it because its my fault for not putting anything back. .so to make matters worse after assuming I've payed 55$ for the used toys + entrance fee .jesus christ. ...i get home and check to see that I've been charged 72$. Called and asked the lady why and she stayed..oh that little punch card I spoke about (for literally 3 seconds while you rummaged through your bookbag for your keys) oh that was 35$. Yea.. im aghast.!!!.you literally took advantage of that moment of ignorance and charged me 35$ for a punch card.?? The ones they give away for free at restaurants as an INCENTIVE to return and get one free... You never told me a price and when I explained I assumed it was free..like most punch cards are ..you told me that it was something you USUALLY Talk to people about bur this time you have SO much else going on ....Lady. You literally,had me and one other lady in your store. Its not even Bad customer service..THAT IS SOME LOW SHITTY I feel scammed type service. SHADY. You did nervously say you would gladly refund me if I bring the card back tomorrow. I feel uncomfortable coming back. Like..here refund me for this card you scammed me with. .. anyway. Everything else was pleasant. I recommend this place for the price and the toys..but this encounter should be made aware.. Lady ..you need the 35$ more then me of you feel the need to sneak it outta people. it will be my last time ever coming and I'm a great customer to have ..i SPOIL my kiddos .. but this was some sneaky behavior. Keep my 35$ Im gonna even REGIFT the card so someone else can come and enjoy the toys. But ill make sure they know about this first. read more

I have been to the original location as well as the new one on Justin lane. The new one is much bigger. It features a dress up area, as well as a train table and a bunch of riding toys. There are a few comfy chairs in the play area for parents to relax. There is also a nice size outdoor play area that is mostly shaded! The kids loved the place. They all found something fun to play with, and we stayed for over an hour. It was the perfect quiet scene to escape the summer heat! Definitely recommend for young kids who are imaginative and low key. read more

This is the most amazing concept! I love that it's a local brand and the owner Liza is so personable and really cares about the toys and the kiddos. If you have a family in Austin, this is a must. read more

When we moved to Austin almost two years ago with our then 3 yr old twin girls everyone we asked about where to go told us the Toybray. From the minute we walked into this warm, creative, colorful place the girls were in love and we knew we had been given great advice. Although they are getting close to 5 now the girls still beg me to take then to the Toybrary to play dress up and say hi to the lovely and talented "Miss Liza". Highly recommend!! read more

We come to the Toybrary about once a week or once every couple of weeks and love it here! It's unlike any other place in Austin and has so much to offer little ones. From costumes for dress up, a large amount of toys, arts and crafts, snacks, an awesome outdoor area, and special events every week! We've come for bubble foam parties, music class, giant bubble play, and craft days. Definitely recommended coming to check out this local business that you pay a fee for and it's good for all day. You can go and come back later. read more

I've been meaning to post this review for two years. A great birthday party at another spot in town reminded me how disappointing our experience was here. We hosted a birthday party but the owner was not in attendance. She sent a friend to supervise, who offered no help with set up or clean up. We were expected to clean the place after we were done, but the friend didn't know where the cleaning supplies were, and we had not been told that we needed to bring our own. We never received our deposit back. We didn't hear from the owner, so I don't know if we didn't clean to her satisfaction, or if she just couldn't be bothered. As much as I would have liked the money back, I just didn't think it was worth the hassle. read more

This place gets 6 thumbs up. My kids loved it (2 & 5) and I loved being there with them. The owner is friendly and helpful, the program teachers were great also. My daughter raved about the gymnastics bus. We were only in town for a week and spent 3 days playing here. If we lived in Austin we would certainly have a membership. They have wonderful people and an awesome mix of toys that includes dress us, vehicles, building, STEM and more. You can play with your kid(s) or relax and let them play and explore. read more

Such a fun place to spend a couple hours with our 16month old son! Can tell we'll be coming back here every week with him for years and years :) great variety of toys to play with, to borrow, and to buy! We saw the birthday room and it looks amazing! read more

You pay for each child to enter, but they're not allowed to play with all the toys. Only the dumpster of a mess toys that are on the ground. There's no organization, and not clean or sanitary at all. Many of the toys are broken and filthy. There's not a lot of sitting for parents, maybe 3 chairs. I observed the drop in daycare while my child was playing- let me tell you the kids were not supervised closely by the owner at all. She had her nose in the computer the entire time. She also kept complaining about how she can't wait for her weekend to start, as she clearly does not enjoy watching kids and cleaning up after them. There's only one tiny table for kids to eat and most of the kids were eating and drinking other kids food and drink. The owner didn't look up once. My child only played with one doll and stroller the entire time - yet when we were walking out, the owner rudely asked us to pick up around the entire room for her. It is your responsibility to keep your business clean as an owner NOT PAYING CUSTOMERS. Perhaps you should hire a cleaning staff instead of ruining your customers already subpar experience. Definitely would not recommend this place for play and especially not for daycare. read more

What a bizarre experience we had here. I'm shocked that this place is popular. I went with my son a few weeks ago, on a Saturday. The place was busy and it looked like there was a birthday party in the back. I was horrified by the condition of the toys out for play - most were worn down and dirty, especially in the baby/toddler room. It also smelled like dirty diapers. As another reviewer noted, the unsupervised children roaming around is disturbing and distracting. A little boy followed us around asking me where his mommy was. Since there were no staff in the playrooms, I took him to the front desk where the woman sitting there said, "you're fine, mommy will be back soon" and went back to her computer. He continued to follow us around, poor thing. They were out of soap in both restrooms, which is just gross in that already germy environment. When I told her, she said to use the "other bathroom" but wouldn't you want soap in all the bathrooms? What is going on here? So weird. read more

My son and I are so happy we decided to stop by this place today. When we walked in the door he was super excited to play with all the toys, and the owner was great in explaining how everything worked (there are toys put away that you can take home like books from a library and bring back, there are toys that you can purchase, and then all the rest of the toys that are kid level are able to be played with). The backyard play area is huge with tons of things to ride on like bicycles and tricycles and then also a giant sandbox. I love the fact that all the toys require some imagination since I struggle constantly with him and his iPad, we will definitely be coming back here at least a couple times a week :-) read more

O-M-G!!! For kids, Toybrary is like the best Christmas morning ever. There is every type of toy, car, dress up clothes, balls, games...everything you could ever want to play with as a child. For parents, it's relaxing and joyful, with good music in the background. Liza, the owner, has a strong background in Montessori and child development, and a sixth sense when it comes to knowing what children have fun playing with and toy-lending is genius. Toybrary has an endless stream of fun events and special classes, and during the stay and play option my son and I have experienced some of the most fun times and favorite memories. If you have a child between the ages of 6 months and 5 years old, you will regret not checking it out...they are only young once. read more

This review is regarding drop in care only. I am quite disappointed about the care my child received for the 2.5 hours she was left at the Toybrary. While I do not believe my daughter was ever in any immediate danger, My concerns stem from picking her up at noon (after being there from 9:30) and having a dirty diaper with the poop caked to her skin like it's been there a while. Her bum is actually quite red now because of the lack of attention to this. That alongside the fact that I was told via phone to pack her a lunch and water cup and both these items went completely untouched. I understand getting busy with other children, but I'm wondering what time lunch is at? I've never heard of small kids eating their lunch past noon- she's in daycare and they eat at 11:15. My daughter is only 17 months old and doesn't yet have the ability to advocate for herself if she is hungry or has a dirty diaper. She was ravenous when I picked her up because she's last had breakfast at 7:30. I appreciate the willingness for the owner to open earlier than usual to accommodate my daughter, but I don't foresee using this as a childcare resource in the future. There are lots of great places for drop in care and not being fed, given water, or changed while in someone's care breaches the basic responsibilities of a caregiver- and I do know that she had not been changed the entire time as I packed three diapers in her bag and all three were still there when I went to change her in the back before leaving. The woman there exclaimed "oh is she dirty" to which I responded yes and attempted to shake it off in the moment, I wish I would have said something more after later realizing she also wasn't fed. I did text her about both not being fed and not having her diaper changed after getting home (from a number she earlier texted me from) but have not heard back, so here I am. I'm sad to leave this review of a local business- I don't really care about the age of the toys or even if there's dirt here and there as seems to be concerns of other reviews, i believe in recycling and up cycling so i actually like the concept here- but I absolutely care if my daughter isn't having her needs met. And they weren't. read more

First time at the Toybrary for a playdate, and was absolutely wowed at the experience! Attention to detail, indeed! Liza, the owner was extremely attentive and interested in getting to know all of us beyond us being just a customer, and educated us on all the lovely offerings they have to offer! Kids + moms oasis! We will be back! Thank you Liza, what a gem you have created here in Austin! Fully supportive of you!! read more

We looooove The Toybrary! I've been coming since my daughter was 8 months old. She is now almost 13 months and loves this place. We signed up for a membership, which has been wonderful. I love that you can check out any and all of the toys and bring them back as often as you like. This includes the big toys on the floor too. Liza is so sweet and always remembers us and makes sure to say hi to our baby and dote on her. She held and watched her too when I had to run out to the car. And the events are very creative, enticing, and fun. Even without a membership, what a great place to come and play. It's also very close to Heartsong, and this makes for a dream day for a SAHM. It's great too to send daddy on the weekends. Sometimes it's hard to figure out where to take your toddler. If we can't come up with a plan we always have The Toybrary, this is the place to go to let our daughter run around freely and get her energy out anytime. Had to mention the adorable bathroom. Love the personal hand towels and clean changing table station. Comfy chairs for the parents to sit and relax with coffee all around the Toybrary, but I'm too busy chasing around my child! Very tidy and clean. Amd love the stuffed animals and dolls placed around to play with. And it seems that my child can really grow into this place too. The dress up area looks fun and I always see older kids really enjoying themselves too. My daughter loves to watch them play and she tries to act grownup like them. Sometimes she is lucky and they pay attention to her. So very good for social interactions between babies and children. read more

UPDATE: Still totally in love with this place. My 1.5 year old is now 5 and we still love this place. My daughter never ceases to find toys that delight her and on top of that the new location has a wonderful out door play space that is completely fenced in and 2 bathrooms instead of 1 which helps when you have little ones who can't wait to go. On top of that, I am now teaching at a montessori school. During the summer we have a different theme every week and Liza the owner is always totally willing to run around and gather up all the theme related items I need for my classroom each week, like dinosaurs galore and everything space you can think of. If you are an educator, you may not be aware that the Toybrary offers you 5 items to check out instead of just three. Color me thrilled! END UPDATE I am totally in love with this place! The Idea is brilliant! I live in a small condo, so collecting a bunch of toys that my 1.5 year old is just going to get bored of in 5 weeks or 5 minutes is terrible, and terribly expensive, and cluttersome and not what I ever wanted as a later in life mom who is used to having her place look the way she wants and not like a toy box threw up all over it. So now we can just check out three toys and bring all or 1 at a time back and exchange them as she grows weary or too smart for them. The toys are great and are all sanitized with green products and designed with kids ages 6 months to 5 years old in mind. Lots of wooden Montessori type toys which I love. In addition to toys there is a great space where kids can just come and play and big cushy chairs for mom's, dads or whichever caretaker is with the child to hang out in. One of the reason's I like this is because since I became a mom my social life has tanked and I get to mingle with other parents and care takers while my kid plays with their kid. Fun for the whole gang. Liza, the owner, is super laid back allowing you an environment that is truly kid friendly. She provides organic snacks that you can purchase there, but is totally cool with you bringing your own snacks which is nice. Be ware of those Annie's organic cookies she sells though, after we got some the other day my daughter repeated the word bunny with a wantsome whine for the next hour and a half!! Liza also provides really yummy make it yourself coffee for the adults. She asks for a small donation to the coffee fund if you take some. Events for parents and kids alike fill up the calendar here, from costume swaps, to sing alongs to how to get your baby to sleep, to mom's nights out. For me, having Toybrary in my neighborhood is like a stay at home mom's dream come true. read more

We loved the toys & outdoor play area. The problem was that the place smelled bad & wasn't clean. The drop in childcare kids (well one of them) kept trying to steal toys from my infant & snacks from my toddlers. I don't know who is paid to watch them, but I felt they were kind of left to wander around unsupervised & allowed to bother clients without restraint. If I pay for my child to play then I would like them to be able to do so without every toy they touch pulled from their grasp by an unsupervised child. I wouldn't care except the owner didn't really do anything. She was distant, cold & not at all welcoming. I understand it must be very difficult to be a business owner but that does not absolve you from being polite & warm to your clients. I understand maybe having some stress or a bad morning; but from reading the reviews it seems like this is a common complaint. Maybe she needs some part time help? I would think this lady would want her patrons to feel welcome & happy that people want to pay for this type of service. If she keeps acting this way then folks won't want to come again. I might come again, but for the price, the cleanliness issue, and the customer service? I am hard pressed to battle traffic. If the owner needs help with customer service (welcoming, friendly, talkative and cheerful for a child play area) she should hire someone. That might allow her time to devote to business needs and take pressure off. I'm not lacking in empathy for a hard working woman, but it causes businesses to suffer. Not because someone went to yelp, but because word of mouth is powerful no matter the medium. I've been here twice, two different locations. I might try again later because my kids were happy enough, but every time I go I hope for change & there isn't any. It makes me sad because I love this concept & the freeplay idea. I get what the owner is shooting for. I want success for her. She just needs to listen to the reviews. Maybe clean every two hours? If she needs help maybe hire intern? Even swiffering* the floor & wiping surfaces throughout the day might help. Maybe this business just needs more staff? I don't know, but something needs to change because over the past 3 years the reviews that aren't rave ones are similar. I'm not a mean person, or out to make anyone feel bad. Just expressing my experience. Finally, I would approach the owner directly but each time I've asked a question she's acted as if it's huge waste of her time to respond. If a simple question about parking elicits that reaction then can you imagine what criticism directly would provoke? Again, not trying to hurt her business but these issues seem to be persistent. read more

I just took my 13mo here for the first time today and we both had so much fun. We played for close to 4 hours and still feel like we didnt even play with 1/10 of the stuff there. The outdoor space is so great in the the summer heat. They have misters to help cool it down as well as shade sails all over it. The inside has options for just about every type of play you could think of. My son also had a blast watching the big kids run around and play hide and seek and other games. Will definitely be returning often. read more

I have to say the quality of toys, layout, and little details all come together to make this place a kid (and mommy) paradise! For mommy there are comfy chairs, clear lines of sight, coffee/ break area, and a clean stocked bathroom with nice changing area. For little ones there are great toys, safe spaces to explore and play, classes, and engaging decor. Best part: Everytime we go ( my 19 month old) takes a 3 hour nap after we get home! THREE HOURS! If it's raining, Toybrary If it's cold, Toybrary If it's Tuesday, Toybrary You get the idea ;) read more

I have a 3 and a 4 year old, and they LOVE Toybrary (don't ever want to leave, ask to go all the time). I love it too, as it's one of the few times I can sit down and relax in one of the comfy chairs while they occupy themselves playing. The outdoor area is AWESOME too - lots of shade, creative toys, very safe (gated with a tall fence) and even has a mister system for hot days. read more

I've now had two friends report horrible experiences with smaller children. Complete neglect. Parents--keep your littles away! Also, just for fun--My husband and I took our son years ago and my husband came home with the chickenpox. (Don't blame that on the owner but we never went back.) read more

I have been wanting to visit Toybrary since I first heard about it, because a lending library of toys just makes so much sense! Today, we finally made it up there and I absolutely love it! In addition to having toys to "check out" and take home, they also have a play area -- which was really helpful, as we live on the other side of town and letting the munchkin play for a while makes the car trip home happier for everyone. They also have a class/birthday party space. While we were there, there was actually a birthday party happening and the kids all seemed to be having a great time. I also overheard that they have baby sign language classes and other such things held there. All in all: it's a wonderfully friendly space, and a genius idea because seriously: my daughter's still little and we already have a gajillion toys she doesn't play with any more. Joining Toybrary and having "temporary toys" makes SO much sense. read more

We looooooooooove the Toybrary. Our kid is not the social butterfly (a butterfly, but the one who stands back and observes) and she gets easily overwhelmed by a room full of kids, but this place makes it easy for her to explore the toys and do that observing that she is so awesome at. You'll find all kinds of parents for you to visit with and all kinds of friends for your bean. Winning! Liza has done an excellent job of offering diverse activities. She's laid back, but certainly professional. Today was the first day I got to visit with her....super cool lady. I'm so glad she's doing what she's doing. She's a gem. We are so happy to swap out toys every week (you can keep them a month) because we all know kids are all about a toy until they are not. AND drop in childcare? Hey now, this mama needs a breather and hello Toybrary! French music classes? Yoga for me AND the kid? USE this place!! USE your membership....I promise you won't regret it. read more

I'm only giving this place 1 star because I have to. There are so many things wrong with this place. They toys are outdated. You pay a membership but most of the classes are an extra $5. My biggest issue is that we moved 50 miles away and the owner wouldn't let us out of our contract. Even Gold Gym which is the hardest contract to get out of let us out because we moved 25 miles away from the nearest Golds Gym. She told us that the best she could do was charge us half the price of the membership each month until our contract was up. A membership is around $40 a month so she would charge us around $20 a month for literally not using any of her services. To make matters worse, after we "agreed" on these conditions she emailed 3 months after a screen shot of our monthly payments asking why my account is only being charged half the price of the membership. Uhhh because that's what you said is the best you could do.... that's your job to keep track of your accounts. Im pissed every time that charge comes up on my account. read more

I love this concept! My 3 year old niece can't get enough. She sees me and yells, "Toybrary." It's the greatest new place I've found. It's clean too! read more

So here we are, a year after we joined and I still love this place. My twins love it too. Alot of folks dont realize your membership is 35 a month for the whole fam. So I have twins, and they can come play for free. (Usually 5 dollars a kiddo). Plus we get 3 toy rentals a month. It's so worth it for us. it's more like a family membership =) plus I get a nice break while they play and then they got so excited to pick out new toys. The other thing I love are the different classes or activities they have. We enjoy the drop in music classes. And they just started a cool homeschooling/preschool class that we are gonna try out. I recommend following toybrary on fb or check out the calendar online. Guaranteed you'll find something your kiddos will like ( they even have mommy workout classes so you can work out while the kids play). Some of the reviews said Liza is rude. Here's the thing about that. While I don't think she's rude, cause I've always had great convo with her when there, I think she just wants you to do your thing. Let your kiddos play. Let parentals interact or be on your phone (guilty. You know you are too, don't lie! ). If you have a question or comment, she will answer or interact with you. Plus shes not a car salesman thats going to be all up in yo face (what can i do to get you to sign up today?!) I like that, but I guess others see it differently. So in short, still great and worth it. But I like to go there to get a break from my house or meet other mommies (I am in need of mommy friends if you are looking!). read more

We first visited the Toybrary at their 2 year anniversary party several months ago. My son was only 6 months old at the time and not yet needing lots of new toy stimulation, so I opted to get the 6 visit punch card (normally $25 but was on special that day only for $15 - a great deal either way though since you can also just pay $5 to drop in) instead of signing up for a membership that included checking out toys to take home. We've since visited 4 or 5 times and love it! Each month as my son grows up and develops more abilities (he was barely sitting up on his own when we first went, now he rocks, crawls, stands, etc.) he's able to enjoy more and more of the toys. It's never crowded, but there are often a few other children there who my son can watch and be entertained by, interact with, and general keep the vibe lively (but not crazy). We enjoy meeting friends there for play dates since there are plenty of age-appropriate toys for the kids to play with, and comfy chairs for the moms to relax in. And, it means you don't have to make a snack and clean your house to have a play date with a friend - bonus! I also appreciated how responsive they were when I sent a question to them via Facebook message on a Sunday evening asking about their Monday hours (since they just recently started staying open Monday mornings, and I wasn't sure if it was a weekly thing). Liza responded just 10 minutes later - great! We really enjoy our visits to the Toybrary and will continue to spread the word and visit! read more

The Toybrary was alright. I'd probably go again on a rainy or very hot/cold day, but not one of the first places I'd go. The toys are a bit old and worn. Maybe see if the local neighborhood would want to do a toy drive or something of the sort. It's a really cool concept. A little small. My almost three year old had a little bit of a hard time only playing with the toys on the floor. I totally get keeping toys for the members to rent. Especially little pieces/ones not for babies/hard to clean..but maybe keep them in a different room, or not in reach of the toddlers(especially the things to buy on the small shorter table in the main room) The outside area was pretty neglected, but it's also middle of summer. I hope when it's not super hot the outside improves..it would probably make or break us going back. I think $7 is a little pricey for the condition of the toys. It's nice that she has yogurt pouches for $1. read more

Liza has created such a fantastic place for parents. The colorful banners outside scream- "bring your kids in here to play!" As I walked in, I was cheerfully greeted in spite of another mom who was currently being served ahead of me. It was great to walk in to a cool, clean, fun-filled space to see happy babies nursing and children playing with toys as moms sat and chatted with one another. After talking with Liza I learned that she has parenting workshops and classes for kids in addition to her toy library program and play dates. What a find! In one place your kids can play and learn, while you can meet new friends and sign up for parenting info. If you haven't been here yet, don't delay. You're gonna love it! read more

It's hard to get my 17 month old son to go home after playing at the Toybrary. He has a great time here for Stay and Play. We can test out the toys before we buy. Plus we've been doing some of the special events like the singing and holiday crafts. Perfect for little ones. This is a wonderful place to bring kids especially when it is cold outside. read more

My kids are so happy when they are here! I can zone out on my work while they play peacefully and quietly. Staff is attentive, music is relaxing and the toy selection is incredible. We could stay here all day! read more

I have been trying to visit this place since I first heard about it from a group of moms. While we are not really interested in the monthly membership (we live a bit far), I was still pleased to find out that you can stay and play for only $3!!! They had all kinds of toys for my 15 month old to play with that we don't have at home. The day we went, they also had a bubble class going on but my daughter was more interested in the bucket of soapy water than actually seeing the different ways to blow bubbles. lol. None the less, she had a great time running from toy to toy every 5-10 minutes and making a few new toddler friends while we were there. We stayed for over an hour and will definitely be revisiting. read more

SCAM ALERT!!! All their "great" reviews are outdated this place sucks Do not give these people your money!!!! We booked the toybrary on December 19, during peak Covid outbreak because we were told over the phone that we would have the entire facility to ourselves and that everything would be sanitized before our visit. When we got there, the place was not only open to the public, but full of people within 5 minutes of our prepaid appointment. Despite my better judgement we decided to stay bc it was the first time our kids have gone anywhere all year, and it was my sons 4th birthday(our party consisted of my family and one other couple who have a son our sons age). When we entered the building, toys were scattered everywhere and the owner was wearing a mask hanging off one ear and not covering her mouth. She was exceptionally rude and coughed and blew her nose several times without washing her hands. After being there for maybe 15 minutes, the other little boy picked up a toy off a shelf and she rudely informed us our rental fee only paid for the dirty unsanitized toys that were already on the ground. My wife was so upset, we decided to leave 20 minutes into our 2 hour rental, without asking for any kind of refund whatsoever. We found a park one block away which was free and the kids had a much better time. Fast forward one month later, my wife asked her to send our deposit back and she responded with a few pictures of toys on the floor saying she was keeping our $75 because we didn't put away the toys(as previously stated, our kids only touched the toys that were on the floor already until we decided to leave.) Go at your own risk knowing their is no value for your money and the owner is not remotely friendly with children. read more

I have been coming to the Toybrary for over a month now on a weekly basis. Oddly enough, I originally came because my daughter takes an art class there with a another independent business owner she must have some working relationship with to use the space. I think the fact that she partners with other local moms, women, and businesses is nice and I totally support this. It is near my house, so it was convenient for me with ample parking. I have an almost 6 year old and a 2 1/2 year old. I bought a punchcard to allow my younger daughter to play while my older one takes an art class in the back. This is an ideal set up for. I bought a punch card for 6 visits for $25. My 2 1/2 year old loves the bright colors and various toys. She has never really tried to go in the back area (where the owner keeps the borrow only toys), and once she did and I just told her no and it wasn't an issue. I don't understand some of reviews where parents harp on this. It's a multi-use space, watch your kids and tell them no, pretty simple to me. She even has some furniture and a playhouse strategically placed to help kids see this partition. I was impressed with the lack of paper towels in the bathroom area. She has a basket of clean clothes and one for dirty, not being a paper towel family I give this a big thumbs up. She also appears to have more green products for hand-washing and sanitizing. Nice bonus. My older child, who I think is too old to really enjoy the place, actually loves the place too. She likes the bikes and stage and dress up clothes. I have attended a birthday party here as well recently. It seems like a pretty sweet party setup for kids 1-4. They have a food area in the back, bright colored decorations, and fun upbeat kids music playing. There was ample space and chairs for kids and adults. I might conducer doing a birthday party here for my daughter's 3rd birthday. I don't find the place to be dirty like some have mentioned. The concrete floors to me are way more hygienic than carpeting. I don't find my kids to be any more dirty after rolling around their floor then the Thinkery, gym childcare or a playground. We're talking about drooling toddlers playing with toys, no one is asking you to eat off the floor. If this is a true problem for people maybe ask the owner if she would consider a shoe off policy upon entrance. I find the owner to be a very agreeable person. Sometimes she has time to chat, other times she seems very busy, but not rude. She doesn't seem to have any other employees so I imagine she is wearing a lot hats and tries to get stuff done when she can. She has always been very patient with the 5,000 questions my older child asks. All in all a good place for younger kids (under 5 maybe?) I joined after my punchcard was used up because my daughter really enjoys the art class and my younger loves the place week to week. Now we can borrow toys, we'll see how that goes, we can't even return library books on time these days. If you have more then 1 kids and you go once a week I'd say it makes sense to have the membership. I'll check back next year and update my review. read more

It was such a cute and unique idea and a charming location, i really wanted to love it! In fact I did as soon as I walked in! But as soon as I found out the only toys my girls could play with were "on the floor" I was disappointed, so was my 4 year old who didn't understand why there was hundreds of toys within arms reach that she could not play with. I also thought if there were less toys out the kids could play better it was sort of a mad house tripping over large objects. And the other disappointment was there were 4 doll house type toys with no dolls! I was just a little bit sad bc there was so many fun things to do that were off limits. we Will go back though bc my kids still liked it. read more

I loveof bringing all of my 11 children to toybrary It is the greatest place to spend an entire afternoon playing with toys. There are so many things to do including going out back and playing in their backyard playground. The staff is incredible. And the owner by far his got to be the nicest individual since Jesus read more

This place is great. If you are visiting Austin and have kids, you must check this place out. We visited Austin with a 2-year old and a 15-month old. The Toybrary was amazing. The kids could take out 3 toys each and the selection was fantastic. They could also play at the Toybrary for as long as they wanted and while they did so, coffee and a masseuse were available for that parents -- seriously! I wish there were Toybrary's wherever we travel next. Such a great idea and really well executed. Definitely worth checking out if you're ever visiting Austin! read more

Not a good place to try to get things done and let your kids play. To many things they try like drop in day care, play for $7 and then they try to sell you a membership, sell you toys and try to rent you toys. Unfortunately all those things they try to do stops them from doing any of them right. They have toys for sale right next to the toys for rent next to toys to play with. They surround the front desk with items to purchase, but that's where the kids want to play. This place is for kids under the age of 5. It seems like a way to force the parents to buy toys instead of just letting the children enjoy the experience. Hard pass. *Update. Regardless of how you scope my reviews, they are all accurate. You keep saying "parents know" well guess what, children don't. As a "parent" I tried to bring this to your attention so you can fix this at your location. Instead of actually taking the criticism and maybe fixing the issues so "parents" and their children have a better experience, you "justify" why you do what you do. What are you trying to accomplish with your response? My review was to let you know what I see is wrong, and how you could improve the experience. Your response was to basically tell me not to come back. Cool. Good luck subleasing your spot. read more

This place is horrible! The owner is horrible! I've been here twice with my four year old daughter and left pisses off each time. The first time was for a ballet class. Because it was a ballet class none of the kids are allowed to play with any of the toys. Just so you know, it's a freaking toy store, with toys all over the place. After the ballet class is over the horrible, mean, heartless owner tells all the kids that they are not allowed to play with any of the toys laying around, that I'm sure all the kids had their eyes on all through the class. So us six parents, grabbed our crying, confused kids and drug them out of the store, kicking and screaming. Fun times! A few months later I found out there's a story time there, were you can pay $5, to play afterwards. Awesome! We go, and the story time is nice. The lady at the door, asks us if we plan on playing and I happily pay her the $5. When my daughter starts playing with a doll off the shelf, that same demon of a women comes over and tells me all of these toys are not for playtime.... I ask her, what did I pay $5 for then? She tells me that only the toys on the floor, and nothing else is to play with unless you have a membership. Just so you know, the toys on the shelf are not new, or fancy, just old used toys. And there is so many, and so little on the floor. Is this place a joke? Does she hate kids? Is she the devil? I wonder how she will trick next time into bringing my kid into candy shop, where all the candy is made of rocks. Thanks! See you soon! read more