The Ark Toy Store

Permanently closed.
Sorry to see it go. Was a great resource for interesting games and good gifts. Another loss for Fourth Street.

Eek. What happened to this place? The upper floor is closed and the shelves on the first floor are barely stocked. It’s noticeably quiet inside. This used to be such a special store, but not now.

this toy store is sooo cool. its like a castle of toys or better yet a ARK of toys. great selection. the prices are pretty good and they have some pretty good toys. service is exellent and i would totally come back at anytim. i never laeve without getting a great toy. parking is hard to find but it is worth it.

Now this is a toy store. The Ark has three locations in the Bay Area. This one is located among the 4^th St. shops in Berkeley. I’ve visited looking for gifts for my niece for both Christmas and for her birthday. The store is presumably named after Noah’s Ark because the company’s logo looks like the ark and there’s a miniature ark inside the store.
The shop is small and the interior is mostly made of wood. There are two levels and the place feels original — not at all like a chain or big box retailer. It’s whimsical, no matter what time of year you go, but especially during Christmastime. It’s sort of like taking a step back in time when you enter. This is one of those magical toy stores you see in the movies.
The Ark has managed to pack a lot of product on their shelves. The business pays particular attention to the items they stock. Several of the toys are rare, unique, and hard to find. They’re generally high quality and quite a few are imported from countries such as Germany and Japan. Needless to say, these toys are typically more expensive than the mainstream ones you’d find somewhere such as Toys“R“Us or online at Amazon.
If you’re looking for a gift for a child, you’re sure to find something here. There’s a great assortment of toys suited for a variety of ages. They range from educational (books, puzzles) to constructive (building blocks, train sets) to cuddly and funny (Grumpy Cat stuffed animal). Adults may find some niche collectibles too.
Service is outstanding. The folks who work here are congenial and are great at suggesting toys for children. They’re happy to assist and answer questions over the phone too.
Free parking is located in the shopping district’s parking lot behind the store.

Now this place is awesome. I brought my son to this toy store on a trip to Berkley while my wife was at the scrapbook store down the street. This place has all the unique toys you cannot find in other stores. Although a little on the expensive side it wasn’t a big deal since we don’t come here often. A lot of toys for children around the age of 5 and up. My son is about 11 and he likes the engineering toys. We purchased the hover craft build your own toy. My son loves to build. They had mood rings and of course my kids were amazed how it can change color according to your mood. We purchased four of them. If you’re looking for smart toys, this is the place to go!

The Ark is our favorite local toy store. They have creative, thoughtful, and smart gifts – and the staff is always super helpful and friendly. We love this place for our toddler and for gifts for our friends’ kids.

Natalie was an excellent salesperson because I left really really pleased because of her. I’m not a parent and toy shopping for toddlers is a bit daunting because I’m unsure of the right purchase. When I went to the counter, Natalie brightened my shopping experience. Thank you.

A nice, small but stocked toy store in the shopping district on 4^th Street in Berkeley. They have all of your staples, but the selection is limited. If you are on a general search for ‘something’ for a youngster within a certain age range, The Ark will fill that void easily. But if there is a very specific toy item you are seeking– best to call in advance. Prices are ok– as expected for a small private toy store, but somewhat higher than you will find at the mass-​retailers, Amazon, etc. If you are in a pinch and need something immediately as a gift, this store will easily fill that need and make you and the youngster very happy. Parking is available on the street or in the lot behind 4^th Street. Very nice people working there, and free gift-​wrapping available. I’ll return.

Another quaint little store on 4^th street. I loved the old school toys including the wooden rocking horse. It brought back a lot of memories. Very friendly staff and great selection of unique toys.

If I’m looking for a basic, filler toy, I go to the big box store with the bulls-​eye logo.
If I’m looking for something unique, inspiring, stimulating, I go here. The staff are wonderfully friendly, even during the holidays (and that’s not easy!), and knowledgeable about age-​appropriate gifts. Wooden toys? Science-​based? Good, basic toys that don’t blink or blare or over-​stimulate? This is a GREAT spot to find those fabulous toys that you *really* want children to have.

Toy stores don’t get any better than this, East least in the East Bay. The Ark does magic very well, there is a lot of creative fantasy stuff for kids including costumes, figures, fairy dollhouses etc. I love this store, and it has a uniquely Berkeley flavor.
My only complaint is that the place is too crammed with stuff. It is so tightly packed with toys downstairs and games and kits upstairs that it is hard to find things. Sometimes the store overflows with boxes of merchandise being unpacked bc there is nowhere for the staff to work, so it gets a little chaotic in there.
Oh well, too much a of a good thing is hard to complain about. I make a beeline for the Ark every time I have a kid birthday on the horizon.

Beautiful toy store with an imaginative array of off-​kilter toys and accessories for kids of all ages… but I’d rather take my business elsewhere than repeat this lame experience.
Came in here in good spirits to buy a birthday gift, left disappointed at the state of customer service today. Not sure whose brilliant idea it was to hire an unfriendly, sour-​faced broad to work the register in a toy shop. Toys! Couldn’t get a smile, a word of welcome or a thank you from this girl, even as I approached her in my typical friendly fashion. She asked if I wanted a bag and literally made a face when I asked for a small one. WTF? Get over yourself.

This review goes out to Curly Redhead and her Sour Attitude.
The Ark has great stuff, no one’s arguing that, but if I can’t AT LEAST get a thank you from the clerk, then it’s one star review time.
It’s sad, because I have a baby now and was looking forward to becoming a regular spendthrift here, but I would far prefer to buy my kid’s toys and books online than deal with the icky human element I encountered here.
I’m not asking anyone to tapdance for me. You don’t even need to make conversation, really. I know it’s an awful inconvenience that you had to work on Christmas Eve, and that customers came into your shop and purchased things, so that you could get a paycheck. But if you could just summon the grace to smile and say thank you, I might come back some day.
Oh well.

A boutique toy store that adults can appreciate, the Ark doesn’t have one Barbie doll in stock. The toys there are meant to entertain and inspire children of all ages: puzzles, ice cream makers, craft kits (make your own lip balm, jewelry, knit your own scarf), books, plush puppets, bouncy balls, doll houses, paper dolls, rockets, medieval figurines, and marbles. There are small gifts (stickers, keychains) and large gifts (puppet theater). They even have bacon bandages, Japanese food erasers and Japanese food blind box toys.
My picks:
* 35 MM pinhole cameras that you can put together yourself
* Sew your own felt animal kits (rabbit, raccoon, bunny, cat, dog), $ 7.99:
* Monster magnet sets (decorate the monster and the background scenery), $ 18
* Giant plush microbes (the common cold is so cuddly):
Pick up a frequent buyer card if you plan on shopping there often. They also have two locations in SF (Noe Valley, Sacramento St.).

The Ark is my new favorite toy store, replacing what has become the seemingly neglected, strangely light, dingy and unwelcoming red-​headed stepchild of toy stores, the fallen from grace Mr. Mopps.
I don’t think there’s anything they don’t have… books, toys, games, crafts, dollhouses and dollhouse furnishings… a clean, well-​lighted place for fun kids stuff! Nice people work here, too.

When I have children, there will be certain items not allowed in my house.
1. White bread, top ramen, boxed mac n cheese, lunchables, or anything of the things I desperately wanted when I was a child.
2. Bratz dolls or toys purchased a Toys R Us.
When I have children, I want them to have things made with heart and soul. I want them to have educational toys and cookies made with love and soft fluffy animals with hand sewn eyes. I want them to know that there are items other than Barbie and Bratz.
The Ark it one of those great toy stores full of chemistry sets, legos, hand puppets, wooden blocks. It’s all the toys I liked best when I was a child. They’re the throwback toys of a lost generation, and Ark is one of a few places you can still find them.

What a toy store should be like.
Get ready to get smacked with a bag of awesome!
This is what a toy store should be like; I LOVE IT! I absolutely loved the fact that this toy store stayed away from the crap you see in Toys-​R-​Us. Everything at normal toy stores nowadays there is now electronic, video games, and non-​creative. The beauty of this toy store is that it leaves room for the imagination, it encourages active play, and also helps build creativity with various mentally stimulating sets and kits! The wide variety of toys that you will not see in the common stores nowadays makes this store very particular, unique, and such a gem in our hearts.

This and Mr. Mopps were my favorite stores for my daughter’s toy purchases. I always received nice service and still get emails and catalogs from Hearthsong (what this store used to be). Since my daughter is now 13 and too cool for anything not electronic or teenage/​adult like it is rare that I go into any toy store these days but I was on a mission.
Since I was already on 4^th Street I figured if this store carried a particular sticker I was looking for. They did and have a great sticker collection and memories of easier days wafted through me and I was again grateful to have a store like this to come into.

Great place for interactive, throwback, educational, hands-​on toys and games… and other generally really cool shit that makes you wish you were a kid again.
This is not a store where you’re going to find m (any) toys for «buton pushers.» This is the place to find amazing hand puppets, building blocks and engineering sets, chemistry kits, costumes, toy boats, juggling balls, and a hundred other engaging, stimulating-​for-​the-​noggin’ activity ideas that will keep your kid, or the kid in you smiling until your sandwich with the crusts cut off is waiting on the table.
But do beware before walking into The Ark — with the 4^th Street location comes the inevitable 4^th Street price markup.

Now this is a toy store!
I was delighted by their stuffed toy collection, and they had lots of beautiful dolls. There were also plastic horses, and games, and lots and lots of craft sets.
I did not see allot for the very small ones, but I will be back when DGD is a bit older… very fun!

3.5 Stars (Rounded Up)
When I’m at 4^th Street with my son, we usually end up at The Ark (formally Hearthsong). For me, this place is a little better than OK. I’m actually a bigger fan of either Five Little Monkeys in Albany or Mr. Mopps in Berkeley. But my son likes this place a lot, so who am I to argue? Well, we do have a budget to keep.
The Ark has 2 levels in this fairly compact store. There are lots of toys to choose from and in past shopping expeditions, I have usually found something for a variety of kids and children at heart. And they do have an selection that you don’t really find anywhere else. Prices are usually a good value for my money and store staff are readily available to answer questions and explain how things work.