Home / Arts and Entertainment / Restored 'Drinking Bear' Returns to Toy Museum
Restored 'Drinking Bear' Returns to Toy Museum
14 Dec, 2025
Summary
- A vintage 'Drinking Bear' attraction has been restored in Scotland.
- The restored bear is now back at the Toy Museum in Kent.
- The machine, built by Parisian toymakers, was an end-of-pier attraction.
A charming "Drinking Bear" attraction, a relic from Brighton's pier amusements, has been expertly restored and is now back at its home in Kent.
This vintage marvel, crafted by Parisian toymakers Roullet & Decamps, performs a delightful routine: it pours water into a mug, appears to drink, yawns, and its eyes illuminate upon receiving a 2p coin. The restoration was completed in Scotland and sensitively returned to the Toy Museum at Penshurst Place and Gardens.
The museum itself, situated in a converted 19th-century workshop, recently reopened after a National Lottery-funded refurbishment coinciding with its 55th anniversary. It aims to preserve the heritage of toys and how children played, offering an escape from screens and a connection to tactile experiences from the past.
