Horniman Museum and Gardens

We visited the Horniman Museum and Gardens during half term, which meant it was very busy, but we didn’t mind at all. We went for a special (paid) workshop that was put on at the museum, which was fully worth the visit. While there we walked around one gallery and it was very interesting. Lots to look and interact it, especially for children. Would love to visit again and with better weather to enjoy the gardens. The view of central London is pretty awesome too.

Really lovely free museum of antiquities containing an aquarium (extra) and a butterfly house (extra). The add ons were worth it. I could've stood in the butterfly house for hours. Would reccomend pre booking for the optional extras though. We went at half term and thr aquarium was quite busy Cafe was surprisingly well priced (we're not from London) and really tasty too.

Lovely place to visit with the family and kids. The animals were great to show the kids. The museum is beautifuly maintained and the exhibits are interesting and have something for everyone. The canteen, restaurant on site has a great selection of food. The rosemary potatoe tots and Incredible. Get a couple of bowls of them bad boys. Great place to visit, highly recommend.

The staff were extremely helpful and friendly. I thought it was a littler smaller than suggested online, but they are doing some improvements at the moment, so that's probably why. We booked the butterfly house, aquarium and robot zoo in advance. We were late because of an issue on trains but they still let us in as it was a quiet day and couldn't be helped. We were amazed at the variety of butterflies. The robot zoo was definitely smaller than expected. The animal walk through is free, which is always a bonus.

Horniman Museum is relatively small but really well done. It doesn’t feel overwhelming, which makes it enjoyable to explore without getting tired. The aquarium was £6.50 and honestly worth it — there were colourful fish, seahorses, jellyfish, and even some tiny poisonous frogs that were oddly cute. There were loads of Finding Nemo–type fish too, which made it fun and familiar. There was a butterfly house too, but I found it uninteresting to visit the place. The gardens are nice, but I’d definitely recommend visiting in spring or summer rather than post-autumn when everything looks a bit dead. Overall, a solid visit and very satisfying for a short museum day.

It was my first time at this museum and I really enjoyed my visit. It is quite small but has a very good selection of historical artifacts. The world section was good. The music room was incredible. There were so many different instruments displayed. You don't have to pay to enter the museum but there sections you need a paid ticket to view like the aquarium and the butterfly garden or greenhouse. I only visited the aquarium on this visit. I bought a ticket from the reception, it was only £6 which was good. The aquarium was in the basement floor and was nice. They had a good selection of sea life, that were amazing to see. I think the last time for entry on both the butterfly house and the aquarium is 4 or 4:30 pm. I didn't make it to the zoo and did not even realise they had it until later. Hopefully I'll see it next time. I loved the gardens and I'm glad I came during the summer to experience it's beauty. Overall it was a great way to spend the afternoon. I would visit again.

We found some free parking across the road, which was a great bonus. It made for a lovely family afternoon out. Buying tickets online meant we could skip the queues for paid exhibits, and there were plenty of areas to explore, perfect for young children. It was quite busy, though, as it was the school holidays - something to be mindful of.

LOVED IT! Such a Gem in South London. Family orientated and a Cafe on site. The Museum itself with the other events such aa Aquarium, Robin Zoo, Butterfly House truly gives a full fun day of exploring. I would love to go back in the summer to enjoy the Gardens and the views of London. Prices are good rvwn for those on benefits as there is a concession for entry fees. There are lifts to access each floor with push and wheel chairs. Great Day out with the Family!!

Free museum! Alpacas and goats and bunnies! Picnic areas! Gardens! Crazy collections by Victorian natural history buff! Amazing collection of instruments in the basement! (Don't miss the surfboards that let you sample sounds) Exhibits suitable for the whole family! All this and a secret nature trail to explore next door- London's oldest! Full of urban Greenspans glory!

This fascinating little museum is a great day out trip from central London. They have just about any taxidermied animal that you could want on display, plus an interesting exhibit about cultures across the globe - all for free! There's also an aquarium, a butterfly house, and an extra exhibit (currently Lego sculptures) that you can pay to visit. The museum grounds are a great place to walk around. There are some really stunning views of the city center, plus a small farm, and lots of walking trails. This place was absolutely teeming with children, so it would be a great place to bring your little ones to run around. The grounds seem like a perfect place for a picnic - bring your own food or pick up something from the museum cafe.

Brilliant place, but full of children. Really - it's teaming with them! I personally love the grounds for a walk and the aquarium. I am planning to take two friends and their progeny here next month, on a Saturday, I must be mad! Seriously, it's a very educational, fun and interactive place - really good for kids and absolutely packed with stuff to look at, read, touch and enjoy. For the weary, there is a good cafe that does surprisingly good coffee, but no skimmed milk though :-(

I haven't visited the museum, but the gardens are very pretty and family-friendly.

An excellent Museum and garden in a hard to locate part of south London. If you baulk at the prices charged at The London aquarium, do come here and take the kids too. Of course if you don't have any then still go and see some excellent displays. I love the moon jellyfish which is displayed very simply in a bright blue background... The gardens them self are worth a stroll as some are themed. Oh do look out for the great views of London near the animal collection. Then finish it off by visiting the cafe which serves an interesting menu of international food.

I was shocked at how quiet it was here...because its so flippin fantastic. No one seems to have heard of it! As soon as i saw the totem pole outside the main building, i knew this place was going to be special. Their collections are insanely big and fascinating. Especially the musical instruments and stuffed animals! I would also go back just to watch the jelly fish in the aquarium. And maybe the seahorses! The gardens were an unexpected delight. If i lived closer, i would go here once a week!

I just have to keep going back. I love the Horniman because it's always changing, developing, growing and always has something new I want to see. The gardens are lovely. For such a relatively small space, they do so much with it. On my last visit they had completed a new section to the gardens. With plants and flowers growing there that are used to create musical instruments and medicines. It was fascinating and of course, educational. They're also expanding their life-stock. There were a couple of chickens and sheep. I'm so excited to go back and see any new additions. There's a little childrens play area which lets the little mites (and those with the mental age of them) bash away with wooden spoons and make noise out of unusual musical sculptures. The thing about the Horniman gardens that I love the most, is the view. It's beautiful. You feel like you're in this little pocket of green looking out into the vastness of London. The Horniman always has things going on. My last trip was for the ethical fair just before christmas and they really had their game face on. A great little fair with extra food and mulled wine tables. This venue also does Civil Ceremonies and I couldn't think of a more beautiful and quirky place in London.

HEAVEN ON EARTH....................... This park/garden is part of the horniman museum in forest hill, south-east london, it is seperate from the museum so you can visit the park seperately or the museum for free!!!! The garden is absoloutely beautiful and stunning, it has many seating areas, wide green space, trees, nature reserve, a little farm, bandstand, best views overlooking london, sundials and many flowers and trees. The garden adapts to a new look every season, which makes it worth to visit, dedicated staff work to meet the high standards of the garden so you wont be suprised that the gargen has won many awards. Visiting the garden is peaceful, you forget all your worries, you can relax and there is a chic cafe nearby. It truelly is one place I recommend all to visit in thier lifetime:)

This park, across the road from the well known Horniman Museum gardens, has been completely transformed with a major revamp of the children's play area. It now has an amazing sand pit, with multiple rope climbing frames and lots of interative, cooperative play items. The park also boasts a new cafe where you can buy coffee, drinks and snacks. The only let-down, at present, is the lack of toilet facilities in the park itself, but these are promised for the near future and you can cross the road to the Horniman Museum. Well worth a visit if you have kids in the area.

The Horniman is a special one, very close to my heart. I volunteered there for a couple of years, and got to know the staff and the galleries very well. All top notch stuff, and the temporary exhibitions are changed fairly regularly. Oh, and they host events suitable for families with incredible regularity. Worth a look in!

This spot has been on my to-go list forever! I was really glad to have a chance to visit for their Magic Late last week. The atmosphere was sexy and spooky all at once, with bizarre timed events to see. I loved the footless pigeon who was performing opera and the earth/dance performance. My favourite was the creepy Breathe short film and of course, topped with the awesome veggie Ghanaian food (mmm, plantain), it was a perfect date night!

All the rave reviews I've seen, along with all the other fantastic free museums in London, I think raised my expectations too much. Horniman is small for a museum, and a significant part of it consists of dead stuffed animals, which completely creep me out at any museum (and also disturb me because many of them were killed specifically for this purpose). There was a really good photography exhibit about native Siberian life, but the rest of the museum seemed like a mix of the Natural History and British Museum on a smaller scale, and just really wasn't very exciting. It seems to be a huge hit with kids and families, so if you have a family, by all means take them there. But if you're an adult, unless you're in the area with nothing to do one day, I don't recommend going all the way down there on your own. Go to another one of London's many amazing museums. I did like the cafe - they had a lot of interesting options for food (I had a jacket sweet potato with roasted veg and humous, which had never occurred to me as a combination) and you can eat in a lovely glass building which looks like it used to be a greenhouse. The gardens are also lovely, though it's the end of May and they didn't have any blooming flowers (I love flowers!), there is a cute little animal viewing area with animals like sheep, bunnies, chickens, and alpacas. A nice visit, overall.

As I get older I realise how privileged I was to grow up near the Horniman Museum. Unfortunately, Forest Hill doesn't have much to offer. The high street, once bustling with cafes, bakeries and boutiques, has now made way for derelict buildings and pound shops. Even the swimming pools have closed down, although I never really enjoyed swimming up against a tide of band-aids. But thankfully, the Horniman has lasted, and in fact it's evolved, refurbished, added new buildings and updated the exhibitions. it's about the only thing in Forest Hill that has moved with the times. It's free to visit, and always has been, which is why I think I went on so many school trips here. There's a 'World Music' section, where you can play instruments from far off lands or listen to The Beatles. There's an ant colony, which I promise is far more exciting than it sounds. And the all time kids favourite - a stuffed animal collection, feat. a giant walrus. My friends insist it's a fake walrus but I like to keep the childhood dream alive. The gardens are great, and in the Summer you can sit in the park and get a full view of London and feed the goats in the weirdly placed 'animal section'. So, if you're ever in Forest Hill for a pound shop emergency, stop by here. It's educational AND fun, and the two don't always come together.

Great museum in lovely grounds, good day out for the whole family, but be warned, as of Feb '11, you now have to pay for the aquarium (which was previously one of the highlights, being free), the grounds are being dug up for work and the hands-on space in the music room (another highlight) is temporarily closed. Ah, and one last thing, the cafe food is awful and over-priced. Stick to coffee and cake and you should be ok!

You can spend hours here. Lovely permanent & temporary exhibition of anthology, natural history, aquarium & musical instruments. Great for adults & children with art, craft, & storytelling sessions. Also have cafe & gift shop

Great little musuem tucked away in South London a wonderful mix of victorian and modern views of the world, with natural history and anthropology mixed along with a small zoo and wonderul gardens The giant rabbit is only overshadowed by the overstuffed walrus - although the dissected animals may notbe to everyone's taste.

Cute little museum. Its quite small but has a load of really interesting, unique items. The overstuffed walrus was one of my faves and I really liked all the areas about the indigenous people of different countries. They have a huge section about different instruments as well. I stopped in the cafe and had a wander around the gardens. Its a great day out!

Fantastic Museum with lovely gardens to walk around on a nice day. Never overly busy and has some great exhibits. I particularly loved the aquarium downstairs (the sea horses in particular where hypnotically fascinating) The musical instruments were fun too.. (when I managed to push my way in front of the children for a " play" myself ;) ) a family friendly museum that will keep all occupied and entertain children of all ages :) a number of London Buses (176, 197, 356, P4 and 185) stop right outside the museum so getting to it is not a problem.

Went here on Saturday on a bit of a whim, as my original plans fell through because of snowy weather. I'm glad they did, because this is a hidden gem of a museum that, if it was located in central London, would probably be an overcrowded mess. It's a great place for kids, and there were a lot of families there, but it felt like it was mostly people local to the Forest Hill area. The aquarium was my favourite part - for 3 pounds you can wander around a surprisingly good aquarium that is beautifully set up. Most of their exhibits are free, including the stuffed animal exhibit with the giant, overstuffed walrus! They have beautiful photographs of sea life, as well, which are unmissable. I thought the musical instrument exhibit was only alright, but I'm not a fan of looking at history through musical instruments, anyway. The interactive element looked really interesting at this exhibit, but there are only two small interactive stations, so it was too difficult to get a closer look. Overall, it's a small museum with an eclectic collection, but worth a visit. I definitely plan on going back in the summer when I can also have a wander around the grounds.

Fascinating, extensive historical/global musical instrument collection! The grounds are beautiful as well, lovely for a day out picnicking.

Usually I find museums a little bit dull, but the Horniman really surprised me. The gardens possess a beautiful vantage point to see the London skyline, and inside you'll find an array of curio content and taxidermy. And a massive fat walrus, which is a big plus. Currently there's a photo exhibit on Romanian immigrants, which is really interesting and gives an intimate "Humans of New York" style insight into lives of another culture. 8/10 would definitely wander around again.

This often skipped museum is worth the trip out of London to visit. The beautiful gardens and view of the city are worth the trip alone. Inside there is a fascinating range of Anthropological finds from around the world, and the famous walrus in the Natural History section is a sight to behold. Unlike the sea mammals in the Kensington NHM, this guy is the real deal and sits centre stage amongst the other taxidermy animals on display.

An interesting and eclectic museum, with gardens and an acquarium. The gardens offer an interesting view out over the City of London. Much of the core of the museum is a Victorian collection, and you can tell this straightaway also the exhibits themselves are what I'd term old school however, the acquarium is on a good scale for small children ( and is the only part you pay for), with something for all budding Jacques (and Jacqui) Cousteaus. Additionally, the temporary exhibits are both interesting and more modern ( there were Wildlife Photography and The Look of London a photo essay and exhibit on fashion- on during our visit), as are many of the later permanent collections. Hugely popular with families.

It is quite a rare thing to find a museum with such varied permanent and temporary exhibitions that is not always insanely busy. Being located in the depths of South London, it remains rather undiscovered to most Londoners, which although a shame, does make it a lot nicer to wonder around. The Horniman is probably most famous for its collection of African artifacts. You then have the aquarium, hands on and interactive exhibitions, cases of ancient musical instruments from around the world and most memorable in my mind, the giant stuffed walrus sitting in the middle of the natural history room. Entrance is free so there is no harm in having a look around, the café is really nice to sit in and the gardens surrounding it are beautiful. Perfect for children and adults.

One of the best local parks in South London. Perfect for kids, families - anyone! From the top of the park, there are amazing views over London from Heathrow Airport and Wembley Stadium to Canary Wharf. As moonrising and cocoalush also mentioned, the park is on a hillside and is beautifully maintained. There is a small animal enclosure with goats, chickens, geese, rabbits and wallabies amongst others. In 2005, the Gardens received the 'Best Park for the South East England region' accolade by Horticultural Week and The Sun newspaper. The Gardens have Grade II listed status in the English Heritage Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest. In all, the gardens take up 16 acres of Forest Hill. The Museum Cafe (not part of the park as such) is located to one side and has equally lovely grounds and a great conservatory for taking tea on wet summer afternoons. The Museum is a treasure, like an updated version of Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum.

I spent many happy hours in school holidays roaming around this unique South London museum as a kid, so it's got a very special place in my heart. I don't know if the Horniman children's club even exists any more but if it does I can recommend it very highly to any parents in the area. My sister and I were regularly dropped off here in the morning and sent off to the education centre inside where we'd be given fun tasks and bit of art and craft to do as well as free reign of the museum. As far as the actual exhibits went, the two that remain etched in my memory to this day are (of course) the giant walrus and the human adult and baby skeletons that scared me silly, but I would always go and have a look anyway. There is also a great collection of musical instruments from around the world and an aquarium. Horniman Gardens are well worth a visit, too.

This modest and unassuming museum is really worth a visit. An easy bus ride to Forest Hill from Brixton and a little walk up the hill and you find yourself within the gardens and treated to a great view of South London. I had a picnic in the grounds and fed the goats and other sweet animals in the children's zoo. The museum itself is full of curiosities and is really very charming. The curators have made the Horniman welcoming and children(and dorky adults)-friendly place and it is often busy with families at the weekend. An extra treat is the aquarium. Again, it is really small but charming, interesting and lovely too. This place is wonderful to while away a few hours on a Sunday with or without your own rugratsoh yeah, and it's free!

I love this garden. While it doesn't have a large children's play space it is still a perfect place to spend an afternoon. From the little animal 'zoo' to the perfectly manicured and tended flower garden it's lovely.

This is a fabulous museum which has a wonderful appeal to both adults and children. As a new parent in the area, the museum offered a haven for many hours as my toddler wondered amazed by the exhibits. The cafe is basic, offering the usual plastic foods but are reasonably priced. There are often activities which are aimed at school age children but are also sometimes for preschoolers which are free and are great to keep an eye out for. I found that neither of my chlidren who I took from a very young age were frightened by the stuffed animals or skeletons, but have infact become extremely interested in them. The bees section is great and at least half an hour can be spent finding the 'queen' bee. The best part of the museum though, for my chlidren, is the musical section. Here you can enjoy different aspects of all the instruments and also see displays on how music is used in different parts of the world. The children can press buttons to discover different sounds and experience a range of music.

Fantastic museum and Forest Hill's only real selling point, I suppose! It was renovated fairly recently and the interior is now very modern and the museum has always been very clean and well-maintained. The staff (presumably volunteers) are all very enthusiastic and knowledgeable and the museum has lots of interesting galleries, particularly (in my opinion), the music hall. The aquarium was recently renovated and is still small, but excites even the trickiest young child! They often do little art and craft workshops for young children, especially during holiday weeks, and it is a bit of a hidden gem in London really! Make sure you check it out!

The Horniman is a free museum full of facinating things. My favourite bits inculde the music room with old and strange instruments and the textile space where they display textiles from their collection and change them every year (because all the lovely robes, hats, shoes, and other garments would be damaged by the light if they were on permanent display). The aquarium is also ace (it used to be a seahorse in a small tank, now there's loads of interesting fishies and plenty to see). The bees are cool too, although they're not always there. There is an exhibition space where they host exhibitions you have to pay for, these are usually quite small, so if you're facinated by the subject it's worth the money, but if not, give it a miss.

We love the Horniman museum. The delightful gardens and scenic views across London are a must see!

What a charming museum! (Skip the stuffed things if you have a nervous disposition!) I came here on a whim a few months ago, looking for a nice small museum to wander around happily, and I had heard that the musical instrument collection was really impressive. I walked from the tube to the Horniman, and was amazed at what a stunningly beautiful building it is, with nouveau or arts and crafts murals, mosaics, and handsome red brick. The staff in the museum were extremely friendly, and I was really impressed that the free programme available in the foyer mentioned that we were welcome to film or take flash photos anywhere in the museum! The exhibits are small and fascinating, I didn't manage to stomach the sight of the stuffed Chimps and Orangs, though the massive stuffed Walrus is undoubtedly impressive! I would highly recommend a visit to the Horniman and it's lovely relaxing Gardens, and it's even free!

This museum is local to me and you can always find somewhere free to park. The aquarium is nice and they have a few jelly fish and other creatures that the kids will like. The other exhibits are nice many consist of taxidermy(stuffed animals) and there is a beehive in a seethrough case, so you can see the bees doing whatever it is that bees do! They also have special exibitions that change often so check out their website to see whats on. Oh and its free to enter.

Lovely place for a holiday afternoon. I took my kids to the museum a few weeks ago and we all had great time. They had many new things to learn. The museum itself need a refreshment in my opinion. I would certainly go back to the place in a year or two.

Neat little museum. The first bit we saw was comprised of taxidermed animals (a bit gross at times, especially the dissected ones) and then went to a gallery about Romanian expats in the UK. Great for wandering on a lazy Saturday, didn't try the cafe or aquarium but will like to in future. Just a note: Aroma Cafe near Forest Hill station is delicious and very reasonably priced! Try it out before the museum if you're feeling peckish.

Couldn't love this place more. Beautiful grounds, charming collections. Good for kids, but a lovely day to spend an afternoon. Some genuinely interesting and completely unique pieces from their Victorian collection, as well.

Perfect place to visit for adults and children alike. Lovely gardens with a petty farm (very friendly sheep and a giant rabbit), interesting plats, great view of the city and outdoor instruments. When I went there was a pumpkin patch with all sorts of pumpkins and squashes - some of the were huge. The kids absolutely loved this. Inside there is taxidermy, an interactive nature room and a high instrument room. All these bits are free of charge. There's also ticket exhibits, aquarium and a butterfly house.

This Museum used to be one of my favourites but then it changed. Normally I embrace change. I love the shock of the new. But when they redesigned the Horniman, for me, they changed it for the worse. From a collection of anthropological gems in original display cases that was reminiscent of the Pitt Rivers in Oxford to displays more akin to slightly over conscious visitors centers. Trying to hard to make you see thing differently. And still I would recommend the Horniman. They didn't mean to hurt my feelings after all. Give them a chance you may like it.

The Horniman Museum is pretty out of the way. First things first, look past the suggestive name (yes, I still laugh at Cockfosters). Then, check out the lazy alpacas outside the museum. Finally, in the museum itself, let loose and revel in all the stuffed animals. That's taxidermy, not plush toys, and there's pretty much one of every species located here. It's like the Noah's Ark of taxidermy, and you could stare at the collection for at least an hour or so. Remember to say hi to the gigantic walrus (you can't miss it), the standout star of the museum. Great quirky place to go to if you want a different museum experience.

An odd agglomeration of bulidings, an odd collection of things, an odd legacy, free forever, in the middle of nowhere, and rather beautiful, in the spirit of the John Soane museum or the Ashmolean. Not to be missed.

This seems to be where every middle class family with young children in SE London hangs out - but you can see why! It's fantastic - for a small museum it has great interactive galleries plus the new aquarium which my two are fascinated by. A real eclectic mix of collections plus good touring exhibitions means you're never bored.my kids love the bees exhibition where you can see inside a hive.

A nice place just to chill out and wander around

Definitely one of the most interesting museums in London. As well as the anthropological content, you should be sure not to miss the nice aquarium and the hilariously overstuffed walrus specimen. They also have an endearingly tatty duck-billed platypus which I think was one of the first ones the Victorians managed to bag and ship over here.

A bijou and boutique museum nestled at the top of a pretty steep hill in Forest Hill. Beautiful grounds which can be hired for events and weddings. A thoroughly diverse museum with stuffed animals, textiles and pottery all vying for attention. The recent addition of an aquarium has only added to this museum. The sole downside is refreshments the café is always chock a block with local yummy mummies and if you can get a seat the food isn't up to much.

When it comes to views, Horniman Park is the Primrose Hill of South London with artists often to be seen capturing the views in ink and photographers setting up shots. With a mini zoo to entertain children and a football pitch it is a lovely place for a sunday family afternoon. At the bottom of the park and across the road there is also a large children's playground and of course it can be perfectly combined with a trip to the museum. The park is separated into lots of different areas so make sure you walk right around to find your perfect spot.

This is a great park and museum. It is a great day out for people of all ages, because there is a lot to see. I think children in particular will love the Museum, because of all the stuffed animals and exotic instruments on display. They will also love the aquarium. When you are in the Gardens, there are some farmyard animals that the kids will equally love. I personally like the flower gardens and the nature trails that you can take. The nature trails are not that long, so young children could easily accomplish these. Well worthy of five stars.

This place is fantastic, I was taken as a boy in shorts and was fascinated and now I take my kids and they range from 4-9yr olds and they all love it. They have really done this up and added lots for everyone in the family :)

This Museum is a nice one for a day out. Take a picnic and let the children enjoy all the different elements. They even have an live fish section in the basement. If your lucky then on some days live music.