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Horniman Museum and Gardens

Museum and Botanical Garden

Forest Hill, London, Greater London, Forest Hill

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9.3^/10

481

ratings

Ranked #6 for museums in London
The experts at Michelin Travel & Lifestyle and Time Out London recommend this place
"Lovely view of London from the gardens."(5 Tips)
"fantastic family-friendly museum with beautiful gardens"(4 Tips)
"Awesome musical instrument collection!"(2 Tips)
"... is famous for stuffed animals and musical instruments from around the world, all part of the..."(2 Tips)

73 Tips and reviews

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picnics
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instrument collection
museums
nature trails
eccentric
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Jon ChooAugust 10, 2014
Been here 10+ times
Great fun to be had by everyone. The aquarium is worth the small fee to enter, and during the summer they have jazz bands playing in the bandstand.
Dug TremellenJune 21, 2015
Museum which remains true to its eccentric late Victorian roots, set in beautiful grounds which make the most of the museum's hilltop placing. A perfect summer weekend afternoon
Remi LefevreJune 18, 2015
Take a half day to make the most of your visit: both the Museum and its Gardens make a great weekend mini-trip. Extensive collections about animals, including an aquarium, and a great glasshouse café!
AlistairMay 10, 2016
The photo exhibition of the Rio favelas is great. The walrus needs no introduction, the gardens are beautiful. The cafe is nice. It's free. I love this museum.
Valentina CoveyMarch 25, 2016
Beautiful green space in Forest Hill with sweeping panoramic views of London. Perfect for a picnic or a walk. Family friendly, with lots to do.
Isa SierraJune 14, 2016
The Horniman is so poorly taken care of that its kind of charming. It definitely needs a clean (some of the spiders in the shelves are not taxidermy) but the displays are fabulous. Authentic.
Vic McGinMarch 23, 2015
Lovely view of London from the gardens. The music garden is too much fun. And some amazingly weird taxidermy to freak out the kids.
Jon MooreJanuary 29, 2018
What a great place to spend the afternoon. The butterfly house was lovely and the grounds are beautiful. Spectacular view of London too!
Stef MattanaJune 30, 2016
Go there in spring, it's wonderful! On weekends there's a market at the top of the hill with special food and bio eggs/meat/veg to buy.
Alessia CameraApril 9, 2017
Lovely park and little museum on a hill in the South East. Better take a bus from the overground station, to avoid the sloping path.
Gordon SpoonerAugust 20, 2013
Great place for children (not so good if you want a quiet day). Brilliant collection of musical instruments, perhaps too many although lighting is poor making it difficult to view in detail.
Franz VitulliJune 9, 2016
A fantastic family-friendly museum with beautiful gardens and a great view outside. Another hidden gem in London.
Catherine ReynoldsSeptember 21, 2014
see the famous stuffed walrus, the fishes and walk in the garden. go back for the events especially the bat walk and season event!
Michelin Travel & LifestyleSeptember 17, 2013
Kids adore the nature trail, aquarium, "Hands On Base" where they can touch museum objects, and "Nature Base" where they can investigate a beehive. - Green Guide Editor
GeorgeOctober 24, 2015
Great place to take children of all ages. Lovely farmers market on a Saturday morning with a great view of the city from the hilltop.
Thunder CatDecember 20, 2014
The stunning views from the gardens stretch from Wembley to Canary Wharf. The museum is a treasure trove of unusual and interesting artefacts.
Krystel JusticeDecember 26, 2016
Best children's museum I have ever attended. Great views of London from the playground.
Martin TiedemannMay 29, 2012
9 November: Watch Fijian fish at the Aquarium. Visitors are offered the chance to immerse themselves in the underwater worlds of tropical Fijian coral reefs, British pond life, a mangrove swamp etc.
Amazing Food And TravelJune 27, 2015
Have been visiting since I was a child. The grounds and the exhibitions are great and lots of them are free.
JacquesMay 13, 2015
One of London's best museums and well worth visiting. And its free!!
Neil TurnerJune 7, 2012
Have a look at the unusual musical instruments and use the interactive panels to hear how they sounded. The gardens are also nice for a stroll or a picnic.
Michael AmbjornAugust 21, 2016
Curiosities galore - and amazing views of London from the beautiful gardens.
unlike.netFebruary 22, 2012
Part of the Horniman’s charm is the fact that whilst it’s small enough to be manageable in one visit, crucially it’s still interesting enough that there’ll be something new each time you go. Read more
Stef MattanaJuly 27, 2016
Love the gardens. Make sure to stop by on Saturdays as there's a tiny cozy street market/food
Elizabeth BuckleyApril 6, 2015
Beautiful garden, interesting culture museum and musical instruments museum 😊
Ben TaylorFebruary 26, 2018
A combination of fossils, live animals, stuffed animals and musical instruments.
Daisy JanesJune 24, 2015
Been here 10+ times
The herb garden is amazing. Try to find chocolate mint and pineapple sage.
Jennifer HardiAugust 9, 2015
Been here 10+ times
Be a member. It first cost a lot and you get to visit the exhibitions and aquarium free of charge unlimited for a year
HISTORY UKFebruary 15, 2011
This museum is famous for stuffed animals and musical instruments from around the world, all part of the collection of Frederick John Horniman who made his fortune in the 19th century tea trade.
Simon WillisonNovember 10, 2013
Cabin in the Woods fans rejoice... hidden within the Horniman's extensive collection is a genuine merman!
Kevan DavisMarch 3, 2014
Been here 10+ times
There's a sundial trail running through the gardens and conservatory here, showcasing eleven different types of dial. http://www.sundials.co.uk/~hornimn.htm
Kaylie MJanuary 3, 2016
Great view of the city, lovely gardens, something for everyone here!
Em EssNovember 23, 2016
The walrus is the absolute best. The aquarium is also worth it.
Sabina ChaudhryJune 18, 2014
Been here 10+ times
Beautiful gardens - great for picnics. Nice farmer's market every Sat - the black pudding sausage rolls are the best!
Evening StandardMay 14, 2012
One of the most popular displays at the Horniman Museum is a walrus created by a taxidermist who had never actually seen one and, not knowing that they had loose folds of skin, overstuffed it. Read more
Time Out LondonMarch 27, 2012
A 25-foot Alaskan totem pole outside the main entrance gives a clue as to what’s in here: a wealth of quirky anthropological and natural history treasures. Read more
Sergei RinaldesAugust 16, 2013
Unexpectedly beautiful museum and garden and cool events organised by the best Arts and Events manager!
Jeremy GordonDecember 5, 2011
Perfect place for the kids on a wet weekend. The aquarium and hands-on music room (adjacent to the instrument collection) are favourites.
Ieva PJanuary 9, 2013
Been here 50+ times
Beautiful educational gardens full of herbs and other plants. Great London views on top of the Hill.
Jon ChooSeptember 10, 2014
Been here 10+ times
Check out Horniman's aquarium and its famous jellyfish tank.
Erwin KrijgerApril 8, 2015
Great if you have kids. The gardens are beautiful and relaxing. Great view.
Time Out LondonFebruary 23, 2012
The most popular part of the museum is its showpiece Aquarium, where a series of tanks and rockpools cover seven distinct aquatic ecosystems. Read more
Alison RocheJuly 9, 2017
Awesome musical instrument collection!
National Maritime MuseumJuly 11, 2011
Frederick Horniman joined the family tea-importing business in 1849, just as US clipper ships started transporting tea from China, slashing travel time to only 100 days. Find your maritime story. Read more
Danny UKNovember 16, 2014
Free entry, though no decent parking nearby. If suggest parking at Sainsbury for 2 hours and walking up.
Matt RedmanOctober 31, 2009
Make sure you head into the gardens. From there you'll get an amazing view. You'll also find parking on Westwood Drive. There is also a great playground off Syndenam drive Read more
Geoffrey MakstutisMay 30, 2010
This is a great place for kids and parents alike. Very 'hands-on' with activities and events year round. A place you can return to again and again.
Kirsty JaneJune 30, 2015
Love the garden area museum is odd!
LondonistOctober 23, 2010
Been here 5+ times
If you're planning on eating in the cafe, take your food through to the ornate summer house in the gardens. Much more peaceful.
Dirk Vom LehnMay 8, 2010
Great collection of ethnographic objects, musical instruments, stuffed animals. Wonderful garden and excellent cafe. I not working here!

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