Horniman Museum and Gardens london

Museum AND Gardens really is true. You ca come here to relax for free (unless you like ice cream) in a wide variety of outdoor spaces. There are lots of trees and shade but also a wide field, formal gardens, outdoor musical instruments (that sound good even when played by enthusiastic kids) and a pretty good view over London. The main museum houses a number of fixed exhibits from stuffed animals and the ever fun history of musical instruments (which you can digitally play) to special exhibitions like the current Lego one and previous robotic animals. The downstairs aquarium is ... well tiny and a bit disappointing, though you still can stick your head in some Perspex bulbs to get up close to frogs and fish. Little kids only really. Outside the farm has the usual chickens, alpacas, sheep, goats, rabbits and guinea pigs. It’s next to the temporary butterfly exhibit (which is warm!) but that’s been around a while and worth a visit but you need to book a time slot in the museum. And the mini golf ... no, that’s not included in membership, has London prices and is temporary/ looks it too. Enjoy if it’s your thing. Overall it’s a great place to relax for a couple hours, being the family or have a picnic date. You’ll find your spot and never forget the name or the tower on the main road.

It was our first time going to the museum.i took my two children aged 7 & 1 We loved the butterfly house and my baby loved the fish. The staff was friendly and very helpful & go out there way to make your visit good, the place was clean & well looked after even tho it was very busy the only bad bit was where you eat your pack lunch was right up the top & not clear where to find it. So was walking around in the rain for a while As the map is not very helpful But over all very good experience & would definitely would come bk.

Love this museum as a great half day out with my toddler. We enjoy the aquarium and various exhibitions (most recently Lego). Lovely grounds- great view of London skyline. Not brilliant facilities wise...does need more toilets and changing facilities etc as it does get incredibly busy but still one of our favourite places

The experience is just lovely. You can enjoy the aquarium, natural Museum, butterfly sanctuary and a colourful garden. Don't forget to experience the music garden and museum. The Horniman Museum does not leave the kids out of this beautiful experience. They can play and touch as much as they want. Children do learn and play at the same time at the Horniman Museum and Garden. The experience is really unforgettable. I loved it. Believe me, your kids would have fun learning all about their surroundings .

Lovely place for a stroll in the weekend with your loved one or your dog. The grass is cut real nice and short so you can sit down and have a quick chill. Definitely check out the butterfly room. There’s a little board in there that tells you which butterfly’s are in that room. You can play a fun game with your buddy on who can find a specific butterfly first. Just don’t get too excited and touch one. I heard that makes them turn back into worms Crazy golf is also there which is a good enough reason to go in itself Nice coffee spot too. And view

Beautiful gardens with well care landscaping in a interesting hilly land. It is a fantastic place to bring children of all ages, in pretty much all weather. There is plenty of free activities to enjoy, like the mini animal park (although I found it to be sad). Or with a little investment I highly recommend the butterfly house. My 6 year old was extremely interested and amused. The museum has fun exhibits but the local community is honestly the best part of any experience there: super welcoming and family friendly people!

Great place for the kids. Very interesting stuff on show.... The manager is probably the person ever!!! Went out of the way to find us a quiet room.... Absolutely amazing person. Thank you so much.

The Horniman is slightly eccentric compared to some of the larger London museums but they have a great display on anthropology around the world with loads of different sections which I really enjoyed. The gardens are pretty and big considering their location, and it's very conveniently located if you're based in South East London as you can drive and park nearby. There's also an aquarium which is cool (though you have to pay for this) and lots of stuffed animals which would be good for people interested in taxidermy, although this is avoidable if (like me!) you're not so keen on it!

We had an absolutely amazing time today at the museum. My kids, 5 and 2 years old, were really intrigued by the specimen of the animals and the aquarium. The butterfly house receptionist was a bit aloof but the man working there was really friendly. He showed us a very long hanging caterpillar and made a butterfly origami for my daughter. She is holding on to it as her treasure. Thank you. The cafe is very efficient and clean and the food is one of the best in the parks and museums we’ve been to. The Guineas cake was superb. They are still serving delicious mull wine and mull cider as well as baileys hot chocolate. I went for a spiced pumpkin soup which was scrumptious for a cold day like today. The kids enjoyed their pasta and fish fingers. We also appreciated the drinking water stand where we refilled our water bottle. We really felt that a lot of thoughts have been put into making our visit enjoyable. Thank you so much to all the staff. One thing that could be improved is the online booking system. We kept having issues with it and ended up having to go to the visitor centre to get our tickets.

I just went to the gardens today not the museum.the garden's is a beautiful space with several things to do in it. There is a very small farm but it is still lovely to be so close to animals such as an alpaca and some sheep. There are some large musical instruments that children and adults can have fun with making lots of sounds. There is also a butterfly house which you have to book to get in but it is well worth a visit. There is also a refreshment kiosk.