What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 5:30pm Tuesday 10am - 5:30pm Wednesday 10am - 5:30pm Thursday 10am - 5:30pm Friday 10am - 5:30pm Saturday 10am - 5:30pm Sunday 10am - 5:30pm

Horniman Museum and Gardens

Name: Horniman Museum and Gardens
Address: 100 London Road, London, SE233PQ, GB
Telephone: +442086991872
Price range: $
Rating: 4.6

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Horniman Museum and Gardens

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An inspiring, surprising, family-friendly, free Museum and Gardens in South London’s Forest Hill.
(3242)

We’ve been open since Victorian times, when Frederick John Horniman first opened his house and extraordinary collection of objects to visitors. Since then, our collection has grown tenfold and includes internationally important collections of anthropology and musical instruments, as well as an acclaimed aquarium and natural history collection. Unusually for such an important museum, you can see our collection up-close and face-to-face. You can even pick up, try on and play with some of our objects. Our visitors come time and again to explore our free Museum, take part in our activities and enjoy our 16-acre Gardens. And they discover something fascinating and mesmerising every time.

- The Museum is open daily, except for Wednesdays.
- The Gardens are open from 7.15am (8am Sundays and Bank Holidays) until Sunset.
- The Butterfly House is open from 10.30am - 4pm (last admission 3.30pm) daily, except Wednesdays. See the website for more details about how to plan your visit: https://www.horniman.ac.uk/plan-your-visit/

16/10/2026

What kind of work goes into expert wildlife photography? 📸

As part of our current exhibition for the British Wildlife Photography Awards, we have interviewed the photographers themselves who give us an insight into the process, story and craft behind their award winning snaps.

Follow the link in the comment, and discover how to get that perfect shot of a toad, deer, dragonflies and yellowhammers 🔽 🔽 🔽

15/10/2026

Ever wondered how such a splendid beast gets through the Horniman doors? Here's how!

Thanks to careful care from Constantine, the walrus was safely quarantined and returned, and there is not long to go until you can visit the walrus in person 🤝

The new gallery is open on February 5 2027, where you can greet the walrus and much, much more!

(Sped up - the Horniman Walrus doesn't move that fast 😆)

13/10/2026

We are celebrating success at the London in Bloom awards this year 🥇

Congratulations to our Gardens team who took home:

🥇 Gold in the Heritage & Parks category, meaning the Horniman scored highly in all categories.

🥇 Gold and Category Winner in the Environmental Challenge award, which recognises gardens that are responding to the challenges, and reducing the impacts, of climate change

🥈 Silver in the Biodiversity award, which recognises and celebrates those who have creatively and innovatively increased biodiversity by creating habitats.

🏆️ Apprentice Horticulturist of the Year goes to Isaac Guard, for his attention to detail and love of our natural world

12/10/2026

Wow! £7,205 raised so far from just our Inspiring Natre prize draw

We’ve been overwhelmed by your support – you smashed our first target £5000 in just 6 days 🎯

Help us reach our new goal and be in with a chance of winning a return trip for two on the Caledonian Sleeper, plus a gift voucher for a hotel stay in Scotland 🚂

We also have loads of other prizes up for grabs, many from incredible local businesses and artists

🖼️ A cyanotype workshop with Blueschein

🍕 Pizza at Dinner 4 100

🍹 A generous bar tab at Foresters Arms/Signal/Stuffed Walrus

🕯️ A £50 voucher to spend at Alkemi

🖊️ Join a mindful calligraphy class with @ artcarryhornby

💆 Massage and treatment at MindBody Therapy

🏕️ And a long weekend campervan rental from CampervanTastic

Enter before 21 October - every donation to our prize draw supports our Inspiring Nature crowdfunder and brings us closer to opening our Nature Gallery!

Thank you to everyone who has help us raise more than £7000 so far. We’ve got two and half weeks left, and you can donate directly on , link in bio!

10/10/2026

Don't miss Second Hand Sundays, 18 October on the Bandstand Terrace 🛍️

A brilliant day out for anyone who loves great finds, handmade pieces and giving things a second life.

Head to the Horniman Museum’s Bandstand Terrace for a special Second-hand & Made Sale, bringing together independent sellers and makers with a mix of pre-loved fashion, accessories, homewares, toys, books, vintage pieces, reworked materials and handmade goods.

Expect plenty of one-off finds, sample seconds, beautifully made pieces and things you won’t see on the high street 🤩

Swipe to see products from Glass Matters, Tin Lizzy amongst much, much more!

09/10/2026

🌱 This World Mental Health Day, we’re highlighting our Wellbeing Trail 🌱

Dotted around the Gardens, the trail invites visitors to pause, notice and reconnect with the present moment through a series of mindful prompts. Created by five dedicated local community members, the trail was designed to help make the Gardens a place of mindfulness, wellbeing and positive mental health 💚

Take a moment to pause and immerse yourself in nature. The lessons from the trail can be carried with you long after your visit 🌿

08/10/2026

Autumn is upon us 🍁🍂

It ha felt like the longest summer ever, and this week finally feels like a crispy autumn October.

Who is planning an autumn stroll around the Gardens?

06/10/2026

Look who popped in for photoshoot recently? Strictly Come Dancing's head judge, Shirley Ballas 💃

It's a ten from us, Shirley 🔟

You can hire our beautiful Conservatory for filming or photoshoots, weddings, away days and parties. The Grade II listed cast iron Conservatory was originally built by Frederick Horniman's parents in 1894 and restored to its original splendour

05/10/2026

Spooky season at the Horniman 🎃

If you wander past our food bed in the Sunken Garden, you might have spotted these gourds.

Pumpkins and gourds are linked to autumn, partly because they are in season, but also because of Halloween. Growers will harvest their crops at the end of summer or beginning of autumn, although some varieties have thick skins and can be kept well into winter.

They are all members of the Curcurbitaceae family, which includes over 900 species of squash and gourds, as well as cucumbers and melons 😋

02/10/2026

Our Nature Gallery prize draw is now live!

Enter our prize draw on crowdfunder to help us open our new gallery, with 30 fantastic treats up for grabs. Prizes include:

⭐️ STAR PRIZE: Caledonian Sleeper train - Return Trip
A return trip for two on the Caledonian sleeper train in an ensuite Club room cabin, plus £250 for overnight stay

🚐 Campervantastic Rental
A long weekend campervan hire with Campervantastic, Friday to Monday in a new VW California Campervan

👨‍🌾 Niwaki Hamper
Niwaki hamper featuring Hori Hori Trowel, Tote, Niwaki Field Report, Cap and Secateurs

🐯 Babur restaurant voucher
The Babur are offering a £100 voucher to redeem at their restaurant in Brockley

👩‍🍳 Vegetarian Cooking Workshop
A morning workshop experience for two with London Vegetarian School

🍷 Ancestral Wines Voucher
Voucher with Ancestral Wines in Forest Hill for a bottle of w**e up to £60

📽️ Everyman Cinema Vouchers
4 x vouchers for any film at any Everyman Cinema in the UK

💡 Lightroom Tickets
4 x tickets to see Larger Than Life exhibition at The Lightroom between 14 October 2026 – 4 January 2027

🍯 Handmade Ceramic Set
Handmade ceramic set of mugs, milk jar and small sugar pot from Guio Stuff

🤗 Self Care Hamper
Coffee bean eye pillow and candle from Nineteen98

Enter the prize draw for a chance to win one of these prizes, and find many more. All proceeds will go towards reopening the Nature Gallery!

Enter now to be in with a chance at winning, and check the terms and conditions on the link below.

Address

100 London Road
London
SE233PQ

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 5:30pm
Tuesday	10am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 5:30pm
Thursday	10am - 5:30pm
Friday	10am - 5:30pm
Saturday	10am - 5:30pm
Sunday	10am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+442086991872

Website

https://www.horniman.ac.uk/

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