Horniman Museum and Gardens
A free South London museum of anthropology, natural history and musical instruments set within 16 acres of gardens, opened in 1901 as a gift to the public by tea trader Frederick John Horniman.
- Museum
- Price: Free
Open in A Reason to StopFree on the App Store. iPhone, iOS 26 or later.
Did you know
Horniman gave the museum and its grounds to the public 'in perpetuity' in 1901, and its overstuffed walrus, taxidermied larger than its real anatomy because Victorian taxidermists had never seen a live one and over-padded its wrinkly skin, has become one of the museum's best-known exhibits.
Local tip
Combine the museum with its gardens, which include an aquarium, a butterfly house and a sound garden, and the terrace behind the building has one of the better free skyline views in South London.
Finding it
- Address
- Sydenham Hill, Upper Sydenham, Forest Hill, London Borough of Lewisham, Greater London, England, SE23 3PH
- Nearest station
- Forest Hill (Overground), 623 m away
Details change, so check with the place before you set off.
More places nearby
- One Tree HillA wooded hill and nature reserve in Honor Oak with a surprise viewpoint at the top, looking across the London skyline to the Shard, St Paul's and, from some positions, Canary Wharf.
- Peckham Rye ParkA Victorian park south of Peckham with a Japanese garden, stretches of the old River Peck and a weekly parkrun.
- Dulwich Picture GallerySir John Soane's 1817 gallery on the edge of Dulwich Village, often described as England's oldest public art gallery, with an outstanding Old Master collection and a sculpture garden.
- The Ivy HouseLondon's first community-owned pub, a 1938 Grade II-listed Truman's 'improved public house' in Nunhead that mixes gigs, quiz nights, and Sunday roasts under a locally owned co-operative.