Horniman Museum & Gardens
Horniman Museum & Gardens
100 London Road
Forest Hill
London
Greater London
SE23 3PQ
England
Website
Telephone
020 8699 1872
Fax
020 8291 5506
The Horniman has a unique range of exhibitions, events and activities which illustrate the cultural and natural world. Our collections of anthropology, natural history and musical instruments provide the inspiration for our programme of permanent and temporary exhibitions and events and activities. A full range of events and activities take place for different audiences including storytelling and art and craft sessions for children, and courses and workshops for adults.
This museum has Designated Collections of national importance.
Venue Type:
Museum, Library, Archive, Garden, parklands or rural site
Additional info
Our library is open to the public by appointment only.
The Ethnography and Music collections are Designated Collections of national importance.
The Museum holds in total some 350,000 objects and related items. The Horniman has three main collections, World Cultures (Ethnography) comprising 80,000 objects, Natural History with 250,000 specimens, and Music with over 7,000 instruments plus 1,000 archive documents. There is also a parallel education handling collection which has over 3,700 objects drawn from all three main disciplines and a library collection with texts and related items covering the main collection areas.
The Museum also has an active collecting policy with regular fieldwork to acquire new objects and to find out more about existing ones carried out by curators. Over 90% of the collections of Ethnography and Music have been acquired since the original bequest by Frederick Horniman in 1901. Most objects not currently on display are held in storage at the Museum's Study Collection Centre in Greenwich, while the Museum also loans objects to other institutions for exhibitions.
Collection details
World Cultures, Weapons and War, Social History, Science and Technology, Photography, Performing Arts, Natural Sciences, Music, Decorative and Applied Art, Costume and Textiles, Coins and Medals, Archives, Archaeology
Key artists and exhibits
- Designated Collection
Rainforest of the Sea
A stunning photographic exhibition by our Aquarium curator Jamie Craggs.
Highlighting the incredible diversity of life within the South East Asia's coral triangle and the threats that are facing coral reef habitats worldwide.
Suitable for
Admission
Free
Amazon Adventure: Vicious Fishes and Other Riches
Learn about piranhas and anacondas, meet live tetras and stingrays, feel the simulated zap of an electric eel and discover the environmental dangers facing the Amazon. A mix of hands-on activities, colourful artwork, scientific research, and live specimens makes Amazon Adventure a fun, interactive experience for visitors of all ages. This is a dual language exhibition in English/Spanish.
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
- 11-13
Languages
- Spanish
Admission
Child £3, Adult £6, Family £15 (prices include 10% voluntary Gift Aid donation)
Website
The Art of Harmony: The V&A and Horniman Music Collections
This exhibition showcases Western classical musical instruments on loan from the V&A and complementary objects from the Horniman.
Suitable for
- Any age
Where
Balcony Gallery
Admission
Free
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