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
From Dusk to Dawn: Late Dawn Chorus Walk
Yes, it is an early start but the sound will be worth it! The best time to experience bird song is in the wee small hours. Ornithologist David Darrell-Lambert will lead you around the Horniman Gardens and show how bird sounds can be used to help identify and record as many different species as possible. Afterwards you can pop into our Hands on Base and handle some taxidermy bird specimens.
Suitable for
- 7-10
- 11-13
- 14-15
- Family friendly
When
5-6:30am
Admission
£4.00 per child, accompanying adults free.
Website
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/from-dusk-to-dawn-dawn-chorus-walk
Hot Spice Gingerbread and Edible Symbols
Anthropologist Kaori O'Connor takes us on a global tour of ginger through the objects in the collections of the Horniman Museum and Gardens, focusing on moulded gingerbread – the edible symbols that were said to have been invented at the court of Queen Elizabeth I.
Ginger is a fiery root which has been a food, spice and medicine for thousands of years, first named 'the horned thing’ and ‘the antlered thing’ in ancient Sanskrit.
Suitable for
- 18+
When
7-8:30pm
Admission
Free but please book online.
Website
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/hot-spice-gingerbread-and-edible-symbols
Tree Doctors: The Health of Our Trees
What’s bugging our Horse Chestnuts? Join our tree expert and take part in a guided tree walk around our Gardens. Find out about the Horse Chestnut Leaf Miner and other pests and diseases attacking our trees. Learn how to assess and reduce the damage with the help of our expert.
Suitable for
- 7-10
- 14-15
- 11-13
- Especially for children
When
10:30am-12pm
Admission
£4 Child. Accompanying adults free.
Website
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/tree-doctors-the-health-of-our-trees
Small Mammals: Furry Friends or Urban Pests?
Following an introduction to some of London’s small mammals by Jo Hatton, our Keeper of Natural History, join Jo on a walk along the Horniman Nature Trail and discover what might have visited during the night. Afterwards, find out which of these might have been dinner for an owl as you examine some owl pellets, and identify the bones inside.
Suitable for
- 7-10
- 14-15
- 11-13
- Especially for children
When
10:30am-12pm
Admission
£4.00 Child. Accompanying adults free.
Close Encounters of the Crawling Kind: Bugs in our Gardens
A chance to trial lots of different collecting techniques. Lift logs to see what’s living underneath, sieve leaf letter, try your hand at sweep netting and dip a pond net in our very own pond. Experts, including Richard ‘Bug man’ Jones will be on hand to introduce the various techniques and help identify and record species. Afterwards, head behind the scenes of the museum to get a closer look at insect specimens and find out more about bug-based research.
Suitable for
- 7-10
- 14-15
- 11-13
- Especially for children
When
10:30am-12:45pm
Admission
£4.00 Child. Accompanying adult free.
Alien Invaders: Invasive Species
An introduction to some of the most invasive species in the UK. Find out what they are, what damage they can do, and most importantly, how to recognise them. Join insect ecologist, Richard Jones for a large scale ladybird count in our gardens and get expert advice on how to tell apart native species and the Harlequin invaders! Free but ticketed on the day. For families with children aged 3+.
Suitable for
- 5-6
- 7-10
- 11-13
- 14-15
When
11am-2pm
Admission
Free but ticketed on the day
Website
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/alien-invaders-invasive-species-
Stories of Cheese-Making Told by its Tools
In this lecture, Professor Harry G. West looks at cheese-making tools in the Horniman's collections, dating from the 18th century to the mid-20th century, and ranging in origin from England to Romania. He considers what these objects can tell us about the techniques of the cheese-makers who used them and the cheeses that they made.
Suitable for
- 18+
- Not suitable for children
When
7-8:30pm
Website
http://www.horniman.ac.uk/visit/events/stories-of-cheese-making-told-by-its-tools
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