The Horniman Museum tends to fly under the radar, which is precisely what makes it worth your time.
Located in the Forest Hill neighbourhood of south London, it packs Victorian curiosities, a world-class music collection, panoramic city views and 16 acres of gardens into a single free visit. It’s one of those places that Londoners like me keep to themselves.
Here’s what you’ll find there.
A Brief History
We have a Victorian tea trader and philanthropist to thank for all of this. From around 1860, Frederick John Horniman amassed a vast collection of objects “illustrating natural history and the arts and handicrafts of various peoples of the world.”
By the end of the century, the collection had entirely taken over his Forest Hill home, to such a degree that Mrs Horniman issued an ultimatum … ‘either the collection goes, or we do’. Frederick duly moved his family next door, and their former house opened to the public in 1890.
By 1901, even that wasn’t enough space, and a purpose-built museum designed by architect Charles Harrison Townsend opened on the same site. That’s the building you’ll visit today
What to see at the Horniman Museum
The Arts & Crafts building
Charles Harrison Townsend (1851 – 1928) was one of the leading architects of the Arts & Crafts movement, and the Horniman Museum shows exactly why. The facade is made from soft Doulting Stone, carved with leafy trees thought to represent the Tree of Knowledge.
What really catches the eye, though, is the enormous mosaic designed by artist Robert Anning Bell. Made from 17,000 pieces of glass, it tells the story of humanity and the forces that hold it back or push it forward. Worth stopping to look at before you go in
The natural history gallery (and the famous walrus)
Taxidermy and natural history were two passions of the Victorians. Birds, cats, squirrels; any animal you care to name. If it stood still for long enough, they stuffed it.
The Horniman’s most talked-about resident is its stuffed walrus, the size of a small car. It’s magnificently, hilariously wrong.
The taxidermists who assembled it from skin alone had never seen a live walrus and had no idea that a walrus is deeply wrinkled. So they stuffed it to the absolute limit. The result looks exactly like an overinflated balloon with tusks.
The walrus was brought back from Canada by explorer James Henry Hubbard and was first exhibited in London in 1886. Frederick Horniman bought him for the museum shortly after (the walrus, not the explorer).
At the far end of the hall, don’t miss the merman in his glass case. Part monkey, part fish, he’s an 18th or 19th-century fake that sailors sold to Europeans as proof that mermen were real creatures of the Asian oceans. He’s brilliant.
Please note: The Natural History Gallery is closed for a major redevelopment until early 2027, when it will reopen for the museum’s 125th anniversary. The walrus is temporarily unavailable. Check the museum’s website before you visit.
The music gallery
Downstairs, the Horniman houses one of the most extensive collections of musical instruments from around the world. You can travel (acoustically speaking) from a Uzbek wedding to the Rio Carnival, from Tibetan Tantric Buddhist ritual to a West Cameroon funeral.
Closer to home, there’s the collection and archive from Boosey & Hawkes, once Britain’s largest instrument maker. At their peak in the 1960s, their London factory was turning out over 1,000 instruments a week.
The World Gallery
More than 3,000 objects from the museum’s anthropology collection fill this space, arranged across four interlinked rooms.
What I like is that over 200 people from community networks — including representatives of communities who made or used these objects — worked with Horniman curators to develop the gallery. It shows. This doesn’t feel like the kind of museum where things are just displayed without context or care.
The aquarium
One of the most popular parts of the Horniman is its aquarium, covering seven aquatic ecosystems. It’s particularly good if you’re visiting with children.
Gardens and views
The Horniman sits on 16 acres of gardens, meadows and nature trails, and the views from the bandstand on a clear day are among the better London skyline vistas going. You can see the City in all its glory, which never gets old.
In the sunken Dye Garden (built in 1936 in the Arts & Crafts style), dozens of dye plants are grouped by the colour they produce. It’s a riot in summer. Running along its southern edge is the Medicinal Garden, where the claims for some plants are more convincing than others.
The Butterfly House is a small tropical garden cultivated specifically to attract butterflies. As well as experiencing these brightly coloured insects fluttering around your face, there is plenty of information on the life cycle and behaviour of butterflies.
Visiting The Horniman Museum: Practical Information
Address: 100 London Road, SE23 3PQ.
Getting there: The Horniman Museum is about a 10-minute walk from Forest Hill station (London Overground). Note that the walk is uphill. Several bus routes stop directly at the museum
Opening hours: The museum is open daily, from 10 am to 5.30 pm
Admission fee: Entry to the museum and gardens is free. The Aquarium and Butterfly House charge admission, as do some temporary exhibitions.
About Bridget
Bridget Coleman is a Londoner who has been a passionate traveller for more than 30 years. She has visited 70+ countries, most as a solo traveller.
Articles on this site reflect her first-hand experiences.
To get in touch, email her at hello@theflashpacker.net or follow her on social media.
Great review of the Horniman Bridget – I’m loving your observations and personal touches x
Thanks Geraldine! You were right … the Horniman is worth another trip south of the river. X