The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a museum that was formed from the private collection of tea trader Frederick Horniman. The museum was opened to the public in 1901 and it is a fascinating insight into the sort of collections that were curated by private individuals during the Victorian era.
What to see at the Horniman Museum and Gardens
The Horniman Museum has an eclectic collection that includes a large collection of musical instruments, an aquarium and extensive natural history and anthropology collections.
It has a large natural history collection with over 250,000 items and it is noted for its large collection of stuffed animals, animal skeletons and also specimens that are half-stuffed half-skeleton.
One of the highlights of its taxidermy collection is the museum’s most famous exhibit; the stuffed – or overstuffed – walrus that is over 100 years old.
The museum also has a large anthropology collection highlighting cultures from around the world and it was the first museum in the United Kingdom to have a gallery dedicated to African culture. The African gallery includes artefacts from throughout Africa including Egyptian mummies.
The music gallery has a large collection with over 8000 musical instruments, the oldest dating from 3,500 years ago.
The aquarium features 15 displays representing eight different geographic zones
The museum sits in 16 acres of gardens, which is like a cross between a botanical garden and a regular park. There is a bandstand, a totem pole and a mosaic and there are lovely views of London from the gardens.
Visiting the Horniman Museum and Gardens
The Horniman Museum and Gardens is located in Forest Hill in south London. It is a 10-minute walk from Forest Hill railway station, which is on the East London line of the London Overground with trains every eight minutes and is also accessible by trains from London Bridge. The train journey from London Bridge takes 15 minutes with trains running every 15 minutes. It is also served by bus routes 176, 185, 197, 356 and P4, which all stop outside.
Admission to the museum and gardens is free, but there is a charge to visit the aquarium and butterfly house as well as some temporary exhibitions (although admission to the aquarium is free with the National Art Pass).
Despite originating from a private collection, there is a lot to see here and you can easily spend 2–3 hours at the museum, plus travel time to and from central London.
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