Is The Horniman Museum Good For Kids?

A Family Guide and Review of The Horniman Museum, London

If you’re wondering, “Is the Horniman Museum good for kids?”, the short answer is yes! It’s one of London’s most family-friendly museums. With interactive exhibits, a small aquarium, beautiful gardens, and even a butterfly house, it’s ideal for a day out with children of all ages. In this post, I’ll share what to expect when visiting the Horniman Museum with kids, from toddler-friendly highlights to practical tips that make your visit easier.

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Good To Know Before You Visit The Horniman Museum with Kids

Below is some useful information to know before you visit the Horniman Museum and Gardens as a family.

How to Get to the Horniman Museum

The Horniman Museum and Gardens are located in Forest Hill, London. The address is: 100 London Rd, London SE23 3PQ.

The museum is a less than 10-minute walk (up a bit of a hill) from Forest Hill Station, which is an accessible station for families visiting with a pushchair (stroller). You can take a direct train to Forest Hill from London Bridge.

You can also get to the Horniman Museum by bus. There are several buses that take you right outside the museum, including bus numbers 176, 185, 197, 356 and P4.

Do you have to pay for the Horniman Museum?

One of the things that makes the Horniman Museum good for kids is that it’s free to visit! Advanced booking is not required for general entry to the museum or gardens, including the farm animal trail. You can just show up and enjoy.

While the main part of the museum is free, some exhibitions require an entry ticket, including the butterfly house and aquarium. You can pre-book these online or at the information desk when you arrive.

Accessibility for Families Visiting with a Pushchair (Stroller)

The museum is very accessible and easy to get around with pushchairs (strollers). You’re not meant to take pushchairs into the exhibitions, and there is a large buggy parking area. However, they did let me take it in when my baby was asleep in it.

Beautiful external view of the Horniman Museum building in South London

Pushchair parking area at the Horniman Museum, showing how the Horniman is good for kids and families

The Exterior of the Horniman Museum | Pushchair Parking | The View of the City of London

Can You Eat at the Horniman Museum?

The Horniman has quite strict rules on eating. No food is allowed to be eaten in the museum, and they did ask me to take away my baby’s snack.

The Horniman has a lovely, recently renovated cafe with a great menu. It is well equipt with high-chairs and baby changing facilities and also does a great kids’ meal. See the Horniman Cafe menu here.

The cafe does not let you eat your own food in there, and the staff were enforcing this rule (which I have never known anywhere else to do!) After our visit, I found out that you can eat your own food in the gardens or in the Dutch Barn. (Of course, it would have been better for the cafe staff to direct people to the barn rather than just telling them to leave!)

Horniman Museum café menu with kid-friendly food options on display

Fresh pastry served in the Horniman Museum café – a great family pit stop

The Horniman Museum Cafe Menu and Selection of Pastries

What is there to do in the Horniman Museum with Kids?

1. Enjoy the Free Exhibitions

The Horniman Museum has a range of free exhibitions that the whole family can enjoy.

The Music Gallery at the Horniman Museum is good for kids to explore; it has interactive tables where you can hear the instruments play, which they loved. Don’t miss the hands-on music room, it is located through a door to the left of the Music Gallery, but is easy to miss. In here, there are lots of musical instruments from around the world that kids can play!

The World Gallery also has great, fun, interactive activities for kids. Writing a wish for this tree was especially cute.

The make a wish tree cultural displays in the Horniman’s World Gallery

An interactive display that is great for kids at thee Horniman Museum

The Musical, Tea and World Exhibitions that Make the Horniman Museum Good for Kids

2. Visit the Temporary Exhibitions

The first time we visited, the temporary exhibition was the Dinosaur rEvoloution. The second was the robot zoo. My boys love dinosaurs, so taking them here was a no-brainer.

The temporary exhibits are usually aimed at kids, so they are, of course, very family-friendly. Tickets for the Dinosaur rEvoloution were £9 for adults and £6 for children. Under 3’s are free.

It was much smaller than I expected it to be. We only spent around half an hour in there, and that was stretched out. The dinosaur replicas were great and there are some really interesting facts. There is also a colouring table and kids’ books you can read.

Are these exhibitions worth it? Really, it comes down to your budget. If you can afford it, kids will enjoy it, and it’s great to support a free museum.

3. Visit the Aquarium or Butterfly House

The Horniman Museum also has a small aquarium and butterfly house that kids will love.

Again, these are paid entries. The Butterfly house costs £9.75 for adults, £6.50 for kids and under 3’s go free. The Aquarium is £6.50 for adults and £3.25 for children, with under 3’s going free.

The cost of all the extra exhibits can add up quickly. It may be worth considering a membership, a family membership starts from £89 and can be bought online or at the information desk.

4. Stroll in the Museum Gardens.

Another thing that makes the Horniman Museum good for kids is the beautiful gardens. This museum is best visited on a nice weather day, so you can enjoy it fully.

The grounds are spacious and perfect for little kids to run around in. There is a fun musical garden with instruments that children will love to play with.

You’ll also see amazing views of London, which I just love! The conservatory is also beautiful to see.

Dinosaur rEvolution exhibition at the Horniman Museum – an exciting display that proves the Horniman is good for kids

Alpacas along the Horniman’s farm trail, showing why the Horniman is good for kids

The Dinosour rEvolution Exhibit, The Animal Trail and the Musical Garden at the Horniman

5. Walk The Farm Trail

There is also a small farm trail. It’s on a bit of a hill, so not ideal for pushchairs, but we managed it. You can see lots of small animals and also goats and alpacas, which the kids loved. This is a really great activity for families visiting the Horniman with little kids.

6. Skip the Nature Trail

The nature trail was a little disappointing. It’s not easily accessible for pushchairs, you have to go up steps. After getting to the trail. It’s really just a path through trees. There is nothing special about it compared to any other woodland walk. It’s also not a loop; by this point, our kids were getting tired, so we turned back about halfway.

If you have a pushchair, I think there are plenty of other great things to do at the museum, and this is one you can skip.

Summer 2025 Update: The Nature trail is currently being renovated, and we’re excited to see it as the plans look great!

Thank you so much for reading our guide to visiting the Horniman Museum as a family. I hope we’ve helped you to plan your day in London!