Is The Horniman Museum Good For Kids? A Complete Review

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.

We’ve visited the Horniman Museum and Gardens many times, from when my youngest was a baby, so I have included toddler-friendly tips as well as recommendations for older kids.

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.

There is no parking at the Horniman Museum itself, but there is a pay-and-display car park at Forest Hill Station.

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 and its gardens are free, some exhibitions require an entry ticket, including the butterfly house, aquarium and special exhibits. I will share more information about these below. Looking for more free things to do in London with kids? Check out this post!

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), making it perfect for families with a baby or toddler. You’re not meant to take pushchairs into the exhibitions, and there is a large buggy parking area.

However, it was no problem for me to take my stroller into an exhibition when my baby was asleep in it.

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.

However, the Horniman has a lovely, recently renovated cafe with a great menu. It is well-equipped with high-chairs and baby changing facilities, and also offers great kids’ meals. See the Horniman Cafe menu here.

The grounds of the Horniman are stunning. On a sunny day, it is a lovely place for a picnic!

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.

Consider an Annual Membership

As I mentioned, the Hormiman Museum and Gardens are free to visit; however, there are some areas that require an additional fee. Purchasing an annual membership allows you to visit all these areas for free!

Membership prices start at £42 for a single entry and go up to £82 for a family. If you live locally or plan to visit at least a few times in a year, this may well work out more cost-effectively. See the full details here.

The Horniman Museum with Kids: What to See and Do

Below, I will share all the information you need for visiting the Hormiman Museum and Gardens with kids, plus our full review.

1. Enjoy the Free Exhibitions

The Horniman Museum has a range of free exhibitions that the whole family can enjoy. The Music, Natural History and World Galleries are permanent exhibitions, and there is an additional space where the theme changes every so often. I will share more information about them below:

The Music Gallery

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.

While you’re in the music room, make sure you don’t miss the hands-on music room. This 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 Natural History Gallery

The Natural History Gallery at the Horniman Museum and Gardens is one of the most fascinating areas for kids. It offers a nice alternative to the busy and chaotic Natural History Museum in Kensington.

The most famous resident is the enormous stuffed walrus, but there are also hundreds of other animals from around the world to spot. My children especially loved seeing the colourful birds, huge mammals and creepy-crawly displays up close. It’s not the most interactive gallery, but it is incredibly atmospheric and perfect for children who love animals and nature.

The World Gallery

The World Gallery is also a good one for kids. They have some fun, interactive activities, including an interactive floor map that’s perfect for young children. Another highlight was the wishing tree; writing a wish and hanging it on the tree was especially cute!

The Studio

The studio space is the one that gets changed periodically. During our first visit, it was Tea-themed. For 2026 it has been changed to a small Natural History themed exhibit.

We found the Tea gallery great, as I had a hands-on table and colouring activities. The history one feels is smaller and is not very interactive for kids.

2. Visit the Temporary Exhibitions

The first time we visited, the temporary exhibition was the Dinosaur rEvoloution. 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, although you can stay as long as you like. The dinosaur replicas were great, and there are some really interesting facts. There is also a colouring table and kids’ books you can read.

Other exhibition examples have been The Robot Zoo and Voyage to the Deep, an Octonauts-themed area. Prices have also increased slightly to £9.80 for adults and £7 for children. Under 3’s still visit for free. Find out more about the current exhibition here.

Are these exhibitions worth it? I would say this space is best for children aged around 2-8years old. Ultimately, it comes down to your budget. If you can afford it, kids will enjoy it! Booking an additional extra is a great way to support a free museum!

There are a couple of other paid sections of the Horniman, which I will also share.

3. Play in the New Kusuma Nature Play Area

In May 2026, the Horniman added a playground to its gardens. This is a really great addition for children visiting the museum.

This is a nature-inspired play area and is a really lovely design. The museum advises that its suited fir up to age 11. Personally, I would say it’s best suited to younger children and toddlers. My 3-year-old was the perfect age for it and had so much fun playing there.

The playground is situated a little way from the museum itself, but it does have its own cafe and toilets, with baby changing, which is really useful.

This is a free activity, and no booking is required. Looking for more great playgrounds in London? Read this guide next.

4. See Fish in the Aquarium

The Horniman Museum has its own aquarium, although it’s only small, it is a unique activity that kids will love. It’s beautifully designed and ideal for toddlers. There are colourful coral reef fish, seahorses, jellyfish and fascinating displays about British rivers and oceans.

It’s easy to explore in under an hour, making it a great add-on to a family day at the museum.

The Aquarium is £6.50 for adults and £3.50 for children, with under 3’s going free. You can find out more on the website linked here.

5. Explore the Butterfly House

The Butterfly House at the Horniman Museum and Gardens is a lovely little extra, especially for younger children. Inside the tropical greenhouse, butterflies fly freely all around you, often landing surprisingly close as you walk through the plants and flowers.

Although some children might find it scary, for others it feels calm, warm and immersive!

The Butterfly house costs £9.90 for adults, £6.50 for kids and under 3’s go free. You can see more on the website, linked here.

6. Stroll in the Museum Gardens

One of the main things that makes the Horniman Museum good for kids is the beautiful gardens. These are both child and parent-pleasing! This museum is best visited on a nice weather day, so you can enjoy it fully.

The grounds are so spacious and perfect for little kids to run around in, and there is also 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.

7. Walk The Farm Trail

Set in the grounds, there is also a short 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 farm animals, plus goats and alpacas, which the kids loved. This is a really great activity for families visiting the Horniman with little kids.

8. The Nature Trail

Unfortunately, the nature trail was a little disappointing. I was hoping they would have improved it in the 2026 playground revamp, but other than adding an accessible ramp, it seemed to be the same.

I was hoping for some statues or characters to spot along the way. However, it’s really just a path through trees, very similar 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.

Final Thoughts on Visiting the Horniman Museum and Gardens with Kids

The Horniman Museum and Gardens is one of our favourite family-friendly museums in London. Between the interactive exhibitions, beautiful gardens, aquarium, butterfly house and farm trail, there is so much to keep kids entertained for a full day out.

It feels much more relaxed than some of London’s busier museums, which makes it especially great for families with younger children. Whether you’re visiting for the first time or returning to explore a new temporary exhibition, the Horniman is the kind of place children will talk about long after you leave.

While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend someone visiting London as a tourist, going out of their way to get here, it is an amazing free thing to do in London for local families.

Looking for More Family-Friendly Museums in London?

We love a museum visit. I have written guides on many of the top London Museums; I’ll link them below. Make sure to read them next and follow me on Instagram for more London and Family travel inspiration.

• The Best Museums in London for Kids
• London Museums with Indoor Play Areas for Young Children
• Tips for visiting the Science Museum
• National Maritime Museum, Greenwich Review
• Museum of the Home, Hoxton Review
• The Museum of London Docklands, Canary Wharf Review
• Young V&A Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green Review
• National Army Museum, Chelsea Review
• Postal Museum, Clerkenwell Review
• British Museum with Kids Review
• Bank of England Museum Review

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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!

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OR READ ALL OUR LONDON MUSEUM REVIEWS HERE.

Happy Exploring,