Visitors are in for a summer of celebration, family fun, and hands-on activities at a historic museum in Lewisham.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill is marking its 125th anniversary with a packed programme of events, exhibitions, and interactive activities running throughout May and June, including a dedicated birthday weekend.
The highlight of the season will be the 125th Birthday Party on Saturday, June 27, from 12pm to 5pm, a free, ticketed afternoon of celebration featuring more than 40 activities for all ages. Advance booking required.
Guests can enjoy live music across three stages, storytelling, trails, crafts, roaming performances, and hands-on fun including birthday hat making, giant crafts, and creative workshops.
Visitors can also contribute to the Horniman memory map, share their favourite moments, and add ideas for the future of the museum and gardens.
The festivities extend throughout the weekend with a special Horniman Market on Saturday, June 28, running from 10am to 3pm.
The expanded market will showcase artists, crafters, producers, and cooks from across south east London, reflecting the creativity and culture of the wider community.
Younger visitors can enjoy a child-friendly Second-hand Sunday market on May 10, with pre-loved children’s clothes, books, and toys on offer in a sustainable shopping event with free entry.
Several new features are set to open as part of the Horniman’s long-term Nature + Love project, including the Kusuma Nature Play area, which opens on May 21.
This nature-themed play space will offer sensory planting, climbing webs, a wooden jetty, and themed play equipment inspired by wildlife found in the gardens.
The Gardens Cafe, which will open on the same day, is set to serve sourdough pizzas, coffee, and artisan gelato in a family-friendly setting with both indoor and outdoor seating.
Fans of interactive technology can try the Animals Everywhere! AR trail, which guides visitors through the gardens with 3D animated animals, challenges, and mini-games via smartphone.
The improved Nature Trail now features step-free access and new information panels highlighting the wildlife that lives along the route.
Inside the museum, younger children can follow the Octonauts: Adventure at the Horniman trail, which runs until November 1 and offers free mini-missions and fun facts throughout the galleries.
On June 11, the first of the museum’s summer Hear it Live! concerts takes place on the Bandstand, with a jazz performance by London band Stratos from 4pm to 5.10pm.
Other regular events include Family Craft Saturdays from 2pm to 4pm (except June 20), with themed activities such as World Bee Day crafts, turtle-themed creations for World Turtle Day, and birthday bunting in June to help decorate the museum for its anniversary celebrations.
Exhibitions currently on display include Voyage to the Deep – Underwater Adventures, Project Coral and the Journey of HOPE, Meeting Mohini, and The Great Kingdom of Benin.
The museum’s popular Aquarium and Butterfly House remain open daily, with advance booking recommended through the Horniman website.
Mini golf is also available on weekends, school holidays, and bank holidays, offering a nine-hole course with Horniman-themed obstacles including the Clocktower and the iconic walrus.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens is open daily from 10am to 5.30pm, with free entry to the galleries.
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