Exhibitions and Displays

The Robot Zoo
Opens Saturday 11 February – Sunday 29 October

How do chameleons change colour? What makes grasshoppers leap so high? Is a giant squid jet-propelled? Answer these questions and more at The Robot Zoo, where amazing animals are recreated in robot form to reveal their inner workings.

These larger-than-life robots and hands-on interactives – including a platypus, a giraffe and a 10-foot-wide house fly – show the animals’ anatomy as a host of familiar machine parts and gadgets such as shock absorbers, springs and pumps, which demonstrate how animal bodies work.

Enter this amazing world of robotic creatures, see inside them and even control some of them – and discover mind-boggling facts about animals that share our world.

Tickets on sale now. Free, unlimited entry for Horniman Members. Visit www.horniman.ac.uk for information. Ticket prices: Child £4.40; Adult £7.70: Family (2 adults, 2 children) £18.70. Prices include voluntary 10%Gift Aid donation. See www.horniman.ac.uk/robotzoo for more information. Horniman Members enjoy free, unlimited visits to the exhibition.

Special Family Events

National Storytelling Week Workshop
Sunday 5 February, 1-2.15pm and 2.45-4pm

Use the Horniman’s collection for inspiration to create your very own illustrated story in this family workshop with children’s author Margaret Bateson-Hill.
Suitable for children aged 3+. Tickets: Child £3. Children must be accompanied by adults.

Family Art Fun: February Half Term
Monday 13 February, Tuesday 14 February, Thursday 16 February, Friday 17 February
11am – 2.45pm
Join free and fabulous Horniman craft activities this February half-term inspired by our latest family exhibition The Robot Zoo. Sessions run every 45 minutes. Free.

Hands on Base: Horniman Explorers
Monday 13 February, Tuesday 14 February, Thursday 16 February, Friday 17 February
11am–12.30pm; 2-3.30pm
Discover the collections that make the Horniman special! Touch and explore real things from a West African thumb piano to sharks jaws in our Hands on Base gallery. Take part in challenges that could have you trying on clothes, playing music, drawing and exploring objects related to our holiday theme. Free.

The Nightingale
Monday 13 February to Friday 17 February
11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2.30pm, 3.30pm
The classic Hans Christian Anderson story The Nightingale has been adapted into a charming interactive puppet show by Sandal Sticks Theatre. Come and hear the tale about a Chinese Emperor’s love for a mechanical bird. Suitable for ages 3+. Tickets: Child £4, Adult £1.

Big Wednesday: The Robot Zoo
Wednesday 15 February
11am – 3.30pm
Our latest exhibition The Robot Zoo has inspired a day of storytelling, performances and installations. Join us to see giant origami animals being created and hear stories about fabulous animals. Free.