Horniman Butterfly House
10am-5pm September to October / 10am-4pm November to February. [Last admission 30 minutes before closing] See the website for seasonal opening times
Get up close with hundreds of beautiful butterflies in a tropical indoor garden. The specially-planted habitat is the perfect place to experience free-flying butterflies and discover amazing facts about the life-cycle and behaviour of these fascinating creatures.
Tickets *Adult £6, Child £6, Family (two adults and two children) £15
*includes voluntary 10% Gift Aid donation which supports the work of the Horniman.
Indian Summer
Until Sunday 3 September 2017. The Horniman brings the sounds and spirit of South Asia to south east London with its vibrant Indian Summer season of events, performances and displays.
www.horniman.ac.uk/IndianSummer
Horniman Mela: Sunday 3 September, 12–6pm
Our amazing Indian Summer draws to an end with a fun day of performances and activities inspired by popular South Asian festivals and celebratory traditions, and an arts and crafts market in partnership with Pexmas. The day will culminate with a spectacular gathering to recreate a Holi festival colour throw (it will be messy so please don’t wear or bring anything valuable or that stains easily. Plastic ponchos will be available).
Free
Special Events
Open House Weekend: Saturday 16 September, 11am – 12pm, 12.30pm – 1.30pm, 2pm – 3pm
The Horniman moved into its current building with its landmark Clocktower in 1901. Since then the site has been expanded with a number of architecturally-significant developments, including green-roofed education space and library.
Tim Hopkins, Estates Manager, takes you around the Museum and gives a unique insight into the work required to successfully maintain the many buildings for visitors to enjoy.
Free, but booking essential.
Regular Events
Horniman Farmers’ Market: Every Saturday, 9am-1.30pm
Visit the Horniman Farmers’ Market every Saturday to pick-up your weekly essentials direct from independent and local producers. Located in our glorious Gardens you will find stalls selling seasonal fruit and veg, artisan bread, organic meat and delicious hot food. We also have regular guest traders specialising in treats such as luxury chocolates, homemade jams and irresistible cakes.
Free entry
Library Open Day: First Sunday of each month, 10.30am–5.30pm
Browse our library collections and see some of the library treasures.
Free, drop in
Hear it Live!: Tuesday 26 September, 3.30-4pm
Join us in the Music Gallery for a live performance by Rosie Manford using our 1772 Jacob Kirckman harpsichord.
Free
Regular Family Events
A World of Stories: Every Sunday (except 3 September), 2-2.45pm and 3.15-4pm
Enjoy stories from some of the best storytellers in London. Their stories bring the Museum’s varied collections to life and will whisk you away to faraway places and different times. Suitable for families with children aged 5+.
Free
Art Makers: Every Saturday 1.30-2.15pm and 2.45-3.30pm
Have fun with different art techniques to create something fabulous to take home inspired by the Horniman’s collections or seasonal celebrations. Different themes each week. Suitable for families with children aged 3+. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Tickets: £3 Child
Busy Bees: Every Tuesday and Wednesday from 12 September
10-10.30am, 10.45-11.15am, 11.30am-12pm. Lively sessions for under-5s and their parents/carers during term-time. Activities include storytelling, art and craft and outdoor play (Muddy Bees on 26 September). These sessions are not suitable for nursery school groups.
Free, tickets available on the day
Hands on Base: Family Activities: Every Saturday 11am, 11.45am and 12.30pm
Discover the collections that make the Horniman special in our Hands on Base. Each week these fun family sessions will explore a different theme using objects from our Handling Collection, from African masks to sharks jaws. Suitable for families with children aged 3+.
Free
Hands on Base – Open for All: Every Sunday (except 3 September), 11am–12.30pm
Touch and explore real Museum objects ranging from taxidermy to thumb pianos in our Hands on Base gallery. Everyone welcome.
Free, drop-in
Exhibition
The Robot Zoo: Until 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.
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 for more information.
Horniman Members enjoy free, unlimited visits to the exhibition.