The Horniman Museum and Gardens is a museum in Forest Hill, London, England. Commissioned in 1898, it opened in 1901 and was designed by Charles Harrison Townsend in the Arts and Crafts style.
Accessibility
The Horniman would like to make visiting as accessible as possible for all of our visitors. Find lots of information below to help you plan your visit and answer any questions you may have. We have also created a series of films which show you how the Horniman is on a typical day, in terms of visitors, lighting and noise levels.
Car Parking and Arrival
There are limited spaces for car and mini-bus parking available on the Horniman site for Blue Badge Holders.
To enter the site you need to go to the Horniman Drive entrance - please use postcode SE23 3BT when using a SatNav or GPS.
There is a buzzer on the right-hand side, please press it to ask Security to enter.
Main Entrance
The Horniman is fully accessible from the main public entrance on London Road.
The path from the main gate to the Museum entrance is approximately 150 meters long and is uphill. There are benches along the route.
The main entrance is to the right.
There are two sets of automatic glass doors at the entrance.
Please do not use the Clocktower entrance. This is for staff and deliveries only, and is not accessible for wheelchair users.
Reception and Ticket Desk
Inside the main entrance there is a staffed Ticket Desk. Staff here are happy to offer assistance.
Wheelchairs can be borrowed, free of charge, from our Ticket Desk.
Tickets
Entrance to the Horniman Museum and Gardens is free.
There is a charge for the Butterfly House, the Aquarium, and some of our events and temporary exhibitions.
Facilities
The Museum and Gardens are both wheelchair and pushchair friendly with accessible toilets. Toilets inside the Museum are accessible. The Museum does not provide hoists or adult changing rooms. A lift gives access to all the exhibition areas.
Lighting levels
Some galleries have low lighting. Torches and magnifying glasses are available from the Ticket Desk to assist with reading. Gallery staff are also happy to help.
Horniman Gardens
The Gardens have concrete paths throughout. Some of the paths are very steep and on wet or frosty days may not be suitable for wheelchair users or anyone who is unstable on their feet.
The ground on the Nature Trail is uneven and can be muddy in rainy weather, so is not suitable for wheelchair users or anyone unstable on their feet.
Butterfly House
Our Butterfly House is wheelchair accessible and assistance animals are welcome. However, please be aware that the paths in the Butterfly House can at times become muddy and uneven.
