Hotels near Horniman Museum

Victorian tea trader Frederick John Horniman collected specimens and artefacts from his travels around the world in the 1860's. His personal collection became the foundation of the Horniman Museum, which is now housed in a Charles Harrison Townsend-designed building. Horniman's original collection included natural history specimens, cultural artefacts and musical instruments. Over the past 100 years, the collection has grown so much that Horniman's original collection comprises only 10 per cent of the current museum. The Horniman also houses an aquarium, and regularly hosts music concerts and special exhibits. Some of the museum's best known objects include a gigantic stuffed walrus, a model dodo and fossils. Also worth a look are the Horniman Gardens, which are set on 16 acres and have a mix of formal and natural landscaping.