Horniman Museum and Gardens

This was an old fashioned museum, apparently focussed on teaching, which has been transformed into a child focussed activity centre. Not a pleasant transition, because the physical plant is not appropriate.

When we were there the museum was filled with hundreds of screaming children, with the chaos magnified by hard, sound reflective surfaces. One beautiful exhibit was actually displayed over plywood platforms, which some children took great pleasure on jumping on. Parents also screamed at the top of their lungs to be able to be heard. People shouldn't be expected to work in that sort of environment. Whatever committee decided to do this to a perfectly good museum should be forced to spend all their Saturdays in the foyer.

The gardens provide a very pleasant place to let your blood pressure return to normal. Then go on down the road to the Dulwich Picture Gallery which is an island of serenity.