Twilight Relaxed Opening
Enjoy our new exhibition The Robot Zoo during this accessible, relaxed event. You will also have a chance to explore some of our other galleries, including the Aquarium. This event will run partly during the Museum’s usual opening hours and continue into an after-hours viewing.
Please note that The Robot Zoo and Aquarium will be closed to the general public from 5pm and only families booked onto the Relaxed event will be admitted.
If you have any questions, please contact communitylearning@horniman.ac.uk
About The Robot Zoo
This family-friendly exhibition features larger-than-life animals that have been innovatively recreated using a variety of familiar machine parts and gadgets to reveal how their real life counterparts see, eat, hunt and hide.
Other Galleries
The World Gallery and the Music Gallery, as well as the Aquarium, will be open for this Twilight session. Please note the Natural History Gallery is currently closed for redevelopment and won’t be reopening until late 2026. There is a pop-up nature space in our Studio, which is opposite the Robot Zoo exhibition.
More detailed information is available in the Social Story, coming soon.
Booking
If you would like to book please email communitylearning@horniman.ac.uk or call 020 8291 8690.
Tickets are free, but we welcome donations once – we hope – you’ve had a lovely time.
Please note, companions of disabled visitors, Under 3s, Members and Benefactors always go free.
Information for parents and carers in advance
Welcome to the Horniman. Here is some more information about our Twilight relaxed opening.
What time is the event?
The event will run from 5pm – 7pm. The museum will remain open to the public for the first half hour, 5pm – 5.30pm but the Robot Zoo exhibition and the Aquarium will be reserved solely for families booked onto the relaxed opening. The Museum will close to the public at 5.30pm but remain open for the families booked onto the event.
Which spaces will be open?
This is a special opening for The Robot Zoo exhibition located on the Lower Ground Floor. We will also be opening some of our main galleries, details of which to be confirmed shortly.
The Gardens are open until 8.30pm daily and are a nice place to relax in good weather. There is also a toilet block in the garden which is open until the Gardens close at 8.30pm.
The Museum and Café are open to everyone during the day until 5pm.
A Chill Out space in our Education Centre will be open during the event. Although there is no eating or drinking allowed in the Galleries you can eat and drink in the Chill Out space.
How do I get there?
Please take a look for directions on our website. There are also some handy videos online that give more details about arriving on site and finding your way around.
If there is anything else we can help you with in advance, please get in touch at communitylearning@horniman.ac.uk or on 020 8291 8690 – we are very happy to help.
Please note, some cleaning may be taking place inside the Museum after hours.
Feedback
It would be great to get your feedback. Please talk to a member of staff or fill in the e-mail survey which we will send you shortly after the event.