Alistair Hardaker
Image: A design for Kusuma Nature Play - Nov 2025 (Feilden Fowles)
South London museum announces major redevelopment including accessible nature trail, augmented reality experience and refurbished natural history gallery.
The Horniman Museum and Gardens in south east London has revealed early details of its Nature + Love transformation project, with several new attractions set to open in the museum’s 16-acre gardens during early summer 2026.
Kusuma Nature Play will open as a new destination offering a children’s play area inspired by local wildlife, a family-friendly café and direct access to the museum’s historic Nature Trail. The 700-metre Nature Trail will offer step-free access for the first time, alongside site-specific interpretation to enable more visitors and school groups to use the route.
An augmented reality trail developed with digital visitor engagement specialists Smartify will launch across the gardens, featuring animated animals, challenges and games. A transformed Gardens Nursery area will include new glasshouses, a public boardwalk route and workshop space for community learning about sustainable gardening.
The museum will hold three days of special events from 27 to 29 June 2026 to mark the opening and its 125th anniversary. In early 2027, the natural history gallery will reopen following full refurbishment, with both existing and new objects exploring humankind’s relationship with the natural world.
Kirsten Walker MBE, director of collections care & estates at the Horniman, said of the project: “We have improved accessibility to the Gardens, as well as creating new features – a new play area, family-friendly cafe and AR trail which are set to offer all visitors, at any age, opportunities for interactive outdoor learning and play. More than ever before, the Horniman is the perfect environment for visitors to spend time in nature, while furthering their understanding of the natural world – and having fun!”
The project has received support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport’s Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund, Kusuma Trust and Garfield Weston Foundation. Kusuma Trust specifically funded Kusuma Nature Play and the Nature Trail accessibility improvements.
Gordon Seabright, Chief Executive at the Horniman, said: “The Gardens are a beloved and integral part of the Horniman, and we hope the new attractions opening in 2026 will provide new and familiar visitors with fun and enriching encounters with the precious natural world we all share.”
Further details about the attractions and 125th anniversary celebrations will be announced in the coming months.
