Geffrye Museum

Lovely museum that gives you an idea of what houses in London looked like across the centuries. Especially beautiful to visit during Christmas time with each room done up in era appropriate Christmas decorations.

This museum closes for 2 years for refurbishment on 7 Jan 2018, so do visit before that.

Want to amble through 400 years of London interiors? What did it look like to live in a London home in the 1700s to the 1990s?

Part of the almshouse structure has been turned in a series of rooms that allow you to literally walk through time. This part of the museum is very accessible for people with limited mobility.

For a small donation you can go on an excellent tour of the almshouse. Senior alert: This requires climbing narrow and steep upstairs and downstairs.

How did the existence of almshouses save the lives of elderly governesses turned out once children were gown, school teachers, and genteel widows fallen on hard times?

Well written explanations accompanying displays and friendly, knowledgeable volunteers answer your questions.

Perhaps not as spectacular or as instantly recognizable as the National Portrait Gallery or the Tate Modern, but the Geffrye is good at what it does. It's a museum recording and celebrating London interior design and decoration through the ages. With displays from the 1700's right through to the 2000's, it's a neat look at the evolution of the typical English home.

You'll be hard pressed to spend more than an hour or two here and I recommend moving on if there are a school-load of students. It can get very loud.

Do spend the £2 for the audio guide. It's well worth getting the additional background and detail that isn't mentioned on the display captions or the various postings.

I'm glad I went, but I don't know that this is the sort of place you do a second time.

This little museum is absolutely different from the rest of London's museums. Firstly its never as packed and its cosy feeling makes you feel like you in a different part of England.

If you are into interior design or you want to learn a bit more about history in a more interactive way are going to love this little gem. Each room is presenting a piece of history from the 1700's right through to the 2000's

Don't forget to visit the back gardens, each of them displays a different period like the rooms.

The best time to visit is on December were they decorate all the rooms based on the traditions of the different periods.

I had a quick visit to this museum on a Sunday. As it was a lovely day, I didn't want to spend too much time indoors. I quickly browsed through the interiors from many years ago and headed straight for the cute museum shop to find a birthday present (I find that museum shops generally have a good selection of presents to buy for a family member outside of the UK).

Although I didn't venture into the canteen/coffee shop it looked lovely with large windows that look out onto the garden, they also have a reading room inside this museum that has a good view of the vegetation, but to be honest the best place for reading (depending on the weather) is in the garden, there are wooden benches placed throughout. If you're lucky you might even forget that you are right next the busy Kingsland road.

I love this museum converted from old almshouses originally set up as a charity to house poor elderly people. The museum specialised in interiors and home design through the centuries.

The exhibits are displayed in room settings so you can see how design has evolved to reflect changes in ideas and technology. The museum also has extensive gardens to the front, sides and back. One garden is an attractive walled herb garden with shaded seating and a fountain bubbling away.

Currently there is an interesting exhibition by a photographer who took photos of all the lounges in his block. It's intimate but interesting to see how people make their flat their home. Finally there is an attractive gift shop selling books, postcards and even ceramic plates from one of London coolest desgn teams (in my humble opinion) People will
always need plates.

This a museum for all interior design buffs. The museum takes you through Britain's changing interiors from the 1700s right up to the present day. You start at the beginning and literally walk the museums length (so essentially going from the past to the future!).

I found the way in which each room was laid-out, really interesting. The fact you are walking through each little time zone to end up in the present day was quite nice too, feels like you're time traveling a bit!

I'd say, unless you are really interested in British history and / or interior design then this might bore you a little. These aren't my preferred subjects but I did enjoy myself. If you don't want to spend ages reading each room explanation then you can walk through this place pretty quickly.

I wouldn't go out of my way to visit this place but if you're around the east and fancy it, then you should check it out. It's a gorgeous little building just beyond the hubbub of Hoxton and a little bit of calm amongst the bustle...

The ultimate museum for the middles classes! The Geffrye Museum exhibits the changing styles of the English Domestic interior from the last 400 years. How twee?! Basically it's a great chance to go gawp at posh peoples living rooms and wish you had the cash to buy an intricate mirror the size of your room and sumptuous velvet curtains.

The best thing about this museum are the award winning gardens. They have benches, and a beautifully kept lawn so when Hoxton Square is crawling with people this is a welcome respite - somewhere to eat your sarnies in peace. Nice in the summer, I'd recommend a visit to go see how the other side live!

A few minutes from our home this tranquil hideaway has been a favourite spot for escaping the bustle of Shoreditch life. Anyway, great little museum with good cafe and shop, lovely gardens and friendly staff.


The star of the show is the range of activities for kids - all free - a staple of our plans for school holidays - based on themes from the museum - today we are busy decorating Japanese noodle bowls and clay chopstick holders. If you have kids this really is a must visit place

I haven't been to this place for years, and I've been meaning to go back for ages! Somehow I always seem to end up walking past just as it closes at 5pm. Well, finally made it and glad I did.


Though not in a pretty area, the museum grounds are lovely. There's open lawns and trees at the front, and a garden, including herb garden, at the back. This is closed during the winter, but can be seen through windows. The museum itself is a set of converted alms houses. As such the main part of the museum is a long line of rooms with household interiors from various periods from the 1600's. There's also displays of items to go with these, and sometimes interactive displays, such as material samples that you can feel. Halfway down the line you also come into what was the chapel for the almshouses (apparently attendance twice a day was compulsory).


Down at the end there's a whole modern wing housing a café and the modern interior displays. It's quite a contrast to the older parts of the museum, but fitting in a museum about building interiors that the building should also display different periods! The café has some amazing light fittings and lovely airy windows over the gardens.


I only made a quick visit, but there's lots of stuff to read everywhere. Good labelling The museum also seems to encourage further study. There's a reading room and library with books available (gardening, interiors, cooking, anything vaguely relevant!). In the modern wing there's a room with recent design magazines available to read.


Only a small museum, but definitely worth a visit.