Open today, 10am - 5pm. Free entry.

Gardens Through Time

Discover how city gardens have changed and developed over the centuries.

Date

Permanent

We are open Tuesday to Sunday (and Bank Holidays), 10am - 5pm.

A blue, green bench sits among greenery with two brick paths leading up to it. In the forefront are pink flowers.
Gardens

About

Gardens have always helped city dwellers create a feeling of home and connection to the environment. Even the smallest gardens are often multipurpose spaces for growing and leisure. From a Tudor knot garden to a modern green roof, our gardens reflect centuries of social change, fashion and innovation.

A brick garden path leads to a wooden bench beneath a leafy canopy, set against a brick wall. The garden features multiple flower beds filled with greenery and flowers. A decorative stone fountain sits at the centre of the garden.

Herb garden

A garden of common and uncommon herbs, with many different uses.
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A series of small bushes form a cross pattern with planted pots within the pattern.

Knot garden

A symmetrically arranged garden, designed to be seen from above.
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A garden with multiple raised beds and paths, with numerous plants, including flowers and shrubs.

Functional and practical garden

A garden where every plant has its use, whether for medicine, household chores or eating.
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Three shelves of potted plants sit against a brick wall, with roses growing on either side.

Leisurely and neat garden

A garden to relax and show off in, part of the home.
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A glass greenhouse with dark green trim stands in the background, while a rosemary plant with upright stems fills the foreground. Grass and other plants are viewable.

Bold and colourful garden

A garden with a greenhouse, full of carpet bedding and glorious colour.
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A garden filled with greenery and flowers and a small brick path. In the background is an overground train station.

Cottage-style garden

A casual garden that nods to the countryside.
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A green roof garden with various plants, surrounded by gravel and paving stones. In the background is a modern glass building with yellow structural supports, adjacent to a row of brick buildings.

Green roof

A garden for the future, with plants that thrive in limited soil and water.
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A colourful neon light display of a winged figure with a trident, a partially illuminated building is to the left, with dark trees silhouetted against the night sky in the background.

Shiv Ji, 2023

Chila Kumari Singh Burman’s illuminated commission on our green roof depicts Shiva the Destroyer.
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A hand holding up a smartphone displaying information and an image of a terraced house from 1978, with the actual display blurred in the background.

Free digital guide

Explore Museum of the Home with our digital guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and culture app.

Discover the guide