Southwark and Lewisham A fine museum with an eclectic collection of stuffed animals, wonderful collection of world musical instruments, with interactive information. There is also an aquarium with an admission charge. A real hidden gem for those with an interest in the anthropology of African and Asian cultures. Pleasure gardens with a fine view over London, are adjacent to the Museum, perfect for a picnic on a fine day.
Daily 10:30AM-5:30PM · Free
Southwark and Lewisham One of London's lesser known treasures showcasing a magnificent collection of old masters, including works by Poussin, Claude, Rubens, Murillo, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Watteau, Gainsborough and many others. It was assembled for the King of Poland in the 1790s; an alternative home was found for the collection of artworks in the "clean air of Dulwich" after the Kingdom of Poland's partition and temporary disappearance as an independent state. The gallery was designed by Sir John Soane and opened in 1817. An extension completed by Rick Mather adds additional space to the compact gallery. DPG received the Museums and Heritage Award for Excellence in 2005 and was winner of the Independent Award for Britain's Favourite Visitor Attraction. It also worth exploring the lush grounds of Dulwich College or Dulwich Park, both a scenic stroll away.
Tue-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat Sun and bank holiday Mondays 11AM-5PM; closed Good Fri, 1 Jan and 24-26 Dec · £4, senior citizens £3, unemployed, disabled, students and children free, additional charge for special exhibitions
Southwark and Lewisham While the Crystal Palace is no longer there, the 200-acre park is a lasting reminder of the grandeur of the scheme. There is a wide range of things to see and do, including a hedge maze, a sports centre with Olympic-sized pool, a boating lake, fishing, an athletics stadium and an open air concert bowl by a lake among other things. The park is a great place for a walk and also for cycling around. A significant attraction within the park is the Dinosaur Park. Large Victorian concrete and cast iron dinosaurs are scattered around widely. The dinosaurs, built by Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins in the early 1850s to meet the emerging passion of wealthy Victorians for fossils and paleontology, they predated Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species by six years and were unique in the world. After falling into a state of disrepair in the 1980s and 1990s, they were splendidly renovated using a Lottery grant in the early 2000s and are now protected as a grade I listed structure. The dinosaurs were designed by the Victorians on their idea of what one would look like and differ somewhat from modern interpretations.
Free
Southwark and Lewisham Portuguese restaurant.
T–Fri noon–2:30PM & 6–11PM, Sat noon–11PM, Sun noon–10PM