Crystal Palace Museum
Small volunteer-founded museum in a Victorian engineering lecture room, telling the story of the Hyde Park and Sydenham Crystal Palaces with images, models and relics.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Crystal Palace Museum tells the story of the Hyde Park and Sydenham Crystal Palaces through historic images, large scale models of the palace and showcases of ceramics, remnants of the original building and other objects connected with it. It was founded in 1990 by a group of devoted volunteers, whose energy and donations from the public kept it going for 35 years.
The museum is housed in the only surviving building put up by the Crystal Palace Company. It was built around 1880 as a lecture room for the company's School of Practical Engineering, and the base of Brunel's water tower stands next to it.
A fire in 2025 closed the museum for about a year. In 2026 Crystal Palace Park Trust took over as custodian and reopened it, thanking the former trustees and volunteers for their work. The Trust plans to raise funds to improve access to the building and to redisplay the archive and collections, and intends to put the museum at the centre of its future learning and engagement work.
Highlights
- Large scale models of the Crystal Palace
- Historic images of the Hyde Park and Sydenham palaces
- Remnants of the original building and ceramics
- Only surviving Crystal Palace Company building
- Base of Brunel's water tower next door
Permanent exhibition
- Crystal Palace Museum displays – Images, large scale models and showcases telling the story of the Hyde Park and Sydenham Crystal Palaces, with ceramics and remnants of the original building.
- Founded
- 1990
- Operated by
- Crystal Palace Park Trust
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Adults | free |
|---|
Admission is free and donations are appreciated.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: not available
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Access to the museum is by a steep flight of stairs and it is not suitable for wheelchair users. The Park Trust says it is seeking funding to improve accessibility in the building. The Trust can be contacted on 020 8050 7120 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm) to discuss access needs.
Kids & families
- Baby changing facilities
Baby-changing areas are available at the museum. The steep stairs to the entrance make it hard to reach with a pushchair.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Crystal Palace station
The nearest stations are Crystal Palace and Penge West, both about a 5 to 10 minute walk from the park; Anerley and Penge East are also within walking distance. Crystal Palace and Penge West are served by London Overground (Windrush line) and Southern trains. Several bus routes stop near the park, including 3, 157, 227, 322, 358, 410 and 417 at Crystal Palace Park bus station.
By car
Parking available
There are four car parks in Crystal Palace Park, reached from Thicket Road, Anerley Hill and Crystal Palace Park Road. Blue Badge holders can park free of charge.
The museum is on Anerley Hill at the edge of Crystal Palace Park.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
Toilets are available at the museum. There are currently no refreshment facilities there.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | The Trust has said it will launch a programme for schools; teachers can get in touch for details. |
|---|
