From William Morris Gallery on: Waltham Forest’s list
45 of the 73 places to visit in and around Waltham Forest are museums or galleries. Look within 5 km of its edge and the list grows by 68 beyond the 5 inside Waltham Forest’s built-up area. Young V&A sees about 400K visitors a year. The list includes 2 places cared for by the National Trust. Further out, British Museum is 11 km away.
Highlights of Waltham Forest
Alongside William Morris Gallery you find 2 museums, an art gallery and a zoo.
MuseumWilliam Morris Galleryin town
MuseumVestry House Museumin town
MuseumWalthamstow Pumphouse Museumin town
Art galleryGod's Own Junkyardin townZooZooGet To Know Animalsin town
AttractionArcelorMittal Orbit1.4 km outside town, to the southEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
How they lie
Out at 11 km is Epping Forest District Museum, the farthest.
The dashed line is Waltham Forest’s built-up area; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · ONS built-up area 2022
The list by type
There are more museums or galleries (45) than anything else, then castles or historic places (13).
Green: inside Waltham Forest. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
2 places are cared for by the National Trust (Sutton House and Breaker's Yard).
The complete list
The town has 5; within 5 km of its edge, the list finds 68 more.
ArcelorMittal Orbit
Sculpture and observation tower in the Olympic Park in Stratford, London.
7
8
9Museum of the Home
Museum in London, specializing in the history of the English domestic interior.
10
11London Museum Docklands
Museum in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
12Victoria Park
Urban park majority in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets and small part in Hackney, England.
13
14
15
17
18
19
20
The Former Ark Of The Covenant
Georgian Orthodox church in Upper Clapton, London.
East End Women's Museum
Women's Museum in London Barking, United Kingdom.
Ragged School Museum
Museum in Tower Hamlets, London, England, United Kingdom.
St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church
Church in London Borough of Haringey, United Kingdom.
Forty Hall Museum
Grade I listed historic house museum in the London Borough of Enfield, United Kingdom.
The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History
Curiosity museum in Hackney, London.
Myddelton House Gardens
House in Enfield, Greater London, England, UK.
Trolley Gallery
Contemporary art gallery in Shoreditch, East London that shares some leadership with the publisher.
Epping Forest District Museum
Local museum in Waltham Abbey, United Kingdom.
Royal London Hospital Museum
Medical museum in London, United Kingdom.
The 5 inside Waltham Forest come first, best known first; then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches and listed buildings are on the History page, not here.
113 listed buildings are on Waltham Forest’s History page → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Waltham Forest →
Further out, the best known
Leading the 12 is British Museum, 11 km away; they include 4 museums and 2 cathedrals.
Big drawMuseumBritish Museum11 km southwest · 5.8M visitors a year (2023)
Big drawCastleTower of London10 km southwest · 2.7M visitors a year (2016)
Cathedral · English HeritageWestminster Abbey13 km southwest
Historic houseBuckingham Palace13 km southwest
AttractionElizabeth Tower12 km southwest
CathedralSt Paul's Cathedral10 km southwest
Big drawArt galleryNational Gallery12 km southwest · 709K visitors a year (2021)
AttractionLondon Eye12 km southwest
Big drawArt galleryTate Modern11 km southwest · 1.2M visitors a year (2021)
MuseumMadame Tussauds12 km southwest
Big drawMuseumVictoria and Albert Museum15 km southwest · 858K visitors a year (2021)MuseumMuseumRoyal Observatory Greenwich12 km southPlaces well known beyond Waltham Forest (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a National Trust, English Heritage or Cadw property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Seeing Waltham Forest: questions
What are the main attractions in Waltham Forest?
The best known inside Waltham Forest’s built-up area are William Morris Gallery, Vestry House Museum, Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum and God's Own Junkyard. In all, 5 places to visit are mapped inside the town, and 68 more within 5 km.
Does Waltham Forest have a museum?
45 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Waltham Forest: William Morris Gallery, Vestry House Museum, Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum and God's Own Junkyard.
Is there a National Trust or English Heritage property near Waltham Forest?
Yes. In or within 5 km of Waltham Forest, 2 places are cared for by the National Trust (Sutton House and Breaker's Yard).
What are the best-known days out near Waltham Forest?
Within 40 km: British Museum (11 km), Tower of London (10 km), Westminster Abbey (13 km), Buckingham Palace (13 km).
Where are Waltham Forest’s historic buildings listed?
Waltham Forest has 113 listed buildings. They are on its History page, from Historic England’s list, not repeated here.
How is this list made?
From OpenStreetMap (museums, galleries, zoos, theme parks and attractions, castles, forts and abbeys, and historic houses and gardens that are open to visitors) and Wikidata (what each place is, who runs it, its website and visitor counts). A place counts for Waltham Forest when it is inside the ONS 2022 built-up area, and as nearby within 5 km of its edge. Opening times and prices are not shown: check the official site.
Places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, Open Database Licence) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in the ONS 2022 built-up area (Open Government Licence v3.0). Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (44)
- William Morris Gallery: ProfDEH, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Vestry House Museum: Mike Quinn, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Walthamstow Pumphouse Museum: Electrolux2, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- God's Own Junkyard: JRennocks, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- ArcelorMittal Orbit: you_only_live_twice from Lighthorne Heath, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Young V&A: Bex Walton, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bruce Castle: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Museum of the Home: Cmglee, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Arsenal Museum: Gael13011, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- London Museum Docklands: Joyofmuseums, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Victoria Park: Matt Brown from London, England, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Finsbury Park: Hjuk at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Barking Abbey: MRSC at English Wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Vagina Museum: Matt Brown, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Sutton House: Julian Mason from London, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- V&A East Museum: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Clissold Park: Danny Robinson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Estorick Collection: Luke McKernan, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Valentines Mansion: I M Chengappa, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Former Ark Of The Covenant: Fin Fahey, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Markfield Beam Engine & Museum: Chris Allen, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ragged School Museum: Pierre Terre, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Mary's Greek Orthodox Church: Philafrenzy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Hackney Museum: Tarquin Binary, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Forty Hall Museum: Stu's Images, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosities, Fine Art & Natural History: Jwslubbock, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cell Project Space: Goodboybadboy93, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- IMT Gallery: Casperhightower, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Myddelton House Gardens: Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- 20 Hoxton Square: Jwslubbock, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- V&A David Bowie Centre: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Redbridge Museum: JuliaC2006 from Rochester, UK, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Epping Forest District Museum: The wub, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- British Museum: Ham, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tower of London: Bob Collowan, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Westminster Abbey: Σπάρτακος, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Buckingham Palace: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Elizabeth Tower: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- St Paul's Cathedral: Mark Fosh, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- National Gallery: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- London Eye: Christian David, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tate Modern: Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Madame Tussauds: Citizen59, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Victoria and Albert Museum: Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.