Quiet spots in Central London

[BlueNell]

My autistic DS (17) has agreed to come with us to London for a few days as he is keen to visit the Natural History Museum. He’s only left the house twice this year so this is a pretty big deal. I’m conscious that he could become overwhelmed with all the crowds, buildings, and traffic.

I know there’s a few parks but which parks are best for potentially seeing wildlife (he loves birds) and are there any good quiet spots we could visit if he’s finding it a bit much?

The Wetland centre in Barnes. Very peaceful and lots of birds. It isn’t in central London but easy to get to from Hammersmith station.

I would also suggest Holland Park lots of peaceful spots and there are peacocks.
St James park - if you go early it’s quiet - ducks and pelicans. Hyde park is huge and while there are busy spots there are also lots of peaceful parts.

Holland park is a great shout (I got married in the orangery there - it's beautiful) and I was going to say St James park. But obviously Hyde Park is very close to the museum so you can at least get there easily.

Kew Gardens always has quiet spots, not central but west the same as the NHM.

Richmond Park is also really lovely and you can see the deer (also West London).

Holland Park, usually has quiet spots, although busier than Kew or Richmond.

The NHM in the summer holidays will be hellish though. Just as a heads up!

I don’t know about wildlife or birds but Kensington Gardens/Hyde park are very close to the museums so easy to jump to if you need some quiet.

The top floor of the V&A.

Ooh that looks like the kind of place he would love! I’ll definitely suggest that. I don’t want him to just go to the Natural History Museum then sit in the apartment for three days.

If you travel a bit further out Clissold Park near Finsbury is beautiful

If he’ll do the tube how about travelling to Stratford and Olympic park?

There’s a canal there you can walk along too.

Oh no is the NHM gonna hellish in the summer holidays? I hadn’t thought of that!

St James Park isn’t usually ridiculously busy and has the pelicans

The reading room at the Wellcome Collection museum

He will love Pelicans

NHM will be heaving at the holidays, although not homogeneously so. There are always quiet rooms so it depends on what he wants to see?

The NHM will be busy.
I generally find the V&A quiet
The wellcome gallery is also quiet

Yes Holland park is nice
Wetlands centre is good (there will likely be a lot of kids)

Which bits of the NHM is he interested in? If it’s dinosaurs it will be rammed. But other bits are less busy. The Vault is great and it’s through a large room that’s generally quite quiet- lots of displays of gems and rocks and the vault itself has lots of amazing gemstones.

The Bank of America Terrace on the roof of the National Theatre. If you are on the S Bank. It is busy at intervals during shows but otherwise deserted, lovely plants, good view over London.

Also the upper levels within the National Theatre. Freely open during the day, sofas and chairs, just go in the main entrance, go up the staircases exploring.

He wants to see anything related to space - I think they have an exhibition on? And anything related to animals/birds

I usually find St James Park is rammed with tourists. I’ve very rarely even able to squeeze a seat on a shared bench. Lovely park but always mobbed. (I’m a Londoner).

Bird taxidermy displays should be less busy than the dinos. I don't know about a special space exhibition at the NHM but just next door at the science museum, the space exhibitions are completely amazing (my kid is obsessed with space).

Yes, I hoping I’ll get him into the science museum too

Looks like they have "relaxed" times available to visit the Space exhibition- I'd definitely recommend that if you can make it work as I suspect it will be very busy during the regular booking times.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/events/space-relaxed-exhibition-viewing.html

The Kensington gardens end of Hyde park had never been busy when we’ve been there and you can always find a quiet spot. It’s where you used to always be able to find and feed the parakeets but they weren’t there last time we went. Maybe they’re back now.

This. Great park but really busy.

I have a ND DD and after a busy museum/attraction St. James's would a nightmare for her.

The V&A has an indoor courtyard, that's quite nice and you will have less children.
As the museum is free you can just pop in for a break.

@BlueNell are you going to the City of London? There are plenty of small areas and if you are outside 12-2 when everyone is on lunch break, there is quite a lot of surprisingly quite spots to be found.
My favourite is Postman Park.

I was in London with AuDHD DD (age 20) last week. She loves London, but is easily overwhelmed so we avoided the underground. Buses were fine though, and she enjoyed the Uber boat down the Thames. She loved Holland Park, and also the Moco modern art museum. Frameless was great, but a bit too overstimulating for her - fab cafe though! We didn’t go to the NHM this time, but visited at Easter time a few years ago - the popular exhibits were uncomfortably busy for her unfortunately, so pick your timing carefully if you do go. It’s fab your DS is choosing this trip, and you’re doing the right thing by planning ahead. I hope you both have a great time 😎