I stopped here on a whim while visiting the other sights in Greenwich and really enjoyed it. The museum is very, very small, so I only spent about 45 minutes here. They provide audioguides if you wish to use one, but I mostly just read the available signage. I enjoy fashion history, so I found the museum to be quite interesting and of course all of the fans were beautiful. Unfortunately, The Orangery was closed when I visited. They do not serve tea every day, which was a bit disappointing. Be sure to check the website before you visit to make sure they are open if you are hoping to enjoy tea here. The staff in this museum are all very lovely and I had a really enjoyable chat with a few of the staff members. If you enjoy art or fashion, this is a good place to stop if you have a bit of extra time in Greenwich. I wouldn't go out of my way to come all the way out here, but it is a nice complement to the other sights in Greenwich. Admission is only a couple of pounds, so if you need to fill a bit of time, it is worth the stop. read more

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This place is awesome! Found this place looking for afternoon tea during a day trip to Greenwich. This is a fan museum with a quaint cafe in the back that offers afternoon tea service. The afternoon tea service was wonderful - it came with a pot of tea. scones, clotted cream, jelly, carrot cake, and choice of lemon drizzle or salted caramel brownie, It is also served in a beautifully decorated room with a garden view. The museum was an added treat and it was fun to explore their fan collection which spans the globe and covers different time periods. One point to note is that you do need to buy an admission ticket to the museum to enjoy their tea service menu but it's worth it. Highly recommend! read more

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Yay, the real 'fan'... an artistic gem and an oasis of tranquility, the first and only museum in the world devoted in its entirety to the ancient art and craft of the fan. They even have monthly fan making classes! A few of us spent time in the garden, also fan shaped, looking into the Orangery where the afternoon tea is served and possibly wedding... We were there just about the twilight time. The Love in a Mist temporary exhibition magnetised majority of us, including the boys. Wish I could have the photos to share with you. Some of the fans are so delicate in materials as well as content... love poems, cupids... I'd thought fan is an oriental thing but the Misses in Pride & Prejudice have their charms. My favourite is the little gift shop. Imagine the museum ticket is given as a bookmark and the soaps in fan shape with a labelled ribbon...it was so much fun. My friends were teasing me that they make fan puzzles :P Next time when you visit Greenwich, it's a good place to stop by, esp Sunday afternoons, they have cream tea to get your proper British experience. Thanks for all my MIT alums and friends' accompany. read more

The Fan Museum Trust - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

Came into Greenwich to take my German friend to afternoon tea. The museum is sweet, but there is not much to hold your attention unless you are into fans. The tea itself was lovely in a relaxing smallish room. The orangery was closed to guests which was unfortunate. The scones and cake were wonderful and for a cheaper price making the trek from central was worth it. read more

The Fan Museum Trust - The tea selection! - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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The Fan Museum is the only museum of its type in the world which has been solely devoted to all aspects of fan making-from start to the end product. Situated within Maritime Greenwich-a World Heritage Site;it is the home to more than 3.500 antique fans collected from all over the globe. The antique fans date as far back as the 11th century to present day. Visitors to the museum can enjoy looking at many designs of these unique items which have over the centuries been used as ceremonial tools,fashionable accessories,status symbols,commemorative presents and as advertising giveaways. The museum actually possess's the world's most important single collection of famous fan leaves and associated items that go into making the fans. The examples in the museum include numerous exquisite designs- a selection of which is presented in an exhibition for public viewing every four months. Other than the fans,the buildings at 10-12 Croom Hill are of great interest as well. They are a pair of Grade 11 listed buildings dating back to 1712;and have been lovingly restored, to retain much of their previous facade in as authentic a fashion as is possible. An Orangery faithfull to its architecture of the period has also been added to the listed buildings,with a mural which provides a most elegant,unusual and exclusive setting for intimate dinners,stylish receptions and board meetings. The public or companies can hire the Orangery and guests in the evening have exclusive use of the fan museum and can enjoy a private tour of the temporary exhibition. read more

The Fan Museum Trust - cleopatrafan - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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I came here for high afternoon tea which tea of course and 1 scone with clotted cream and jam, a slice of victoria sponge cake and a lemon drizzle or salted caramel brownie. The price of these was £8.5 if my memory serves me right. The prices is AMAZING considering how expensive London is. The place itself was really pretty and you feel like you are indeed in an orangery. The cakes themselves were so-so. I would come here again just for the tea but not the rest of the goodies. The staff were really nice and attentive. The fan museum itself is small but has a really nice selection of fans even though limited really nice to see. read more

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On my previous trip to London I had a FANTASTIC afternoon tea (in a restaurant which is now closed), and a lot of guides recommend The Orangerie at the Fan Museum as the most reasonably priced afternoon tea in London. I don't really recommend either the museum or the tea. You have to pay admission to the museum (£4; they do take credit cards) to dine in the Orangerie. I don't begrudge them the money, but this is a micro-museum. Two small rooms downstairs (one of which I originally mistook for the entryway), and another two rooms of "special exhibit" upstairs. During our visit, the special exhibit was animals-on-fans. I love taking frivolous topics too seriously, so I was expecting to be entertained... but there just isn't much to it. By contrast (for example), the clock exhibit in the Victoria & Albert is a delight. The afternoon tea (£8) was quite disappointing. They have both normal and gluten-free options (you must phone or email in advance to request gluten-free), but neither the scone nor the cakes were that good. By comparison, you could get a nicer tea at St. Martin-in-the-Fields for £9.50 and you wouldn't have to go all the way out to Greenwich. read more

Excellent tiny museum with an unusual specialism. Fans! We went specifically for a temporary exhibition (on til Nov 13th 2011! Catch it before it goes!) but had a good nose around the permanent stuff before heading up there. Some beautiful fans on display and a good insight into the history of fans, both the typical sort we westerners were familiar with and some we weren't, plus some info about materials and construction. Their gift shop has a lovely selection of fan-related merchandies (including a wonderful fan that can also serve as a summer hat). There's also a wonderful garden with a fan theme (fan topiary! fan railings!) and a fully painted orangery where they serve afternoon tea. Upstairs there was the wonderful Air a la Mode temporary exhibition, showcasing work by Sylvain le Guen and some exceptionally talented and skilled collaborators. These fans were amazing, like nothing I had ever seen before, so beautiful that if I'd been able to afford it I gladly would have ponied up for quite a few! Such attention to detail, texture, structure, 3D elements and determination to make these fans beautiful when open, when folded and when transitioning between the two. My particular favourite was a fan that had been covered with white feathers and had white and black feather flowers which, when folded, looked like a bouquet. Fabulous stuff. read more

Did you think fans were just made of plastic and sold at Argos? Didn't realize the art and care that goes into making a true fan? Visit this museum. It's a wonderful experience. Plenty to see and look at, and afterwards check out the "Fan"tastic gifts in the gift shop. Don't forget to make reservations for the tea service in the Orangery. Scones that'll make you forget it's Monday. Cakes that'll remind you what it's like to be young in the summer time. Good value for money. read more

Adorable little museum just a few blocks away from most of Maritime Greenwich's other attractions. Gorgeous fans from the past few centuries - a must if that kind of thing interests you. From what I understand, the first floor collection is permanent and the second rotates seasonally (the theme when I visited the upper floor seemed to be souvenir fans from different locales). There is a little cafe in the Orangerie in the back. The entire experience is just the right kind of twee, and certainly a must for the fan fandom and those who enjoyed the more domestic side of the V&A. read more

Wonderful museum with a great value and very pleasant tea time experience! I highly recommend this place! read more

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We booked for the 2:15pm afternoon tea on Tuesday. Very lovely environment. Scones and cakes are average, but we enjoyed the English Breakfast tea. Overall I think it deserved the "best value afternoon tea" title. read more

The Fan Museum Trust - Each person gets a scone a cake a brownie and a small lemon flavored cake. - Museums Near Me - London, XGL

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Came from the United States purely to see this attraction. The fans here are superior to any other fan you might encounter. My breath was taken away at the site of the first fan! I could easily picture myself using any of these fans on a hot day. The electric fans we see today are rubbish in comparison. Highly recommend!!!! MUST SEE!!! read more

Staff were very helpful and knowledgeable. We'd always said about visiting and took the opportunity as we were nearby to finally visit. Is also accessible which made this building even more enjoyable for us. Highly recommend a visit. read more

Great little museum! My mum and I visited on the Community Open Day last month and we really enjoyed it. The owner was on site explaining the history of the museum, which was a really personal touch. The museum covers two floors and doesn't take long to get around, but it is still worth visiting. My mum and I went visited The Orangery for a cream tea during our visit which was just wonderful! The room has murals on the wall and it is so quaint overlooking beautiful gardens. Unfortunately the gardens are not open to the public, due to an agreement with the neighbours. My mum had coffee with her cream tea and said it was really nice coffee. I had an apple juice, which was handy as I don't drink tea! The scones were fine, nothing spectacular, but it was more about the location than the food for me. The staff were all so friendly and when we finished advised us to have a peek in the ladies toilet, we did and the decor was very kitsch! Glad we had a look! This place is definitely a hidden gem and worth a look if in Greenwich. Afternoon tea would be a great place to take visitors due to the lovely surroundings and we had the place to ourselves so go now before it gets discovered! read more

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This was the best afternoon tea I have ever had. Plus, the location is picturesque and full of quaint character. The price is great and includes Victoria sponge, scones, delicious clotted cream, tea, brownies, and more. The staff were kind and their collection of fans was gorgeous. Definitely worth the trek out to Greenwich. read more

This museum's name is self-explanatory. Although, I walked in not expecting much, after a walk around inside - I learnt a lot more. It's interesting how the museum isn't very large on the inside but still packs a lot of informations and - pardon the pun - has a lot of 'fans'. the building is amazing and is truly inspiring to people in this day and age. The staff are friendly and will happily give you more info on the fans themselves. There's not really too many visitors so this allows for a care-free environment to genuinely enjoy yourself. Not really recommended for kids though, can be a bit boring. read more