Useful things to know before your visit
Address: Sherlock Holmes Museum, 221b Baker Street, Marylebone NW1 6XE. Telephone: 0207 224 3688. Website: sherlock-holmes.co.uk
How much do the tickets cost?
You can buy adults tickets from £19, seniors (aged 65+) from £17, and children (6-15 years) from £14. Infants under-6 are free.
What are the opening hours?
Opening times are 9.30am to 6pm (Mon-Sun). Last entry is 30 minutes before closing time.
How much time do you need?
A typical visit to the Sherlock Holmes Museum takes 1 to 1½ hours.
Which buses go to the Sherlock Holmes Museum?
Bus routes 13, 18, 27, 30, 74, 113, 189, 205, 274 and 453 all stop close by.
Which is the closest train station?
The nearest station is Baker Street, which connects with the Bakerloo Circle Hammersmith & City Jubilee and Metropolitan lines. It only takes two minutes to walk to the Sherlock Holmes Museum.
Which other attractions are nearby?
Here are three attractions within 15 minutes walk of the Sherlock Holmes Museum: Madame Tussauds, Regent’s Park and Wallace Collection.
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If you’re visiting Madame Tussauds then you might like to consider the Sherlock Holmes Museum as well because it’s only two minutes round the corner. Tourists love a bit of Sherlock Holmes. Catch a black cab down Baker Street, fish and chips and a cup of tea, and then spend an hour walking round Sherlock Holmes’ house. What could be more British than that?
Sherlock’s home at 221b Baker Street
I’ve always wondered why Sir Arthur Conan Doyle sited his house down here because it’s not exactly the prettiest street in London. It’s just a lot of shops and offices these days, but it turns out that 221b Baker Street didn’t even exist in his day.
It wasn’t until the 1930s that it stretched all the way up to 221, and then the Abbey National Building Society snapped it up before the Sherlock Holmes Museum had a chance to grab it. So they had to settle for a shop a few doors down instead (which is where it is today). Nobody ever spots the anomaly, though, because they sneakily stuck the number 221 above the door.
The first thing you need to do is have your photo taken with the Victorian copper outside the door. He’ll have a wooden puff pipe and deerstalker hat by his side if you fancy dressing up as Sherlock.
Once you’re inside head straight up the stairs to Sherlock’s study where he used to sit with Dr Watson. There’s no audio-guide or anything like that. All you get is a little A4 leaflet to wander around with, but straight away you’ll recognise his fireside armchair and bookshelves stuffed with papers and case notes falling out all over the place.
I suppose that’s one of the fun things about the house if you’re a fan, you can spot a lot of props from the novels. People around me are literally oohing and aaahing every time they see something they recognise.
They’ve got the severed thumb of Victor Hatherley, for example, the amputated ears of Mary Browner, the spooky voodoo doll from Mr Garcia’s, and a revolver stuffed inside a Bible. They all seem rather real when you’re standing here staring at them, and I’m sure a lot of people believe them to be historical artefacts.
One of the best things about the house is how free and easy they are with these exhibits. If you want to sit in his fireside seat and try on his deerstalker hat then you can do. They don’t mind in the slightest. The only real criticism I can make of the place is that it’s too full of people posing for photos and you’re forever shuffling two steps here and three steps there to let someone get a clear shot. The rooms are really small and somebody is always waiting for their go, so you’re forever queuing in the rooms until it’s your turn.
Waxworks of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s characters
At the top of the house is an attic of waxworks dressed up as characters from the stories.
They’ve got a moody looking Moriarty up there, a dying Roylott lying spread-eagled on the floor, Lady Eva Blackwell shooting Milverton at point blank range, and Lady Carfax propped up in a coffin (and looking rather too happy for a corpse).
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andres Hello. If I just wanted to go to the Sherlock Holmes shop without visiting the museum, am I allowed to do that? I am not a fan myself but would like to buy some gifts for someone who is back home. (reply)
Craig Hi Andres. You can do, yes. The shop is actually the first bit you go in, behind that policeman on the door. It’s quite a big shop with loads of Sherlock gifts. (reply)
janna How long are the queues to get inside. (reply)
Craig Hi Janna. They can be quite long. A 10-15 minute wait to get inside is pretty normal, but during the holidays or on a busy saturday it might even be over an hour. (reply)
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