Dr. Johnson’s House – Samuel Johnson’s home
- Dr. Johnson’s House map
- Address:
- Dr. Johnson’s House, 17 Gough Square (off Fleet Street), The City EC4A 3DE
- Tel:
- Work 0207 353 3745
- Web:
- drjohnsonshouse.org
Opening times and price
- Opening hours:
- 11 AM to 5 PM (Mon-Sat, Oct-Apr); 11 AM to 5.30 PM (Mon-Sat, May-Sep); Closed (Sun)
- Ticket cost:
- Adults £6.00; Children £2.50 (5-17); Infants free entry (under-5); Family ticket £12.50
- Visiting hours and entry charges are subject to change
- Time required:
- A typical visit to Dr. Johnson’s House lasts 40-50 mins (approx)
Getting to Dr. Johnson’s House
- Parking:
- Find car parks near Dr. Johnson’s House
- Taxis:
- Find minicab firms near Dr. Johnson’s House
- Buses:
- 4, 8, 11, 15, 17, 23, 25, 26, 45, 46, 76, 172, 242, 341
- London bus fares
- Trains:
- Blackfriars CRC DSC, Chancery Lane CNT, Farringdon CRC H&C MET, Temple CRC DSC
- The nearest train station to Dr. Johnson’s House is Temple
- London underground fares
Craig recommends… Here’s my latest Dr. Johnson’s House review. If you’re interested in old houses then you might like to visit Benjamin Franklin’s House and Handel’s House as well. If you’re more into the literature side of it then try the Charles Dickens Museum and Treasures of the British Library exhibition. There’s an interesting museum at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre as well.
History of Dr. Johnson’s House
Dr. Johnson’s Georgian townhouse is where the great London writer and wit lived between 1748 and 1759.
It’s half-hidden in a maze of alleyways and courtyards off Fleet Street, and is one of the few 18th-century residential dwellings to still survive in the City of London. It’s decorated much as it would have been during his stay (albeit, rather sparsely), and the walls some portraits of his friends and contemporaries.
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson was a famous writer, wit and raconteur, but is best remembered for writing one of the first English dictionaries.
He also contributed some very memorable quotes, including the most famous London quote of all: “If a man is tired of London, he is tired of life. For there is in London all that life can afford.”
Johnson’s English dictionary
Samuel Johnson’ English dictionary is often mistakenly described as the first dictionary in history, but he was actually beaten by a Frenchman and an Italian. But it was the best of its kind, and it remained so until the Oxford English Dictionary came out one hundred and fifty years later.
Some of the 40,000 definitions are quite cutting and funny: “Patron: One who countenances, supports, or protects. Commonly a wretch who supports with insolence, and is repaid with flattery.”
Craig’s review of Dr Johnson’s House
This review originally appeared in his blog
Samuel Johnson is one of those famous people that no one knows anything about. If you read a lot of London history then you’ll inevitably bump into him from time to time, but I’m guessing that 95% of London tourists won’t have a clue who he is. They might vaguely remember that he was a London wit, and that he wrote an English dictionary, but that’s probably about it. So why would they bother to visit his house? Hmmm… That’s a toughie.
Dr Johnson’s House is supposed to be a perfectly preserved Georgian townhouse but I was a bit underwhelmed, to be honest. I didn’t really feel as if I was being transported back in time. If you stick a bit of carpet on the floor and some curtains on the windows, then you might even be able to pass it off as your grandma’s house.
The problem is that it’s too sparsely decorated… there’s not enough stuff in it. Where are all his books, papers and letters? They seem to have made a decision that unless it has a genuine connection with Johnson, then it doesn’t belong. The bedroom hasn’t even got a bed in it. You can’t see his kitchen or his bathroom.
There are a few wooden tables and chairs dotted about the place (none of which are of any particular interest to a tourist: they are all plainly made) and some dim and dark portraits hanging on the walls. I would have arranged some Madame Tussauds wax models in there as well, and dressed up like they were in his day, sitting at their desks and writing, going about their business, with some quiet music from the period playing over the speakers. They need to try and bring the house alive a bit because it’s too… dull.
They should have dotted a lot of glass cabinets around with his work and letters in them – they don’t have to be originals. Why can’t they just showcase some old editions? Apart from one of his dictionaries all of the others are locked up inside a bookcase.
If you don’t fancy spending a couple of quid on the audioguide (which costs extra) then they’ve left a few laminated essays on the tables for you to read, letting you know what the rooms were used for. But if you’re not a fan of Samuel Johnson already, then it’s basically just a plain house, with plain furnishings.
| Awful 0% | Poor 25% | Okay 50% | Good 25% | Great 0% |
AliBell – “If you are already a fan of samuel johnson then you will love this. We went on one of the walks that run from the house and I highly recommend doing that at the same time, as you get an insight into his life around town as well -- taking in everything from fleet street to his local pub the cheshire cheese! -- Which still seems to have the same Decor as when he drank there. The house is beautifuly preserved in the same style that it would have appeared when he lived there, with 18th-century furnishings, and is situated in a lovely quiet courtyard off fleet street.”- TomK – “I got dragged along by my wife who likes all the georgian stuff. It was a bit stuffy and boring for people who aren't into it but it was interesting to see how an old house looked, I suppose. But that's all it is, really -- it's a just an old house Decked out in the style of how they lived back whenever it was he lived. You may as well just spend an afternoon round your great grandmothers house. At least you get a cup of tea then. And there are some displays and books around that he had, which are just as boring. The only thing that made it worthwhile for me was the pub down the lane that he went to called the cheshire cheese. That is Decked out in the old style that he was used to as well, but the big advantage that that place had was that it sold beer!.”
AliBell – “If you are already a fan of samuel johnson then you will love this. We went on one of the walks that run from the house and I highly recommend doing that at the same time, as you get an insight into his life around town as well -- taking in everything from fleet street to his local pub the cheshire cheese! -- Which still seems to have the same Decor as when he drank there. The house is beautifuly preserved in the same style that it would have appeared when he lived there, with 18th-century furnishings, and is situated in a lovely quiet courtyard off fleet street.”
TomK – “I got dragged along by my wife who likes all the georgian stuff. It was a bit stuffy and boring for people who aren't into it but it was interesting to see how an old house looked, I suppose. But that's all it is, really -- it's a just an old house Decked out in the style of how they lived back whenever it was he lived. You may as well just spend an afternoon round your great grandmothers house. At least you get a cup of tea then. And there are some displays and books around that he had, which are just as boring. The only thing that made it worthwhile for me was the pub down the lane that he went to called the cheshire cheese. That is Decked out in the old style that he was used to as well, but the big advantage that that place had was that it sold beer!.”Ask a question about Dr Johnson’s House
Events at Dr Johnson’s House
Walk in the footsteps of Dr. Samuel Johnson From Dr. Johnson’s House The City
There are plenty more literary events in London
Have you seen our list of museum exhibitions in London? You can find exhibitions taking place today, tomorrow and at the weekend. We also have a guide to exhibitions in November, December and January
If you enjoy this then try: Benjamin Franklin House (walk it in 20 mins or catch a train from Temple to Charing Cross); Charles Dickens Museum (walk it in 16 mins or catch a train from Temple to Russell Square) and Keats’ House (catch the tube from Temple to Hampstead).