Last Updated on August 6, 2025 by Karis Tavernier-Nicholas
Situated in central London, Sir John Soane’s museum should be one of the top museums on your itinerary list when visiting London. It is particularly unique as it’s a house museum; it was formerly the home of (you guessed it) Sir John Soane, widely considered one of England’s greatest architects.
His house has been immortalised exactly as it was at the time of his death in 1837 and turned into a museum. Today, a visitor will find themselves walking along the narrow hallways, immersed in artefacts such as intriguing antiquities, sculptures and sketches of architectural designs. But what’s perhaps most interesting is visiting a quirky house that has been preserved since the very beginning of the Victorian era.
Who was Sir John Soane?
Sir John Soane was a leading architect during the Regency era (fans of period dramas such as Bridgerton will be well familiar with this era) in the 18th century. Soane’s prospects had initially been limited; as the fourth son of a brick layer, his father’s links to architects gave him the chance to utilise his talent for drawing and train as an architect himself.
From the money he received from a bursary as part of winning the Royal Academy’s Gold Medal for architecture, he undertook a Grand Tour of Europe. The sights of historic landmarks, such as Ancient Rome and Pompeii, went on to influence his interest in Classical architecture which would later be seen in his work. Notable designs include the Bank of England and Dulwich Picture Gallery.
What to see at the museum
The museum’s website describes Soane as ‘a dedicated collector of paintings’, and when visiting it’s apparent how true that was. Paintings from the likes of J.M.W Turner (a friend of Soane’s) and William Hogarth are featured as part of his collection, some of which are on display in the Picture Room. In fact, hardly any wall space has been left untouched by Soane; even narrow passageways are densely lined with various objects, such as artefacts from Ancient Greece and Rome.
One of the highlights of my visit was seeing the sarcophagus of the Ancient Egyptian pharaoh, Seti I. The sarcophagus is inscribed with hieroglyphs from the Book of the Gates, spells and rituals for the dead to help them to get to the afterlife – in this case, to aid the pharaoh. It’s over 3,000 years old which makes it one of the oldest artefacts in a public collection in the UK.
Is Sir John Soane’s Museum worth a visit?
Yes, the museum is definitely worth visiting! An undoubtedly quirky museum, it’s unique in what it offers, highlighting a part of architectural and cultural history. As the site consists of three townhouses, it’s more compact and navigable than larger museums, and as visitor numbers are controlled, it allows for ample opportunity to comfortably enjoy the artefacts on display without overcrowding.
How to visit Sir John Soane’s Museum
Consisting of three townhouses (numbers 12, 13 and 14 Lincoln’s Inn Fields), Sir John Soane’s museum is the smallest of the National Museums. It’s about a five minute walk from Holborn Tube Station; Kingsway, the main road, is a 3 minute walk and is well served by many buses coming in and out of central London, such as 68, 171, 1, 243 and 188 buses.
As it is part of the National Museums, it’s free to enter the museum, however access to some spaces, such as the private rooms, requires a fee. Due to its size and limited capacity, as well as the fact the museum attracts over 100,000 visitors a year, you may have to queue to enter. However, when I went on a Thursday around 3pm, the queue was relatively short and the wait wasn’t long, about 15 minutes. The museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, from 10am to 5pm, and is also open on bank holidays.
Enjoyed this post? Pin it now to read it again later:
