Step into a quirky 19th-century collector's paradise, overflowing with stunning classical art and curious treasures that feel like a friend’s home.
"A museum filled with art and artifacts in the former home of the architect Sir John Soane, offering candlelight tours." - Brad Japhe Brad Japhe Brad Japhe is a journalist specializing in food, beverage, and travel. He also hosts online video content as an expert in those fields. He’s reported from all 50 states and has visited all seven
"This is, without a doubt, the city’s most atmospheric museum, packed to the rafters with hundreds of interesting and impressive artworks and artifacts. The collection is pretty much whatever took Sir John Soane's eye, positioned in the place it looked best—so don’t go looking for order. Instead, go curious, as the walls give way to secret rooms the unobservant might miss. It's not the unknown it once was though, so unless you go first thing in the morning you'll probably have to wait in line." - Ramsay Short, Sonya Barber
"Zoom out. What’s this place all about? This is, without a doubt, the city’s most atmospheric museum. The architect and collector’s home on Lincoln’s Inn Fields is packed to the rafters with hundreds of interesting and impressive artworks and artifacts. What will we find here? The collection is pretty much whatever caught Sir John Soane's eye, positioned in the place it looked best—so don’t go looking for order. Instead, go curious, because walls give way to secret rooms and the unobservant might miss the Canaletto, or the 3,000 year old sarcophagus of Seti I. What did you make of the crowd? The house is not the secret it used to be, so unless you go first thing, you will probably need to wait in line. The candlelit evening opening on the last Friday of the month is especially popular. On the practical tip, how were the facilities? The historic 19th-Century building isn’t particularly wheelchair friendly. Disabled visitors are advised to call ahead and staff will make arrangements—there is a platform lift to allow access to all the floors and borrowable custom-built wheelchairs to allow access down the narrowest of the corridors. Any guided tours worth trying? The daily highlights tours are led by unbelievably informative guides and cost a reasonable £18. From Wednesday to Sunday there is also a free daily tour of the apartment where Soane lived and slept. Any advice for the time- or attention-challenged? The museum is small but there’s so much to see—you’ll need 90 minutes, at least." - Laura Goulden
"Wander Through an English Eccentric's House Sir John Soane was an 18th-century architect who died nearly 200 years ago. He was also an undiagnosed hoarder. The man's townhouse, which has been left untouched since his death and which free to the public, is an extraordinary jumble of his collection of antiquities—he had to modify the building in order to cram them all in. There's even a genuine Egpytian sarcophagus in his basement (which originally housed a Pharaoh). It's impossible to describe how completely bonkers his house is, and you're not allowed to take pictures inside, so you'll need to see it with your own eyes.Once a month you can join the Soane Lates for acandlelit exhibit. These are highly popular sobe sure to book ahead."
"One of the most wonderful house museums in London, this 19th-century home, designed by the famous architect himself, is exactly as he left it 180 years ago. In his life, he was a well-traveled collector, which is reflected in the way he liked to cram his collections of Etruscan figurines and 16th-century Roman plaster casts on every available surface. In short, it's a multi-story cabinet of curiosities, packed with history and inspiration."
