Charles Dickens Museum

Charles Dickens Museum

Charles Dickens Museum
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Charles Dickens Museum in London holds the world's most important Dickens collection with over 100,000 items including manuscripts, rare editions, personal items, paintings and other visual sources. Based in 48 Doughty Street, the author’s only surviving London house, we offer visitors the chance to experience what Dickens’s home would have been like and learn more about the great novelist and social commentator. We are open from Wednesday to Sunday, and welcome visitors of all ages.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Bloomsbury
Snuggly nestled within Central London is academic and leafy Bloomsbury, an area that boasts walking distance access to many of London's most popular attractions. It is also home to some of Britain's most celebrated museums, including the must-see British Museum. Despite an understandable popularity with students, tourists and day trippers, vast sections of Bloomsbury retain a quiet, residential feel year round and throughout the week.
How to get there
  • Russell Square • 7 min walk
  • Chancery Lane • 9 min walk
Reach out directly
See what travellers are saying
  • Sinead S
    County Dublin, Ireland7 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful guides
    Small and authentic museum. Wonderful to experience the house where Dickens lived. The best assets of this museum are the staff who are knowledgeable and passionate about the world of Charles Dickens. Their contributions to the experience are invaluable and create a really immersive experience
    Thank you for your lovely review. We quite agree, our staff and volunteers are wonderful! We hope to see you again soon!
    Written 9 April 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 18 February 2024
  • ap612016
    Enfield, United Kingdom31 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely small museum
    Lovely small museum, very interesting, didn’t expect too much but we were pleasantly surprised. Can easily spend a couple of hours in the heart of busy London back to the 1830’s. The staff were good especially the receptionist who was most welcoming.
    Thank you for your lovely review. We're so pleased you enjoyed it, and will hopefully see you again soon!
    Written 9 April 2024
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 March 2024
  • TheNeshMeister
    123 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Educational and interesting experience
    This was a great museum to visit in Central London. Around 10 minutes walk from Russell Square station, this museum shows interesting artifacts from the life of Charles Dickens. It is also the location at which he wrote some of his famous stories. The Artful Dodger Tearoom is a lovely opportunity to sit in the garden behind the house, while enjoying a drink and a snack. For anyone who is interested in English literature, this is definitely a place worth visiting.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 12 May 2024
  • Raffers2000
    East Bergholt, United Kingdom54 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Best museum tour ever
    I went on the tour that this museum does on the last Wednesday of each month, and I can honestly say it was a brilliant 90 minutes. The tour leader was articulate and passionate and spoke flawlessly for the whole tour. He used each room as a focus to talk about a different period of Dickens' life and had plenty of anecdotes and book references to make the talk interesting. He also gave real insight into why rooms were designed in certain ways and exactly how they were used. Calling this a museum also doesn't do it justice - this is the actual house Dickens lived in and plenty of items (both furniture and smaller items) were actually used by him (although not all of them obviously). I also liked entering the building via the house next door - meaning the shop/tea-room are kept separate from his actual house. If you love Dickens then you'll love this tour.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 28 June 2024
  • jmbraconnier
    Luxembourg City, Luxembourg37 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must for Dickens fans.
    Small but wonderful museum equipped with great attention to detail. From the basement to the second floor, insights into the authentic living conditions, as well as the work of Charles Dickens. Origineller Shop.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 July 2024
  • sdb273
    12 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Ask Questions of the Volunteers for the Best Experience
    When in London, it seemed fitting to visit the home of her literary patron saint, Charles Dickens. The museum is located in one of Dickens's homes in a quiet area of London. It required a little walking to get there from the tube, but it was pleasant and flat. The museum is mostly self-guided and offers an audio tour that can be downloaded on a phone. Our favorite parts, however, were when there were knowledgeable and engaging volunteers to answer questions and add extra information. The volunteers on the upper floors were incredibly interesting though it did require initiating with questions before hearing that information.
    Visited July 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 16 July 2024
  • kgribbons
    Saint John, Canada11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth visiting in London
    I booked a tour of the Charles Dickens Museum for a university study abroad course. This is the professor's review! The home of Charles Dickens in storied Bloomsbury is always worth a visit – it is a beautifully run museum with a great gift shop and cafe. I visited in June with the students in my study-abroad literature course, and we all had a great time. The students especially enjoyed the informative audio guide that allowed them to explore the house at their own pace. We recommend that you visit The Lamb, Dickens’s favourite pub, after touring the house!
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled on business
    Written 29 July 2024
  • Kevin O
    London, United Kingdom1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Evening Tour
    Went on an evening tour - which I believe regularly occurs on the last Wednesday of the month. It was a very hot day in June and arriving earlier than anticipated we took advantage of the garden for some lovely tea and cake. Even though the cafe was officially closed at this point the lady on duty couldn’t be more accommodating by serving us anyway and letting us linger. We were welcomed and introduced to the historic house on time and given a very detailed tour from room to room of the life and times of Charles Dickens by a very knowledgeable and affable guide via the hundreds of artefacts that belonged to him. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of the tour with the only one very minor criticism being that it’s quite a lot of time to stand up for those of us with aged and tired legs and it would help if they had a few less precious antique chairs dotted about for some of the old bones to rest on occasionally. However; regardless of that I can’t recommend it highly enough and I’m eager to go again in the Christmas period for a slightly cooler and more festive experience.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 31 July 2024
  • Linda S
    Branford, Connecticut99 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A wonderful look into the life of Charles Dickens
    A fascinating and important spot to visit for those who love British literature and, of course, Charles Dickens. This is one of his residences, and it is beautifully maintained, full of intriguing artifacts, and suffused in atmosphere that makes you feel as if you're back in Dickens's day. Just being inches away from the desk where he wrote several novels is reason enough to visit. The docents are very pleasant, knowledgeable, and helpful. The cafe has fresh, delicious food for a light meal or snack; I would recommend sitting in the garden -- so peaceful and lovely, an oasis in the city. I'd love to go back for the monthly guided tour.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 16 September 2024
  • hyk
    London, United Kingdom52 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    文学的殿堂——查尔斯·狄更斯博物馆
    查尔斯·狄更斯博物馆位于狄更斯的故居,展示了这位伟大作家的生活和创作环境。这里收藏了丰富的手稿、信件和个人物品,是文学爱好者了解狄更斯作品和生活的重要场所。 The Charles Dickens Museum is located in the author's former home, showcasing the living and creative environment of this great writer. The museum houses a rich collection of manuscripts, letters, and personal items, making it an important place for literature enthusiasts to understand Dickens's works and life. The museum is easily accessible by public transport, with Russell Square Tube station nearby. Enter RC777E on trainpal and you get a 20% discount on your train ticket.
    Visited September 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 16 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles1,245 reviews
Excellent
767
Very good
366
Average
72
Poor
28
Terrible
12

Emma W
Norwich, United Kingdom26 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2022 • Solo
I absolutely loved this little museum and felt it well worth the entrance fee. I agree with a previous reviewer who said this place is worth more than larger museums!

It’s almost like stepping back in time to the early Victorian period, and even if you’re not a Dickens fan, this place has much to offer. You really get a feel for what life was like during this period. I especially loved the basement area.

I loved that this museum was quiet and I had plenty of time and space to wander at my own leisure (I downloaded the free audio guide which was very interesting). Having just come from an overcrowded noisy Natural History museum the peace and tranquility of this place was refreshing.

Very well stocked gift shop and the cafe was very nice too. Other museums could learn from this one!
Written 4 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Brian T
London, UK8,092 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Solo
For aficionados of Charles Dickens, this is a fabulous museum to visit.

Whilst this renowned novelist only lived in this beautiful Georgian terraced house from 1837 to 1839, it was in this house at 48 Doughty Street that he wrote what is regarded as his his masterpiece, ‘Oliver Twist’. He also wrote ‘Nicholas Nickleby ‘ here. It’s the only remaining London home of Charles Dickens, but it was an important place in the writer’s life. Within these walls his eldest two daughters were born, and his sister-in-law Mary died aged 17. With the publishing of ‘Oliver Twist’, it was therefore in this house that he achieved lasting celebrity and universal recognition as one of the world’s greatest storytellers.

As a museum, it holds the world’s most important collection relating to Dickens, who was not only a great novelist but also a tireless social campaigner. The collection includes letters, pictures, first editions, furniture, and memorabilia, all set out in lovingly restored rooms.

When you enter the museum you will step back in time and walk the halls in the footsteps of Charles Dickens. You will see where he wrote, where he dined and where he entertained his many guests with lively readings and performances.  You will be able to immerse yourself in the sights, sounds and scents of his family home. The rare books, paintings, photographs and personal objects on display here give a unique insight into his life and work.

Whilst you can book tickets on line, I just showed up and there was no issue with entry. My concession ticket cost £10.50; an adult ticket is £12.50. The museum is laid out over 5 floors. A lift is available for those requiring mobility assistance for four floors. Unfortunately the top attic floor containing the nursery and a bedroom for servants is accessible by stairs only.

The museum is nicely set up, and information boards convey a lot of useful information to make your visit more meaningful. There’s also guides in various rooms who will answer questions and provide information. A couple were a bit officious, not liking the fact that I dared to diverge from the set path to the top, but I wanted to revisit things I’d seen during my visit so just ignored that.

I enjoyed the museum. It will take you a good hour to explore fully, and to appreciate all the things that it contains. There’s a cafe, and bathroom facilities, though I used neither. The nearest underground stations are King’s Cross St Pancras, and Chancery Lane. I used the 63 bus, alighting at the Crowne Plaza hotel and walking the short distance to Doughty Street.
Written 24 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lola C
19 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022
As a student who had recently studied one of Charles Dickens' works: A Christmas Carol, I was thrilled to discover that there was a museum containing over 100,000 objects to commemorate his works.
My father booked the tickets online, which cost £7.50 for children up to the age of sixteen years and £12.50 for adults. Alternatively, you can just walk in on the day and pay to view the museum if you would prefer.
When we arrived, we were greeted by well-informed and attentive volunteers, who gave us a paper visitor guide, in addition to a free audio guide, which you can listen to as you go around. You need only to open up the camera on your phone and scan the QR code.
My favourite part of the museum was seeing Dicken's writing desk where he wrote arguably some of his most famous works, including Great Expectations; truly inspirational to any and all aspiring authors.
There is a lovely cafe within the museum too, which is centred around The Pickwick papers; as well as a reasonably priced gift shop.
Suitable for all ages, this museum is highly and happily recommended.
Written 13 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

SBJHBarnet
Barnet, UK267 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Couples
We had visited before and had wanted to attend one of the Christmas events 2 years before but had missed out. This year we managed to book for two performances by actor James Swanton and eagerly anticipated the first, "The Chimes". Whilst the performance was brilliant in theatrical terms, with James jumping seamlessly from one character to another, it was completely over our heads without a detailed prior knowledge of this Dickens tale and far removed from from the more tradional atmospheric readings by the likes of Simon Callow.

Such readings were part of the life of Dickens and he did not expect everyone to know in advance what the story was! It was such a disappointment that we decided that we could not face enduring the second performance of "Ghost Story" a week later. The Museum do not do refunds and, despite a specific request, appear to have done nothing to resell our tickets for an otherwise sold-out event. The moral of this is always check out what to expect before booking anything, whether here or anywhere else, and don't expect any redress if you don't!

The only redeeming feature is that we were also able to tour the museum once more and saw some items that we did not recall from our other visit two years ago.
Written 27 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jennie R
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Solo
I went on the Dickensian Christmas tour at the Charles Dickens Museum. It was absolutely excellent! The guide was dressed in the fashion of the 1830s when Dickens occupied the house. He took us on a fascinating walk around the property describing how it would have looked in Dickens' time and explaining the huge influence his book 'A Christmas Carol' had on the way Christmas came to be celebrated both in Victorian times and right up to today. The guide was clearly very enthusiastic about his subject and the whole tour was a real festive treat which I highly recommend.
Written 5 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Alison B
Lincoln, UK32 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Friends
This was a treat. Some lovely artefacts from Dickens’ life. My personal favourite (apart from his writing desk) was the mirror he practised pulling faces in for his readings! You do get a sense of the man as you wander around and the gentleman we spoke to in the drawing room was friendly and informative. Not far from Kings Cross and a brilliant way to spend an hour.
Written 15 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Carlos L.
Palm Desert, CA1,914 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Couples
This is a museum in location of prior Charles Dicken's residence. It is comprised of 5floors and you can quickly breeze through and see relics from the Dicken's life.
The cost was reasonable. Recommend if you are fan of Dickens or literature.
Written 15 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David P
United Kingdom11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022
Especially kind friendly people, many of them volunteers. I lead a Charles Dickens walk as a tour guide and I always recommend a CD Museum visit to people on my walk (some have already enjoyed the Museum, and come from all over the world). I always buy something at the shop too and never regret it - given CD didn't live there that long they have made something wonderful out of very little
Written 21 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Stardoe
Dubbo68 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2024 • Family
A short walk from Russel Square Station is the previous home of Charles Dickens. The museum is set out as his house was when he lived there, with much of the furniture belonging personally to him either from that house or others. There are knowledgeable people who answer questions or tell you interesting stories about the life of Dickens and his family. We explored the basement kitchen, living rooms, bedrooms and other displays about Dickens' work and life. The whole visit takes about an hour which we did after our earlier visit to the Postal Museum nearby. Thoroughly enjoyed seeing the home and learning about of one of the most famous authors of our time.
Written 21 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bobdobb
Brighton158 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Solo
Despite ringing ahead and speaking to a pleasant, Italian lady and explaining their website wasn’t allowing me to book a ticket for today, was advised that I could still come down as you’re only able to book in advance and the museum wasn’t currently busy. Turned up in the rain. Walked in. Stood at till. Nobody around. Knocked on door window, where two ladies were having a conversation. A shortish lady possibly in her late forties - early fifties with bobbed, black hair came up and when I politely told her of my phone call and that I needed to buy an entry ticket, she BRUSQUELY said “That’s because we’re closed on Tuesdays. I’ll escort you out”. Also repeated that I mustn’t have made it clear in my ‘phone call that I was visiting today. No smile, no courtesy, no apology. Nothing. She promptly led me out and closed the door. Afterwards I explained this to the lovely, friendly Italian lady who said that the staff member “may be stressed as a school party were coming”. As echoed by other reviewers, social skills and manners seem to be lacking in some staff working at the Charles Dickens Museum. Even if you prefer history to people, when working in a public facing capacity, a friendly demeanour and courtesy are a requisite . Such a shame, as previous visits there have been wonderful. Not today!
Written 13 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks for taking the time to leave this review, and we're really sorry that you had this experience. We are closed to the public on Mondays and Tuesdays, but this should have been explained reasonably and with respect, and we're very sorry that you were treated in this way. We've taken some time to review what happened, as well as ensuring that our team have all been informed of your experience. All of us here at the Dickens Museum want to ensure our guests have a wonderful time walking in the footsteps of Dickens, and we certainly wouldn't want anyone to feel as though they've been badly treated. Please accept our apologies, and we hope that we are able to welcome you, properly, to the Charles Dickens Museum soon.
Written 9 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Showing results 1-10 of 1,078
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

CHARLES DICKENS MUSEUM (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

All London HotelsLondon Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in LondonHotels near Charles Dickens Museum
All things to do in London
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire