Benjamin Franklin House
Benjamin Franklin House
4
About
Benjamin Franklin House is the world's only remaining Franklin home. For nearly sixteen years between 1757 and 1775, Dr Benjamin Franklin - scientist, diplomat, philosopher, inventor, Founding Father of the United States and more - lived behind its doors.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Benjamin Franklin House and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Neighbourhood: Trafalgar Square / Embankment
With its iconic Nelson’s Column, majestic oversized lions and brightly-lit fountains, Trafalgar Square is not just considered the heart of this bustling London hub, but the very core of the city itself. Beyond this esteemed gathering place are more famous icons, as well as a disproportionate numbers of the city’s most popular cultural attractions including the National Gallery and many West End theaters. Along the way to these major sites are quiet lanes and antiquated pubs to discover, as well as riverside vistas to enjoy on the embankment. With a calendar full of celebratory events, any time of year is a fine time to visit.
How to get there
- Charing Cross • 3 min walk
- Embankment • 3 min walk
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
10,000 within 3 miles
Attractions
2,817 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- Sue M5 contributionsGreat historical site!If you like historical places, especially if you are an American, you'd enjoy visiting Franklin's house. Although there are no furnishings, you can get a feel of the house with original fireplaces and shutters, and of his neighborhood. House built in 1730 and that alone makes it a place of interest!Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 15 October 2023
- gamainInverell, Australia1,645 contributionsHistoric London residenceVisiting on a weekend, Benjamin Franklin House was nestled against the southern side of Charing Cross Station, Trafalgar Square. We arrived mid-morning and at a time that allowed immediate access to the house, as we thought it would be busy. I was not aware that Benjamin Franklin, lived in London from 1757 to 1775. Ten years later in October 1785, Franklin whose image appears on the US$100 note, became the 6th President of Pennsylvania and was a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It's was great to see the historic significance of the house continuing to be maintained during these changing time, with the residence without proper furnishings, was very basic.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 18 November 2023
- Kristin C1 contributionWorth it for all agesSo lovely! I am a huge Ben Franklin fan and have been fascinated by him and his life since fourth grade. Therefore, I know a bit about him AND I still learned so much by visiting this house. The historic tour was wonderful. I got to know so much about him, his family back in the US, the family he stayed with in this London abode, as well as some of his quirky daily habits! My family age range was from my 13 all the way up to parents in they’re 70s.Visited June 2023Travelled with familyWritten 15 December 2023
- Thomas B1 contributionA fascinating introduction to the life and residence of the remarkable Benjamin FranklinWe were shown around this Grade 1 listed building by the guide Chris who described both the features and history of the house and recounted events from the life of the truly remarkable Benjamin Franklin whilst resident in London. It was the most fascinating, educational and entertaining tour we have experienced. Benjamin Franklin was brought to life by our knowledgeable, enthusiastic and engaging guide Chris. We will long remember with pleasure our visit to Benjamin Franklin House.Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 21 January 2024
- Robin P10 contributionsEvocative experienceBenjamin Franklin rented part of this house for 16 years. None of his furniture, etc. remain but the house, floor, stairs and panelling are original. A tour of the house is brought alive by film and an actor. It is a very successful, interesting and imaginative experience. We really enjoyed it. The female actor was in period costume and was excellent.Visited March 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 14 March 2024
- ARTJPLLondon, United Kingdom360 contributionsFriday Architectural TourAll tours are guided and at Sep24, the architectural tours are Fridays and the historical experience tours are Saturdays and Sundays. As this is a real life house and a relatively modest sized house, you may wish to pre-book online. This is the only building in the world Benjamin Franklin lived that is still standing and certain parts are original so you can say you’ve walked the floorboards Ben Franklin walked. Our guide was a volunteer and he did an excellent job. The talks were well timed with occasional humour to keep the audience entertained. The house was built in the 1700s so certain floors are not entirely level and you will notice some of the walls are wonky. Sine stairs are narrow and steep. Recommend packing light (no lift) and sneakers or the like to be sure of your footing. As the house abuts Charing Cross station, it is very central and you could visit the Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House on the same trip.Visited September 2024Travelled on businessWritten 6 September 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
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.
4.0
365 reviews
Excellent
186
Very good
105
Average
45
Poor
19
Terrible
10
SJC94
Ashford, UK215 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
Only visited this house after an internet search after our chosen day out closed.
You have to book onto a tour either on line or in person but reasonably priced.
Don’t sit in the front row for the film as the screen is too near. House is in original condition including lighting so not suitable for those with mobility issues. These are the only negative points some of which can not be controlled as it’s a Grade 1 listed building.
Guides very good. Very small shop and toilets available.
You have to book onto a tour either on line or in person but reasonably priced.
Don’t sit in the front row for the film as the screen is too near. House is in original condition including lighting so not suitable for those with mobility issues. These are the only negative points some of which can not be controlled as it’s a Grade 1 listed building.
Guides very good. Very small shop and toilets available.
Written 15 February 2020
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.
mrsjune2018
London, UK2 contributions
Jan 2020 • Family
Just visited today with two children of primary school age. It was so well organised and run, both the children and I were captivated! Staff were incredibly professional and friendly, really showed a passion for their work which is a rarity these days, thank you Nick! Felt very humbled to be standing in a building which is over 300 years old and so well preserved. The building was so authentic it didn't need to be furnished to make an impact, the house itself spoke volumes. Well done guys!
Written 12 January 2020
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.
surrealus
New York, NY479 contributions
Oct 2021
Very well done. We booked the Historical Experience; the Architectural Tour wasn't available on the day we visited. We were surprised how interesting the tour was. We learned a lot about Ben Franklin. There were just 3 of us on the tour and all wore masks.
Written 25 October 2021
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.
CheekyLondon
Southend-on-Sea, UK1,666 contributions
Jun 2022
A tremendous experience. We went for the architecture tour on a Friday. The volunteer guide who took us round was knowledgable and passionate about his subject and he made the tour fun! We learned about how the house had been used during Franklin's time, and how it was later adapted for other residents. We also learned about the life of Franklin and how he spent his years in London and in this particular house. A definite must do visit if you are in London and like your history.
Written 28 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.
Farwriter
London, UK134 contributions
Jul 2023
One of the few museums I had not got round to visiting before, in spite of living in London for 20+ years. The fact that you have to book a guided tour put me off because I normally like to wander round on my own, but here it is very necessary because there isn't actually much to see apart from the main exhibit, the house itself, so the guide is essential to bring the house to life and fill in the background information. The house dates from about 1730 and is Grade I listed because of the architectural features such as wall panelling and window shutters, which amazingly survived the later uses of the building as a hotel and offices. Our guide was a lovely American lady called Chris, who was friendly and engaging and very easy to listen to. She took us round each room of the house and pointed out the architectural features, as well as giving biographical information about Franklin himself. I am ashamed to say I knew almost nothing about him but he sounds so interesting and so multi-talented that I immediately went to a nearby bookshop to buy a biography! I think there was a small shop at the rear of the building but I was on the last tour of the day so we were ushered straight out of the front door after the hour-long tour, which was a shame, or perhaps I could have bought my book there instead!
Written 17 July 2023
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.
ARTJPL
London, UK360 contributions
Sept 2024 • Business
All tours are guided and at Sep24, the architectural tours are Fridays and the historical experience tours are Saturdays and Sundays. As this is a real life house and a relatively modest sized house, you may wish to pre-book online. This is the only building in the world Benjamin Franklin lived that is still standing and certain parts are original so you can say you’ve walked the floorboards Ben Franklin walked.
Our guide was a volunteer and he did an excellent job. The talks were well timed with occasional humour to keep the audience entertained. The house was built in the 1700s so certain floors are not entirely level and you will notice some of the walls are wonky. Sine stairs are narrow and steep. Recommend packing light (no lift) and sneakers or the like to be sure of your footing.
As the house abuts Charing Cross station, it is very central and you could visit the Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House on the same trip.
Our guide was a volunteer and he did an excellent job. The talks were well timed with occasional humour to keep the audience entertained. The house was built in the 1700s so certain floors are not entirely level and you will notice some of the walls are wonky. Sine stairs are narrow and steep. Recommend packing light (no lift) and sneakers or the like to be sure of your footing.
As the house abuts Charing Cross station, it is very central and you could visit the Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House on the same trip.
Written 6 September 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.
Zahia
London, UK33 contributions
Nov 2021 • Friends
Lovely little museum, tucked behind Charing Cross station. The combination of acting, light show, projections and recorded sounds brought the spaces to life, and we really enjoyed the experience. Staff were super knowledgeable and could answer all our questions, and we learnt a lot about Benjamin Franklin's life in London.
Written 8 November 2021
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.
Dana F
2 contributions
Oct 2022
We recently visited the Benjamin Franklin House and were extremely impressed with the experience. Our introductory guide, Jessica, was poised, welcoming and very knowledgeable; while our interpretive guide, “Polly”, successfully took us back in time with a most enjoyable and educational performance. Many thanks to our British friends for preserving what we Americans did not — the home of one of our country’s most famous statesmen.
Written 6 November 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.
Rachael T
Dalkeith, UK4 contributions
Aug 2021
This is an amazing museum. The staff and volunteers are very friendly and knowledgeable. The interpretation really brings the house to life and is very engaging. I visited with my husband who is a big Benjamin Franklin fan and it was a very special experience. I would highly recommend this museum in London over some of the bigger ones.
Written 13 September 2021
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.
Thomas B
1 contribution
Jan 2024 • Family
We were shown around this Grade 1 listed building by the guide Chris who described both the features and history of the house and recounted events from the life of the truly remarkable Benjamin Franklin whilst resident in London. It was the most fascinating, educational and entertaining tour we have experienced. Benjamin Franklin was brought to life by our knowledgeable, enthusiastic and engaging guide Chris. We will long remember with pleasure our visit to Benjamin Franklin House.
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.
How long is the historical experience tour?
Written 21 February 2016
The Ben Franklin Home is about an hour. As I live in Philadelphia now, and there are no surviving structures Franklin occupied, it was especially interesting to me. But It gives a good historical look at the time period for your hour.
Written 23 February 2016
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
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