The Sir John Soane’s Museum just looks like any central London town house on the outside, with only the whiter colouration and a tiny plaque by the door hinting to visitors that this might be a little different.
It’s only when you enter the house that you realise exactly what secrets it’s hiding. As one person exclaimed when I visited many years ago – the house is akin to Dr. Who’s Tardis in terms of the amount of space and exhibits that seem to be filled within.
The inside of the house was the work of Sir John Soane, who amongst other buildings designed the impressive looking Bank of England. In his lifetime he also collected a huge number of architectural pieces from drawings of buildings such as the Houses of Parliament to large and small works of art.
This is what makes the house so fascinating to many, as it’s not just a stuffy old museum where everything is hidden behind glass screens and artificial lights, but instead the museum is the house and the collection combined as Soane lived in and left it, allowing visitors to freely wander around discovering pieces hidden away in little dark corridors or behind seemingly solid walls.
The museum probably isn’t something that kids will enjoy, but can be very useful for those on a budget wanting to explore some of the architecture behind London’s great monuments.
Admission to the museum is free.
Useful extra links:
360′ Panoramic Tour of John Soane’s house
John Soane Museum web site
Hotels in Holborn (around the museum)
Attractions in Holborn
