Museum Lates at Dr Johnson's House

Celebrate the return of light evenings with a Museum Late at one of London’s best-kept secrets!

Celebrate the return of light evenings with a Museum Late at one of London’s best-kept secrets! Enjoy a glass of fizz and explore the beautiful historic home of the famous Dr Samuel Johnson, whose love of London led him to declare '...when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life!'

SHORT TALK: 6pm

Dr Samuel Johnson

Like many Londoners today Samuel Johnson was not from London. The son of a bookseller in Lichfield (Staffordshire), Johnson walked to the capital in 1737 seeking fame and fortune. He never left. While fortune evaded him, Dr Johnson rose to become one of the greatest writers of the Georgian era.

Johnson's Dictionary of the English Language laid the foundation of modern English, and the House where he created it, is often referred to as the 'Cradle of the English Language'.

The House is an open window into the Age of Enlightenment as a place where leading minds of the day gathered, including the Bluestockings - the female intellectuals and scholars of the era, such as Elizabeth Carter and Elizabeth Montagu - of whom Johnson was a great advocate.

Experience a Georgian Townhouse

A stone’s throw from St Paul’s and St Bride’s in the City of London, Dr Johnson's House is one of London’s best-kept secrets. Built in the 1690s, soon after the Great Fire of London, the five-storey house at 17 Gough Square has survived many near misses over the last 300+ years (not least the Blitz!).

The house retains many original features, including a very quirky anti-burglary device. You can browse all the rooms in what was still the tallest building in the area during WWII.

• Grab a glass and explore the rooms from Parlour & Withdrawing Room, to Library & Garret
• Discover the unique architectural features of a 330-year old townhouse
• Sit on the chairs and window seats and soak up the atmosphere
• Head up to the garret - where Johnson created his great Dictionary in 1755
• Leaf through the Dictionary and look up lost words like hotcockles, jiggumbob, and twittletwattle
• Try writing with a quill and ink
• Meet the Bluestockings, such as Elizabeth Carter, and other leading intellectuals of the Enlightenment
• Hear how the House was saved during the Blitz
• Keep an eye out for Hodge - Johnson's 'very fine cat'
• Browse the Gift Shop for unique gifts and books

Come along, walk up the steps, and open the door to a most enlightening and enjoyable experience!

Doors open at 5.30pm. Drop off your bag, grab a glass and start to explore!

There is no specific start time, but the Highlight Talk is at 6pm (for 10-15 minutes).

You are welcome to arrive and depart as you like between 5.30pm - 7pm.