Sir John Soane's Museum

About Sir John Soane's Museum

Former residence of Sir John Soane, architect of the Bank of England. Over 20,000 architectural drawings, antiquities and works by Hogarth, Turner, Canaletto and Piranesi. Two sets of paintings by William Hogarth and the Egyptian Sarcophagus of Seti I.

Facilities

Opening Times Tuesday to Saturday 10.00-17.00

Sir John Soane's Museum Address

Address:
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3BP
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7405 2107
Fax: +44 (0)20 7831 3957

Prices for Sir John Soane's Museum

Adult: Free (USD0.00)
 

Location Information for Sir John Soane's Museum

Address:
13 Lincoln's Inn Fields
London
WC2A 3BP
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7405 2107
Fax: +44 (0)20 7831 3957
Public transport: Holborn, London Underground
By Road: Tube: Holborn

Getting There

Going to Sir John Soane's Museum using public transport? Find the fastest route:

Get here with Journey Planner
 
Sir John Soane's Museum
 

TripAdvisor ®

Traveller Rating:

4.5
Based on 16 reviews
Ranked #24

  Latest 5 reviews of Sir John Soane's Museum

Nice to check out

This is a nice additional to any trip. Probably not the highlight but it is very interesting. The home (or museum) is fascinating.

This is a nice additional to any trip. Probably not the highlight but it is very interesting. The home (or museum) is fascinating.

 
5.0
13 November 2009
by EuroTraveler48, USA
 

Quirky

This place is more than unusual, no layout whatsover if you're trying to find anything, an unreal assortment of fragments of relics, extremely crowded into a small space. Although we were let...

This place is more than unusual, no layout whatsover if you're trying to find anything, an unreal assortment of fragments of relics, extremely crowded into a small space.

Although we were let right in I can see the possibility of a huge line as not many people can be in there at the same time. Finding it is difficult as nothing in the area marks where it is.

I'd spend more time in other museums and pass on this one

 
2.0
22 September 2009
by ffdoc2, pennsylvania
 

The best London has to offer

I'll be honest - I love this museum and I visit it every time I'm in London. Sir John Soane was an architect, collector, writer and much more. He was enormously rich and spent most of his fortune on...

I'll be honest - I love this museum and I visit it every time I'm in London. Sir John Soane was an architect, collector, writer and much more. He was enormously rich and spent most of his fortune on artifacts for this, his home. He fell out with his children and so had an act of Parliament passed to leave his beautiful home and contents to the nation with two provisos (1) it had to be unchanged internally (2) admission had to be free. And so it still is now, nearly 200 years later. This museum has it all - wonderful Hogarth paintings, original furniture, eccentric grottoes, nooks and crannies, friendly and helpful staff , a lovely location in Lincolns Inn Fields , small enough to wander around and even get lost in but easy on the feet and yes its always free. There are also some pretty good pubs roundabouts ( the Cittie of Yorke in nearby Holborn is a wonder ). Its a must see in London for an inspiring wander and you will come out wishing you could have met Sir John over a glass of port or two.

 
5.0
7 August 2009
by Beruang, Kingstown
 

Quirky excellence

This lovely home/museum was left by its owner as long as it remained largely intact. That is the true charm and delight of Sir John Soane's Museum. The venue is quite small, so patrons cue outside...

This lovely home/museum was left by its owner as long as it remained largely intact. That is the true charm and delight of Sir John Soane's Museum. The venue is quite small, so patrons cue outside before being admitted by a guide. We didn't wait long, however, and once inside it was all worth it, free admission as well.

Soane, the architect for Bank of England, was also a professor of the subject who collected everything, especially with the view to teaching his students from his own collection. The gems of my visit were Hogarth's "The Rake's Progress" (series of 8), as well as his "Election" series of 4 scathing indictments of politics.

The rooms refurbished & designed by Soane are quirky. I found myself smiling with fascination much of the visit. Don't miss this place!

 
5.0
11 January 2009
by crewsaustin, North Berwick Scotland
 

Lovely small museum, off the beaten path

My favorite of the smaller museums in London! It is really just a house, but it has so many nooks and crannies, and so many things packed into it, that it seems much larger than it is. Although Sir...

My favorite of the smaller museums in London! It is really just a house, but it has so many nooks and crannies, and so many things packed into it, that it seems much larger than it is. Although Sir Joan Soane was an architect, his museum houses much more than architectural curiosities. The museum has Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Medieval European, and Renaissance statutes, mosaics, pottery, furniture, timepieces, and even the The Sarcophagus of Seti from 1370 BC. There is a very nice collection of paintings as well. Get here early, because there may be lines, and the building is small so not many people can visit at the same time.

 
5.0
19 November 2008
by JeffWasHere, Ohio, USA
 

Are you a representative of Sir John Soane's Museum?
Respond to Reviews

Write a Review

Read more reviews on TripAdvisor

About TripAdvisor and Visit London

Please be advised that any comments, opinions and statements submitted herewith are entirely independent and do not represent views held by, or are in any way connected to Visit London.

Events at Sir John Soane's Museum

  • 17th and 18th-Century Sculpture

    Exhibition

    Recurring event

    Important pieces include, terracotta model for James Craggs tomb, Westminster Abbey, Arnold Quellin (1609-88), terracotta statuette of Charles II, model for marble statue on the Royal Exchange, City of London, 1684, and Michael Rysbrack (1694-1770), terracotta figure of Van Dyck & terracotta model for relief of the surrender of Marshall Tallard to the Duke of Marlborough after the Battle of Blenheim in the Chapel at Blenheim Palace.

     
  • Architectural Drawing

    Special event

    21 Nov 2009 to 20 Mar 2010

    A six session course designed to help develop and extend your mark-making and observation skills by challenging your approach to drawing. Working with professional artist James Willis, you explore the Museum and other interesting architectural venues in London. Ideal for students (15 - 18)currently studying fine or applied art and wishing to continue into Higher Education.

     
  • Building Fabric

    Exhibition

    Recurring event

    Sir John Soane's Museum is a repository of miscellaneous items of building fabric, many rare survivals. These include a wide variety of early 19th century nails, screws and bolts preserved in the structure of the Museum and as fixings for objects as well as window frames and glazing bars, window latches, sash lifts, sash weights, early 19th century sash cord, doors and door furniture.

     
  • Casts

    Exhibition

    Recurring event

    Soane's collection sheds light on cast manufacturing in the early 19th century, with makers often recorded in Soane's Journals and ledgers. It demonstrates the thriving trade in casts of pieces from private and public collections. Included are rare life masks of the artist Thomas Banks and the actress Sarah Siddons. Important casts include, John Bacon, medallion, Flight of Aeneas from Troy with which he won the first Royal Academy Gold Medal for Sculpture, Henry Webber, medallion, The Judgement of Midas, with which he won the Gold Medal for sculpture, Chellini Madonna by Donatello - 18th century cast made in England, Taddeo Tondo, Michaelangelo, made in England when the marble was in the collection of Sir George Beaumont.

     
powered by Yedda

Questions About Sir John Soane's Museum

Get Answers to Your London Questions
Got a question? Ask on Yedda!

Ask the Community

Recent Questions