Sir John Soane's Museum

I didn't know a lot about Sir John Soane or his house/museum - what a surprise!

If you are in to architecture, this is a must. He was really a creative genius. His collection of antiquities is amazing, and the history of his house and the area was fascinating.

If you're tired of numbing, massive museums, spend an hour or two at Soane house - it costs nothing, though you will be inspired to donate, and is compact enough to really soak in in that time.

I'll definitely suggest that friends and relatives visit... really a surprisingly inspiring place.

I visited the Soane museum on a lark in the summer of 1992. Not to worry, the musuem is under special grant to be kept in its original state per Sir John's request, so this review is in no way outdated! I was anticipating yet another typical British museum as a wandered through the Georgian facade that warm summer day. What I experienced there still enters my mind and dreams since. The residence is absolutely packed with the most engaging and spectacular collection of art and architecture all at hand's reach. It is an intimate setting, one feels as if they are part of the essence of the art they are perusing. Floor to ceiling, wall to wall, through decorative arches, and outlandish follies (alas, poor Fanny!), the visitor is transported to another dimension. The ideas here are so fresh and so original, they transend time and genre. It is old (almost 200 years), yet, it is still so new in flavor. Do see Soane's stairway tribute to Shakspeare and the Hograth paintings mounted on swinging panels. Don't miss this one, you'll find yourself going back again and again in you thoughts and dreams.