The Charles Dickens House Museum: London for Book Lovers
The Dickens House Museum at 48 Doughty Street is one of my favorite attractions in London. And that’s saying a lot, as I’ve studied abroad there and visited several times since. If you’ve been wondering whether the Charles Dickens house is worth visiting or not, I’m here to help you decide.
After all, literary travel is kind of my thing — I’ve been traveling around the US and Europe the past several years and hunting down the best literary travel destinations, indie bookstores, and gorgeous libraries to share with my fellow bookish travelers.
Tucked away on a modest street in London’s Camden borough, if you were merely passing by the street you’d likely never even notice the Dickens house museum was even there. But for those who are in the know (that now includes you), Charles Dickens’ only remaining residence in London is a must-see literary travel destination in London and an underrated London destination even for more general audiences.
The Charles Dickens Museum was one of my absolute favorite places I visited during my literary studies in London, and I’m so happy to be sharing it with you. I hope you’ll get to visit it soon. Here’s what you can expect from your visit.
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Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.
Charles Dickens in London: 48 Doughty Street
In 1837, young newlyweds Charles & Catherine Dickens moved into this row house in London. Charles was thirty-seven chapters into his first literary sensation, The Pickwick Papers. This work had catapulted him into the literary limelight, and the rising star was ready to move into a grander, more expensive home. 48 Doughty Street was the next financial and social “step up” for Dickens and his wife.
Charles and Catherine lived here for three years, and during that time, many significant events happened, both personally and professionally. While living here, Charles finished The Pickwick Papers and wrote and published Oliver Twist as well as Nicholas Nickleby. (one of my top book recommendations from 2020).
He also wrote and oversaw the production of four plays and served as the editor of a literary magazine. You might have realized by now that Charles Dickens worked with a sort of frenzy, in a thousand directions at once. He had a rather enigmatic personality, something you can read more about in these shocking Charles Dickens facts.
You’d think with all that writing Charles would have little time for anything else, but he and Catherine were highly social and constantly hosted guests of London’s literary elite. Their first two children, Mamie and Katey, were also born during their three-year tenure at 48 Doughty Street.
Their time in this house also corresponded with great sorrow for the Dickens family. It was here that Charles’ sister-in-law Mary Hogarth, who was living with the couple, died in his arms after falling suddenly ill. Some historians believe Mary was actually the love of Dickens’ life, and he was forever changed by her death.
Indeed, he stopped writing entirely for a time (although thankfully picked it up again later). Still, he kept her ring on his finger and her lock of hair near his heart for the rest of his life.
Understanding the context of where the Dickens house museum fits into the writer’s personal history will greatly enhance your appreciation of the London travel sight, so now let’s move on to what you can expect from your visit.
Related: Did you know that some people believe Charles Dickens’ ghost haunts a historic hotel in Boston?
Visiting the Charles Dickens House Museum
There are several options for visiting the Charles Dickens Museum in London:
- Take a self-guided walk-through of the home
- Walk through the museum on your own with a rented audioguide
- Participate in occasional guided tours with museum docents. (Buy your tickets online here)
- Visit the Charles Dickens Museum virtually with a scheduled online tours (while these ran more frequently during COVID closures, they still sporadically offer them).
The Charles Dickens Museum in London underwent a massive refurbishment in 2012, expanding into the home next door to include even more exhibitions than previously. Visitors now get to access more of the home than ever before, including the attic and kitchens, and see even more Dickens-related items of interest.
Here’s a sneak peek into some of the rooms that you will tour at the Charles Dickens Museum. I got to tour the Dickens house museum for the first time before it was renovated, so in this post we will also look at a couple of before-and-after photos. You can see how much has changed!
Charles Dickens’ library and study
In the Charles Dickens Museum, you can take a peek into the working life of the author, who wrote mostly at home. During your museum tour, you can see Charles Dickens’ original writing desk and chair that he owned later in his life, on which he wrote Great Expectations and Our Mutual Friend. This was purchased by the museum in 2015 and is one of my favorite Dickens artifacts on display.
Charles Dickens’ Drawing Room
At the Charles Dickens Museum London, see where the Dickens family lived and gathered (there were a lot of them! Charles and Catherine Dickens had 10 children!) Note the famous red armchair in the back corner.
The Kitchens
The kitchens are one area of the Charles Dickens Museum that was not shown to visitors before the renovation but which is now a regular part of the tour. You can even take special, themed upstairs/downstairs tours by someone in character and costume as a maid in the Dickens’ home.
The Dickens’ Dining Room
The dining room in Charles Dickens’ home is such a beautiful room and one of my favorites in the Charles Dickens Museum. You can just picture the growing Dickens family sharing their meals here. They frequently entertained guests, including other famous writers of the time. There’s a hilarious anecdote about Hans Christian Andersen outstaying his welcome with the Dickens, who were too courteous to throw him out.
The dining room gets particularly festive during the Christmas season, all decked out in seasonal decorations to honor the author’s contribution to enduring Christmas tradition.
Related: Check out my review of one version of A Christmas Carol available on Audible
Charles Dickens Memorabilia
There is such a fun collection of the author’s items on display at Dickens house museum. Because many authors are not widely appreciated until many years after their deaths, it’s often difficult for museums to gather many original belongings.
Dickens achieved literary fame in his lifetime, and his surviving family members have carefully cared for many of his belongings, enabling the Charles Dickens Museum to feature an impressive amount of original furniture, letters, manuscripts, and other items once belonging to the iconic writer.
The Charles Dickens Museum has the most extensive collection of Dickens-related items in the world, so not all of them can be on display at one time. Check their website for the latest exhibits. Scholars may request access to the entire collection through their website.
Here are some of my favorite items from my visit there:
A copy of the first serial contribution of Great Expectations. If you don’t already know, Dickens’ novels generally didn’t appear as traditional novels but rather as episodic writing in newspapers. Much as you now wait a week for the latest episode of your favorite network TV show, readers would have to wait for the next regular publication to continue the story.
You can see an original serial copy of part of Dickens’ most famous work at the Charles Dickens Museum.
A first edition copy of A Christmas Carol is always on display at the Charles Dickens Museum London.
Catherine Dickens’ engagement ring including a note detailing how the ring was passed down in Charles Dickens’ family.
The Arm and Hammer sign referenced in A Tale of Two Cities is hanging at the building of Dr. Manette’s residence. This is the original sign from Manette Street in Soho, which was named after the fictitious character.
Related: You can visit another Dickens museum with tons of memorabilia in Deventer, Netherlands, also home to the world’s largest Dickens Festival.
Special Events at the Charles Dickens Museum
Several special events happen each month at the Charles Dickens Museum both in-person and online. For a list of upcoming events, check out the “What’s on” section of their website, but a lot of the festivities around here happen around December.
Christmas at the Charles Dickens Home
The Charles Dickens Museum celebrates Christmas with several special events, including:
- Reenactments & readings of A Christmas Carol
- Christmas-themed tours
- Christmas Eve with the Dickens
- Lectures about Dickens’ impact on how we celebrate Christmas
- Events with living descendants of Charles Dickens
In addition to events, the entire house is decked out in Christmas decor throughout December, and Christmas-themed tours are offered.
Note that the museum is closed on Christmas Day.
Related: There’s so much to do in London for fans of literature. Make sure to check out the nearby Sherlock Holmes Museum. Looking for the best afternoon tea? For book lovers, I recommend afternoon tea at the Library at County Hall, or one of these unique London afternoon teas.
Tips for Visiting the Charles Dickens Museum
- Don’t plan to bring any bags other than a small purse, as you will not be allowed to enter.
- Make sure you allow yourself a minimum of one hour (more if you’re a real literary lover) to take your time here.
- They’ve turned the rather lovely terrace of the Charles Dickens Museum into a café. Once called the Pickwick Café, it’s recently been rebranded to The Artful Tea Room (referencing the character of the Artful Dodger in Oliver Twist). If you’re visiting in decent weather, plan to stay a while for tea and a snack and enjoy the beautiful garden.
- There’s a very nice gift shop (an “old curiosity shop,” if you will) in the museum, so come prepared to buy a few knick knacks.
- You can also shop their gift store online. Non-profit author homes and museums have been struggling in 2020 with closings and reduced visitors, so this would be a great place to buy some Christmas presents and help keep this wonderful museum running for many years to come.
Some fun gift ideas I found are:
- A beautiful special Dickens Museum edition of A Christmas Carol for £20.00
- Plaster bust of Charles Dickens for £23.00. Wouldn’t that look lovely on your bookcase?
Charles Dickens Museum Admission Prices (2024 update):
- Adult: £12.50
- Concessions (Students, Seniors and Disabled Visitors): £10.50
- Child 6-16 years: £7.50
- Children under 6 years: Free
- Live guided tours start at: £12.50
As always, verify prices and opening hours on the official website before planning your visit to the Dickens house museum.
It’s recommended to book online in advance.
Getting to the Dickens House Museum
The Charles Dickens Museum in London is located in the London borough of Camden, just north of the City of Westminster. It’s walking distance from the British Museum, the British Library, Russell Square, and Kings Cross Station (another great literary site in London and a necessary stop for the Harry Potter lover).
The address is:
48-49 Doughty Street
London, WC1N 2LX
Driving: There is limited, metered street parking available. Public transportation is recommended.
By bus: Accessible by bus numbers 7, 17, 19, 38, 45, 46, 55, 243. Check bus timetables here.
By the tube: London’s underground is one of the best in the world and very easily navigable, even for beginners. You can get there on any of the following lines:
- Piccadilly Line: Russell Square station (10 minute walk)
- Central Line: Chancery Lane or Holborn stations (10 minute walk)
- Circle/Hammersmith/Northern/Victoria Lines: Kings Cross St. Pancras Station (14 min. walk)
Other bookish attractions in London
London is one of my favorite cities, and it’s a treasure trove of sights for the bookish-minded traveler. Here’s a quick reference to some of my guides to other London attractions you might enjoy:
- Take the Literary London Pub tour, an unforgettable night on the town for those who want to learn a little something while they socialize and drink
- The Sherlock Holmes Museum, a recreation of Sherlock and Watson’s fictional Baker Street apartment
- Dr. Johnson’s House, where he compiled the first comprehensive English dictionary
- For Harry Potter fans, a complete list of Harry Potter things to do in London
- How to visit the Globe Theatre (all your options, detailed)
Finding Accommodations in London
London is an enormous city, so you’re bound to find lodgings somewhere. However, if you want to stay near the Charles Dickens Museum, I recommend looking near Kings’ Cross Station or in the Camden burrough.
As you look for somewhere to stay, I recommend checking for lodging on Hotels.com. I almost always book my accommodations through Hotels.com, because you can earn rewards for every night you stay without having to choose only one hotel chain to be loyal to. You can even book locally owned apart hotels and bed and breakfasts.
If you’re looking for privately owned vacation rentals, I recommend checking VRBO. I’ve personally had much better experiences with their owners and rentals than I have with their primary competitor.
Travel Resources At-A-Glance
All of the following are links to sites and services I actually use to book and plan my travel or to purchase books or travel gear.
For flights: Skyscanner is my number one go-to resource for booking flights. I love using the “explore” function to find the cheapest places I can fly during a given time or using the fare calendar to identify the cheapest days to fly.
For hotels and lodgings: For hotels, hotels.com, and for vacation rentals, VRBO.com. I’ve had much better experiences with private rentals through this website than through other popular private vacation rental websites.
For car rentals: Kayak allows comparisons across a wide range of booking agencies and lists reviews of companies as well. I’ve found this to be the most user-friendly and efficient way to compare car rental prices.
For tours & excursions: Viator and Get Your Guide are my top choices for booking excursions and tour experiences in a new destination.
For travel gear: Amazon.com and REI for more outdoorsy items. Check out my travel gear recs here.
For booking trains & buses: I find the Omio app and website to be the most easily navigable for comparing options for public transportation, especially in Europe,
Best travel credit card: My favorite travel rewards credit card for European travel has been the Chase Sapphire Rewards card. Visa is accepted just about everywhere in Europe, and there are no foreign transaction fees on the card. Some of the travel benefits I love on the Chase Sapphire include free TSA pre-check or Global Entry (worth it every time), an annual $200 travel credit, an annual $200 hotel benefit, built-in rental car, and trip insurance, and points are worth 50% more when used to book travel. I travel around Europe a LOT, and I end up with many free flights and hotel stays from using my points on my Chase Sapphire.
For books: Bookshop.org often has prices as good as Amazon or sometimes better, but profits go to indie bookstores all over the country. Whenever possible, consider buying your books from this online indie bookshop resource.
That wraps up my list of everything to know before visiting Dickens house museum in London!
Have you ever visited? What did you love or enjoy the most? Also, make sure to check out these great tips for visiting London.
Find more activities to do in London at Viator, including a Charles Dickens Walking Tour.
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Special thanks to Penny at the Dickens Museum for providing photos & COVID-19 visiting information for this post.
