The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Sherlock Holmes fans all over the world, rejoice! If you didn’t already know, the world’s greatest consulting detective has his own museum in the UK, which is located at 221B Baker St., Marylebone, London. The establishment uses the same street name as the apartment where the fictional detective lives (despite actually being between number 237 and 241 Baker Street).

Take a step back to Victorian times, and visit a conceptualized version of Holmes’ home. The museum houses an exhibit of life-sized waxworks of the detective, which was sculpted based on his appearance in the books. Die-hard fans of the iconic character will be delighted to see some notable artifacts from his adventures in the museum.

The museum has four floors. Each room is filled with a mix of authentic furniture from the Victorian area, as well as parody props that reflect Holmes’ character. Some of the most iconic props that can be seen in the museum are Holmes’ wooden pipe, the deerstalker cap, and his signature long dark coat.

The room that depicts Holmes’ private quarters feels like the detective really did live there. The rooms are well maintained, and if you haven’t seen any Victorian heritage, then you’re in for a treat.

On the first floor, you will see the famous study where both Holmes and his sidekick, Dr. Watson, received characters from the book. Science kits, notebooks, a fireplace, and stuffed birds fill the room.

Up the staircase from the study, you will see Watson’s bedroom filled with items from The Hound of the Baskervilles.

The next floor is filled with several wax models arranged to represent scenes from the books. For example, from The Man with the Twisted Lip, there is a head sticking out from the ceiling watching a dead body on the ground.

Finally, a narrow staircase leads to a tiny attic where you will see an old washroom related to a Holmes case, as well as several torn suitcases.

The only drawback of the museum is that it has very little or no explanation as to what the items on display are. To fully appreciate the museum it is best to have a good knowledge of the books as the museum is set up as if Sherlock Holmes was a real person. Unfortunately this means that there is next to nothing on his creator Arthur Conan Doyle. The museum is also solely focused on the Sherlock Holmes from the page, which means that there is no reference to the highly successful BBC show Sherlock.

Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, has increased the global recognition of the character. The success of the Sherlock BBC TV show paved the way for the Victorian-era detective to be integrated into different forms of media. Currently, there are numerous games based on Sherlock Homes that populate many of the world’s leading gaming sites. Holmes and the Stolen Stones is the latest title to join the detective’s roster of games and, like the museum, is based on the Victorian version of the character. Despite no news of a further Sherlock series, fans are still eager to interact with the detective.

During the summer, people can queue for up to two hours to get into the museum.

For fans of the Arthur Conan Doyle’s original version of Sherlock the museum is a must visit. Even if you are unfamiliar with the books you will still find plenty to enjoy, and will recognize some elements from the films and Sherlock series. Just don’t expect to find a waxwork of Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sherlock or any information on the series.

The museum’s entrance fee is £15 ($20). It is open daily from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

This “Sherlock Holmes Museum” post is a Guest Editorial.