Sherlock Holmes Museum, London, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Sherlock Holmes Museum is a Georgian town house on Baker Street in London, set up as the home of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes and his friend Dr Watson. Its door carries the famous number 221B, an address that did not exist when Arthur Conan Doyle wrote the stories. It is one of the most visited literary landmarks in the city.

The story behind it

When Conan Doyle published the Holmes stories, the numbers on Baker Street only reached 85, so 221B was pure invention. In the 1930s the street was extended, and the block numbered 219 to 229 became the offices of the Abbey National Building Society. The bank received so much post addressed to Sherlock Holmes that it employed a full-time secretary just to deal with it.

The museum opened in 1990, and for years the bank and the museum disagreed over who should answer the fan mail. The bank moved out in 2005, which left the museum to reply to letters for the detective. Inside, the rooms are arranged as Holmes's Victorian lodgings, with objects connected to him and his best-known cases, and a gift shop is attached.

What to look for

• The 221B number above the front door, which makes this plain Georgian facade one of the most photographed in London.
• The period styling of the exterior, which sets the house apart from the shops and offices that line the busy street around it.
• The statue of Holmes outside Baker Street Underground station, a short walk away, which makes a good companion photo.
• The steady stream of letters and parcels the museum is still known for receiving, a reminder of how real the fictional detective feels to readers.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about an hour if you plan to go inside, and a few minutes if you only want a photo of the facade from the pavement.
• Queues can build up at busy times, so arriving early in the day often makes for a calmer visit. Check current opening hours and ticket arrangements before you go.
• Baker Street Underground station is close by, and Regent's Park and Madame Tussauds are both a short walk away, so it fits easily into a wider day out.
• The street is busy with traffic and visitors, so take photos from a safe spot on the pavement.

See it on a quest

The house works well as one stop on a longer walk, and Sherlock Holmes London: Crack the Case Walking Tour & Escape Game takes you there on foot. You reach the museum as part of a route through the surrounding area, the app tells you about each place as you arrive, and you solve a puzzle on the spot using what is in front of you. You start whenever you like, with no guide and no group to join, and one ticket covers your whole group.