Charles Dickens' Birthplace Museum

About the museum

Charles Dickens was born in this modest terraced house in Landport, Portsmouth, on 7 February 1812. His father John, a clerk in the Navy Pay Office, had rented it as the first home of his married life when he brought his young wife Elizabeth to Portsmouth in the summer of 1809, while Britain was still at war with Napoleonic France.

The house has belonged to the town, and later the city, of Portsmouth since 1904. Its interior was restored in the 1960s, and the furniture, ceramics, glass and decorations have been re-created in the Regency style the Dickens family would have chosen, since their own possessions were long ago dispersed. Visitors enter through the former kitchen and see three furnished rooms: the parlour, the dining room and the bedroom where the author was born. An exhibition room covers Dickens and Portsmouth.

The most important object is the couch on which Dickens died at Gad's Hill Place in 1870, given to the museum in 1909 by his sister-in-law Georgina Hogarth; his snuff box, inkwell and paper knife are also shown, as are letters, cheques and illustrations of his characters. The museum is one of the Portsmouth Museums run by Portsmouth City Council, and it holds the VisitEngland Visitor Attraction Quality Scheme award.

Highlights

• The bedroom where Charles Dickens was born in 1812
• Parlour and dining room furnished in the Regency style
• The couch on which Dickens died at Gad's Hill Place
• Dickens's snuff box, inkwell and paper knife
• Exhibition on Charles Dickens and Portsmouth, with illustrations of his characters

Permanent exhibitions

• Regency rooms of the birthplace – The parlour, dining room and the bedroom where Dickens was born, furnished in the Regency style of the early 1800s.
• Charles Dickens and Portsmouth – An exhibition room on Dickens and his links with Portsmouth, with memorabilia including the couch on which he died and illustrations of his characters.

Operated by

Portsmouth Museums (Portsmouth City Council)

Admission & discounts

Admission is free for residents of Portsmouth (postcodes PO1 to PO6) and for schools.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible: not available
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The early 19th-century house was not designed for accessibility. It is entered down a steep, narrow outside staircase to the shop, and three more flights of stairs lead up through the house, so access is difficult for visitors with mobility impairments; all stairs have handrails. The visitor toilets are inside the house, with grab rails; the nearest Changing Places toilet is at Portsmouth Central Library, about 1.3 km away. Information in each room is available in large print, Braille and several languages. Guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs wearing tabards are allowed. Staff are trained in disability awareness, and an access statement can be downloaded.

Kids & families

Children under 13 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Schools can use a museum trail.

Getting there & parking

By car, take the M275 into Portsmouth and follow the brown signs. What3words: author.shiny.assist. The Park and Ride site is just off junction 1 of the M275.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

The shop at reception sells Dickens novels, books, postcards, bookmarks, tea towels and Victorian keepsakes; there is also an online shop for Portsmouth Museums.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

The rooms of the house can be hired for small meetings and events, by day or in the evening; out-of-hours visits can also be arranged.

Plan your visit