Handel Hendrix House

About the museum

Handel Hendrix House brings together two neighbouring townhouses on Brook Street in Mayfair. The composer George Frideric Handel rented number 25 from 1723 until his death in 1759, and he wrote and rehearsed many of his best-known operas and oratorios there. In 1968 the American guitarist Jimi Hendrix moved into a flat on the top floors of number 23 next door.

A campaign to turn Handel's house into a museum began in the late 1950s and took decades. The Handel House Trust finally opened the museum in 2001, with restored period rooms on the first and second floors of number 25. The upper floors of number 23 were added in 2016, and the Hendrix flat opened to visitors there. The Grade I listed buildings were restored again more recently, and the museum now uses the name Handel Hendrix House.

A single ticket gives access to both residences. Visitors walk through the music room, Handel's bedroom and other furnished rooms of the 18th century, and then through Hendrix's bedroom and living space. Volunteers in the rooms explain the objects and the lives of the two musicians. The museum also holds concerts, learning programmes for schools and exhibitions, and the houses can be hired for events.

Highlights

• Handel's restored Georgian rooms at 25 Brook Street, where he composed from 1723 until 1759
• Jimi Hendrix's flat on the top floor of 23 Brook Street
• Music room used for rehearsals and concerts
• One ticket for both residences
• Room-by-room digital guide on Bloomberg Connects

Permanent exhibitions

• Handel's house at 25 Brook Street – Furnished Georgian rooms on the first and second floors, including the music room and Handel's bedroom, where the composer lived and worked from 1723 to 1759.
• Jimi Hendrix's flat at 23 Brook Street – The top-floor flat next door, where the guitarist moved in 1968, shown with objects and stories from 1960s London.

Founded

2001

Operated by

Handel Hendrix House (Handel House Trust)

Admission & discounts

One ticket covers both houses. National Art Pass and Historic Houses members enter free without advance booking (show the card at reception). Blue Badge Tourist Guides enter free if they contact the house in advance.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance and exit are step-free and doors are propped open during opening hours. The lift between floors is currently out of service, and the museum rooms are on upper floors, so upper levels may not be reachable by wheelchair; visitors should contact the house in advance. An accessible toilet is on the ground floor by the shop. The nearest Changing Places toilets are at Paddington Station and the Wellcome Collection. Floors are original and uneven, some rooms have low lighting, and stairs have handrails on one side. Seating is available in some rooms. Assistance and guide dogs are welcome. Accessible parking is on Grosvenor Street.

Kids & families

Children aged 12 and under enter free when they visit in a family group of up to six children; teenagers aged 13 to 17 pay £5. The learning programme includes an interactive children's concert series.

Getting there & parking

The house recommends the Transport for London Journey Planner for travel advice.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Lockers

There is a shop on the ground floor. Lockers fit small bags but not large suitcases, and luggage may not be wheeled through the museum. Food and drink are not allowed inside except bottled water.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties

Up to 100 guests.

Spaces include a banqueting room for up to 22 guests, a music room, a Georgian kitchen and a 1960s bedroom. Standing events can have up to 100 guests. Private group tours are available for up to 30 people.

Plan your visit