Benjamin Franklin House

Over het museum

Benjamin Franklin House at 36 Craven Street, near Charing Cross, is the world's only surviving home of Benjamin Franklin. He lived here between 1757 and 1775, and the house presents itself as the place where he moved from being a royalist to becoming a revolutionary.

The terraced Georgian house was built as a lodging house. The house also held the Hewson anatomy school, and bones found in the basement are on display. In the twentieth century the building served as a hotel and as a base for several non-profit groups. By the late 1990s it was in poor condition, when the Friends of Benjamin Franklin House were granted the freehold by the British government.

A team of trustees, staff and volunteers led a conservation project that saved the Grade I listed house from dereliction. It opened to the public as a museum and education centre on 17 January 2006, the 300th anniversary of Franklin's birth. Visitors move room by room through a five-storey building with uneven floors and several staircases.

Today visitors can take a self-guided tour with a printed gazette on most days, or an architectural tour on Fridays covering the Georgian features, Franklin's years and the conservation project. The house also runs school visits, science demonstrations, events, a chess club and a literary prize for young writers.

Hoogtepunten

• Only surviving home of Benjamin Franklin
• Grade I listed Georgian house with period rooms and parlour
• Basement display of bones from the Hewson anatomy school
• Friday architectural tours of the house and its conservation
• School programme with science demonstrations
• Free audio guides via the Bloomberg Connects app

Vaste collectie

• Franklin's house and the Hewson anatomy school – Walk through the preserved Georgian rooms, including the parlour where Franklin received guests, and see the bones found in the basement from the anatomy school.

Opgericht

2006

Beheerder

Friends of Benjamin Franklin House

Toegangsprijzen & kortingen

Prices shown are for the self-guided tour on Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be booked online; the house will reserve places by email if online booking is difficult.

Toegankelijkheid

• Rolstoeltoegankelijk: niet aanwezig
• Lift: niet aanwezig
• Aangepast toilet: niet aanwezig
• Gehandicaptenparkeerplaats: geen informatie
• Hulphonden welkom
• Tastmodellen / voelbare objecten: geen informatie
• Rondleidingen in gebarentaal: geen informatie
• Informatie in eenvoudige taal: geen informatie
• Audiodescriptie: geen informatie

The five-storey Grade I listed house has a staircase between each floor and uneven, sloping floors, so it has no wheelchair access. Handrails are on all staircases and there is seating in the historic rooms. Toilets are in the basement and there is no accessible toilet. Guide and hearing dogs are permitted in all areas. Relaxed tours for visitors with special educational needs can be arranged outside public hours.

Kinderen & gezin

Erg geschikt voor kinderen & gezinnen

• Gezinsrondleidingen & workshops
• Doe- en voelstations
• Kinderwagenvriendelijk: niet aanwezig
• Verschoonruimte: niet aanwezig

The house runs school visits, science demonstrations and occasional children's days with hands-on activities such as dressing up and butter churning. Pushchairs cannot be used inside and can be left at reception. There are no baby changing facilities.

Bereikbaarheid & parkeren

Information on parking in the area is available from Westminster City Council.

Service & horeca

• Museumwinkel
• Garderobe

The shop and toilets are in the basement. Large bags can be stored at reception.

Evenementen & zaalverhuur

• Ruimtes te huur
• Privéfeesten
• Zakelijke evenementen

The Georgian rooms, including Franklin's Parlour, can be hired for drinks receptions, lectures, networking events, private dinners, photo shoots and filming.

Je bezoek plannen