The Sherlock Holmes Museum is located on Baker Street at number 221B, an address made famous in the stories of Sherlock Holmes as the home of the detective and Dr Watson. The museum is based on a fictional literary character and builds its exhibition around a story-driven environment and objects inspired by the narratives.
History and background
Sherlock Holmes first appeared in the novel A Study in Scarlet, published in 1887. The character quickly gained widespread popularity and established a lasting position in the early development of detective fiction. The museum opened to the public in 1990, when interest in the Holmes stories was already firmly embedded in British and international culture.
The museum’s concept is based on presenting the fictional setting of the stories in physical form, placing the imaginary address and narrative environment into a real urban context. In this way, the world of Sherlock Holmes is anchored to a recognisable location within London.
Author and literary context
The character of Sherlock Holmes was created by the Scottish writer Arthur Conan Doyle, who was trained as a physician. Holmes’s analytical thinking and methodical observation partly reflect Doyle’s medical background and the period’s growing interest in scientific reasoning and rational methods. The character embodies Victorian-era ideals of logic, deduction and order.
Conan Doyle set his stories in late 19th- and early 20th-century London, where the city itself plays a central role in the narrative. Urban space is portrayed as an environment shaped by social divisions, industrialisation and the development of modern policing. The address 221B Baker Street anchors the stories in a recognisable place, even though it was originally fictional. The Holmes stories influenced the development of detective fiction and established a model for the detective figure whose work is based on observation and logical reasoning.
Building and setting
The museum is housed in a four-storey Georgian townhouse built between 1815 and 1820. The building represents the historic architectural character of Baker Street and blends seamlessly into the surrounding streetscape. The interior spaces are furnished in a Victorian style.
The room layout mirrors a traditional residential layout, creating the impression of a private home rather than a conventional museum. The spatial arrangement guides visitors through the building floor by floor along a predetermined route.
Exhibitions
The museum’s exhibition consists of staged rooms inspired by Conan Doyle’s stories. A central feature is the shared sitting room and study of Holmes and Watson, which display objects associated with the characters, such as a violin, a magnifying glass, and letters. The upper floors feature other characters familiar from the stories, including Dr John Watson, Mrs Hudson, and Holmes’s adversary, Professor Moriarty.
The characters are represented through staged interiors and objects within the overall museum experience. The lower floor focuses on criminal cases and confrontations. Most of the objects on display are reconstructions, and the collection is not based on original historical artefacts.
Summary
The Sherlock Holmes Museum presents an environment inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, a museum space where a literary character, a narrative-based exhibition approach, a historic building, and well-known details from the stories are brought together.
The museum is relatively small and focused, so it does not require a long visit. For fans of Sherlock Holmes, the detailed interiors and familiar objects make the experience engaging. For general visitors, it works best as a short stop rather than a major museum attraction.
