Reviews of Benjamin Franklin House. (Museum) in London (London).

Benjamin Franklin House

212 Reviews

10 Comments

Museum

Historical place museum

36 Craven St, London WC2N 5NF, United Kingdom

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Information of Benjamin Franklin House, Museum in London (London)

On this page you’ll find the address, open hours, more popular times, the contact, photos and real reviews of this business.

This business has received very good reviews from their customers, so probably it’s a place you should try if you are looking for this kind of services.

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Open hours of Benjamin Franklin House

Reviews of Benjamin Franklin House

B. T.

The house itself is fairly bare, but they did well in telling of his life via an interactive video and costumed tour guide experience that takes you through 4-5 rooms. It gives an understanding of his life, why in London, people he interacted with, and the house itself. The guides/workers were very kind and helpful in answering questions. If looking for something historical but a little different than the usual tourist places in London it’s a good 50 minute stop within a 2-3 minute walk of Charing Cross and Trafalgar Square. Make sure to book in advance though.

M. G.

Who knew Ben Franklin lived in London? I was super excited to check out this museum since it’s lead by a costumed re-enactor but honestly it was a bit disappointing. We were in with a large group and as you move from room to room the guide began before we even got to the next room. So I missed out on some info. This is no standard museum. There is no furniture or things in the rooms to look at. It’s more of an audio visual tour. Interesting concept but a bit lacking.

M. L.

Why Was Benjamin Franklin’s Basement Filled With Skeletons? Repairs on Franklin’s old London house turned up 1,200 pieces of bone from at least 15 people. For nearly two decades leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence Benjamin Franklin lived in London in a house at 36 Craven Street. In 1776, Franklin left his English home to come back to America. More than 200 years later, 15 bodies were found in the basement, buried in a secret, windowless room beneath the garden. In 1998, conservationists were doing repairs on 36 Craven, looking to turn Franklin’s old haunt into a museum. “From a one metre wide, one metre deep pit, over 1200 pieces of bone were retrieved”—remnants of more than a dozen bodies, says Benjamin Franklin House. Six were children. Forensic investigations showed that the bones dated to Franklin’s day. Franklin was a noted revolutionary and powerful freemason—the Grand Master of Masons of Pennsylvania—so it’s easy to wonder what dark secrets Franklin may have hidden in his basement chamber. But the truth, it turns out, isn’t quite so dark. “The most plausible explanation is not mass murder, but an anatomy school run by Benjamin Franklin’s young friend and protege, William Hewson,” said the Guardian in 2003. Still, in Franklin’s time, anatomy lessons were a dark, ethically ambiguous business. Mental Floss: Anatomy was still in its infancy, but the day’s social and ethical mores frowned upon it… A steady supply of human bodies was hard to come by legally, so Hewson, Hunter, and the field’s other pioneers had to turn to grave robbing — either paying professional “resurrection men” to procure cadavers or digging them up themselves — to get their hands on specimens. Researchers think that 36 Craven was an irresistible spot for Hewson to establish his own anatomy lab. The tenant was a trusted friend, the landlady was his mother-in-law, and he was flanked by convenient sources for corpses. Bodies could be smuggled from graveyards and delivered to the wharf at one end of the street, or snatched from the gallows at the other end. When he was done with them, Hewson simply buried whatever was left of the bodies in the basement, rather than sneak them out for disposal elsewhere and risk getting caught and prosecuted for dissection and grave robbing. Franklin was probably aware of the illegal studies going on in his building, says the Benjamin Franklin House, but it’s doubtful the he was involved himself. Still, we can’t imagine that, curious man that he was, he didn’t sneak down and check out the proceedings at least once or twice. Colin Schultz is a freelance science writer and editor based in Toronto, Canada. He blogs for Smart News and contributes to the American Geophysical Union. He has a B.Sc. in physical science and philosophy, and a M.A. in journalism.

J. D.

Fun tour. Pretty good location. Only drawback is the booking system which seems to frequently be on the Fritz. Their old system seemed a lot better.

C. R.

Interesting and informative dramatic tour of his London house given by a costumed actor with multimedia accompaniment and an introductory video beforehand. Most rooms are quite bare but in authentic and original condition. Small groups only and no photography allowed.

Z. T.

Quick, enjoyable rundown of Franklin's life, highlighting his dealings in London and the relationship with his "landlady". The historical tour I took with my wife was mainly a video presentation of various paintings and real life demonstrations accentuated with a 'one man play' narrated and acted by Franklin's landlady, with pre-recorded vocal parts standing in for other actors. The tour takes you through not even half a dozen rooms of the house though; only ground and first floor.

I.

Very educational, interactive, and enjoyable way to spend a few hours in the afternoon; particularly relevant before going to see Hamilton in the West End! The staff really appreciates education as well which just adds to the experience!

B. P.

Worthwhile if in the neighborhood and interested in history. Excellent theatrical presentation with audiovisual and live actor. Call ahead to reserve a slot. Sometimes they have extras on short notice, but don't expect it.

D. M.

Really interesting tour around a beautiful house. Everything was socially distant and felt very safe. Pre booking is a must

A.

Worth a stop by! It’s wild that this house is the only remaining home of Benjamin Franklin. The combination of technology, story telling, and the real life tour guide is interesting. The outside is easy to miss! Definitely take time to use the restroom - the original stove is in there, ha!

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