London: Sherlock Holmes Museum

Our first stop in London was at 221b Baker Street, the fictional home of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes. The Sherlock Holmes Museum (www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk) is unique in that there never was a real location where the fictional character lived.

All the classic elements can be found at the museum, but it does not look exactly like the set pieces used in most popular video productions of Mr Holmes. The staff are dressed in period costume and play the part well. When we visited, Lestrade was posted outside the museum door. Since this was our first real stop after flying in and dropping off our luggage; I was unsure if the staging, costumes and thick accents by the staff were part of the act or if we had actually landed in Edwardian London.

Inside there is a large gift shop with a wide selection of Sherlock Holmes items for sale - everything from trinkets to expensive period pieces. If you choose to visit the museum, purchase tickets in the gift shop first, then queue up outside.

This was a must see stop for us since Liz is currently playing the role of Shirley Holmes, niece to the famous detective, in her school play (www.bethesdaschools.org/activities/drama.cfm).  It was fun taking pictures in the Baker Street Underground station as it still retains much of the Victorian style architecture. However, we opted not to tour the museum as the cost seemed a bit more than we wanted to pay for a brief walking tour.

Our Rating: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
Quick Review: Nice gift shop. Fans of Doyle's books will enjoy it more.

To read more about our trip to London, click here.