News

children's hands turning the pages of two old dictionaries

Children Welcome!

We've been welcoming children since 1752, when 8-year old Francis Barber came to live with Samuel Johnson.

A flat-lay arrangement on pale textured paper showing a white quill pen dipped in black ink, an open ink bottle with ink splashes, and a small purple flower with green leaves beside folded writing paper.

Letter Writing Sunday at Dr Johnson's House

Sunday 8 February. 12pm - 4pm. Free with admission. Try your hand at letter writing in the historic home of Dr Johnson in the heart of the Fleet Street Quarter.

Painting of Dr Johnson (1709–1784), and Mrs Siddons (1755–1831), in Bolt Court by William Powell Frith

Samuel Johnson and ‘The female of the human race'

International Women’s Day provides the opportunity demonstrate that Johnson was a great champion of the achievements of women.

Letter Writing Sunday at Dr Johnson's House

Sunday 15 March. 12pm - 4pm. Free with admission. Try your hand at letter writing in the historic home of Dr Johnson in the heart of the Fleet Street Quarter.

BlindAid at Dr Johnson's House

Sunday 22 March. 12pm - 4pm. Free with admission. Join us at Dr Johnson’s House for a special afternoon with BlindAid.

woodblock print of a man studying the stars and moon

Lamentable Tales, Merry Gestes and Pleasant Histories

Sunday 12 July. 12pm - 4pm. Free with admission. Storyteller and historian Dave Tonge explores the tales that filled Dr Johnson’s London.

Four visitors exploring a warmly lit library room with tall windows, yellow curtains, and glass-fronted bookcases filled with old volumes.

Seasonal Sundays

Dr Johnson's House is open on selected Sundays 12pm - 4pm until December! Sun 19 & 26 Oct, Sun 9 & 29 Nov, and Sun 7 Dec 2025

New House of Words Update

Welcome to the most recent House of Words Update featuring news about exciting developments and future plans at Dr Johnson's House.

Interior of Dr Johnson’s House with wooden floors, green walls, and sash windows. A staircase with white banisters is visible through open doors on the left, while on the right a dining area is furnished with a dark wooden table, ladder-back chairs, a fireplace, portraits, and a chandelier. A patterned rug lies beneath the table.

Open House Festival 2025

We are taking part in this year's Open House Festival. Sat 13, Sun 14, Sat 20 & Sun 21 September 2025 from 11am - 5pm.

A young child with blonde hair in a blue and white striped dress uses a white quill pen to write on a sheet of paper at a wooden table. Ink marks form a large, bold question mark. Other sheets of handwritten paper and several quills in an inkwell surround the child, capturing a hands-on moment of historic writing activity.

Kids Aloud!

Join our special drop-in timeslot with Art Fund, especially for families to explore our collection when children can be as loud and energetic as they like.

A portrait of Samuel Johnson seated in an armchair, wearing a dark brown robe and white shirt. He rests against a checkered cushion and leans slightly to one side, gazing thoughtfully ahead. One hand lies on a table, pointing to a sheet of paper, with leather-bound books and a quill nearby, suggesting a scholarly or literary setting. The lighting is soft and subdued, emphasizing the introspective mood of the scene.

Johnson and Barber: A Story of Teaching

Explore Samuel Johnson’s flawed yet determined efforts as a teacher, beginning with his short-lived school, Edial Hall, and later in his own household, focusing especially on his education of Francis Barber, the Black child he helped raise and who would become England’s first Black schoolmaster.

Anna Williams

Anna Williams was Dr Johnson’s companion of 30 years. She lived with him in his house in Gough Square from 1752 and at his later Fleet Street residences until her death in 1783.