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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.

Close-up photograph of the spines of antique leather-bound books, prominently featuring two volumes of Johnson’s Dictionary with ornate gold tooling and black title labels. The aged leather shows wear and texture, evoking a sense of historical richness and scholarly tradition.

Johnson as a Lexicographer: Getting His Just Deserts—Bryan A. Garner

Monday 15 September, 6 - 8pm. £25. Was Johnson truly the father of the English dictionary? Bryan A. Garner explores the evidence in this thought-provoking talk.

Sex & the 18th-Century City (and Dr Johnson)...

Thursday 11 September. 6 - 8pm. £33.50. Join us for a lively and immersive introduction to the sex trade in Georgian London!

Keats House 100: From Poet’s Life to ‘Living Memorial’

Tuesday 26 August, 12.30 - 1.30pm. £3.96 (booking required). Join Keats House curator to discover the fascinating story of why and how Keats House became a museum 100 years ago.

A close-up of a polished wooden table set for a celebration with two ornate brass candelabras holding lit taper candles, and four glasses of sparkling wine. At the center of the table is a champagne bottle draped in an embroidered cloth featuring a historical design and the words "Gopsam and Lady Jean's Revels." Framed portraits hang on the pale green walls in the background, adding to the elegant and historical setting.

Museum Lates at Dr Johnson's House

Thursday 21 August, 5.30pm - 7pm. £16.95. Explore London’s literary past after-hours with a glass of prosecco and a short 10-minute talk on Johnson and Boswell's travels in Scotland.

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.

The Tower of London: Creating a 13th-Century World Within its Walls

Tuesday 29 July, 12.30 - 1.30pm. £3.96 (booking required). This talk examines how archaeology and historical records surrounding a building can shape historical fiction.

Museum Lates at Dr Johnson's House

Thursday 24 July, 5.30pm - 7pm. £16.95. Explore London’s literary past after-hours with a glass of prosecco and a lively 10-minute talk on Samuel Johnson.

Helen Lewis and Henry Oliver on Literary Genius

Thursday 17 July, 6 - 8pm. £20 (booking fee). Who gets called a genius—and why? Unravel the myths and meanings of this powerful word.

Poetry for the Planet Night

Thursday 26 June, 6pm - 8pm. £15 (booking fee). In celebration of London Climate Action Week, an evening of poetry and creative reflection.

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.

17 Gough Square: The 330-Year-Old Architectural Gem in Fleet Street Quarter

Tuesday 24 June, 12.30 - 1.30pm. £3.96 (booking required). Learn about the unique architectural features of the last surviving Grade I listed historic townhouse in Gough Square.