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The Great Britain Guide

Museums · West Midlands

Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum

Free admission♿ Wheelchair: limited

Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum — a Grade I-listed museum in england-west-midlands, United Kingdom.

Dr Johnson - geograph.org.uk - 7706876

Stephen McKay — CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Best time of year
Year-round
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Limited wheelchair access

About

Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum is a Grade I-listed building in england-west-midlands, United Kingdom. Grade I status is conferred by Historic England (or Cadw, Historic Environment Scotland or NIEA equivalents) on buildings of exceptional national interest. See the linked Wikipedia article for full historical and architectural details.

Photo gallery

From the Wikipedia article

Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum is a biographical museum and bookshop located in the centre of the city of Lichfield, Staffordshire, in England. The building is a Grade I listed building situated at the corner of Market Street and Breadmarket Street opposite the market square. The museum opened in 1901 and is dedicated to the life and works of the author and lexicographer Samuel Johnson who wrote the first authoritative Dictionary of the English Language. Johnson's father built the house in 1707 and Samuel was born in the house on 18 September 1709 and spent the majority of his first 27 years in the house before leaving for London in 1737. The house was used as a commercial property for various trades between the time of Johnson's death in 1784 until the house was bought for the city by John Gilbert in 1900 for the purpose of retaining the building as a museum to Johnson. The house remains in active use as a museum.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Architecture

The house was built on the corner of Breadmarket Street and Market Street in 1707 by Johnson's father, Michael. The house is built of timber frame and brick infill, now covered in stucco. The front of the house faces onto the Market Square and on this side the upper storeys are jettied outwards over the ground floor. As built this projecting front was supported at each end by a plain pillar, these continued upwards on the corners of the upper storeys by pilasters of the Ionic order. The facing of the house was red brown brick and the roof tiles were blue black. In the 18th century two central pillars were added and one was removed in the late 19th century. In the 19th century the pilasters…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
52.6835, -1.8279
County
Staffordshire
District
Lichfield
Parish
Lichfield
Postcode
WS13 6LG
Parliamentary constituency
Lichfield
Established
1707
Opening
Mo-Su 10:30-16:30

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum?
Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum is in Staffordshire, the West Midlands, United Kingdom (postcode WS13 6LG), in the parish of Lichfield.
Is Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum a listed building?
Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum is officially recognised as Grade I listed.
Is Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum free to visit?
Yes, Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum is free to enter.
How do I get to Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum?
Drivers can navigate to postcode WS13 6LG. It sits within the Lichfield parliamentary constituency.
How busy is Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum?
Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum draws around 16,000 visitors a year.