Dennis Severs' House
About This Museum
Step through the unassuming door at 18 Folgate Street, and you don't just see history—you slip straight into it. This isn't a typical museum; it's a time capsule, a piece of theatre where the 18th-century Huguenot silk-weaver family who 'lived' here has only just stepped out. The air hangs heavy with the scent of oranges and woodsmoke, and you find yourself tiptoeing through silent, candlelit rooms, half-expecting to bump into a resident around the next corner. It’s an immersive, almost ghostly experience that feels less like a visit and more like a haunting.
Collection Highlights
The experience unfolds room by room: in the basement kitchen, a pot still simmers over the hearth; upstairs, rumpled beds are warm and a half-eaten plate of food sits on a dining table. Each space tells a fragment of a story, with peeling walls, handwritten notes, and the intimate clutter of daily life left exactly as found.
Visitor Information
They keep things intentionally intimate here with timed ticketing for small groups—booking ahead is essential. For the full, spellbinding effect, try to go for one of the 'Silent Nights' when the house is explored in near-darkness, lit only by fire and candlelight.
Architecture & Building
A classic but unpretentious Georgian terraced house from the early 1700s, its red-brick facade giving little away about the richly layered world preserved within its worn floorboards and panelled walls.
Contact & Location
Address: Folgate Street, Spitalfields, Whitechapel, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, London, Greater London, England, E1 6BX, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 20 7247 4013
Website: Visit Website
