Opening Times

Open Tuesday-Sunday and Bank Holiday Mondays.

April - September 10.00am - 5.30pm.
Last admission 30 minutes before closing time.

The Birthplace is closed from October to April inclusive.

What are the Curriculum Topics or Benefit to the students from a visit?

Charles Dickens was born in this house in 1812 and lived there for the first few months of his life. The house has been extensively restored and is decorated and furnished in the Regency style appropriate to his parents John and Elizabeth Dickens.

There are three furnished rooms: the parlour; the dining room and the bedroom where Charles was born. A small exhibition room shows a range of prints illustrating the works of Charles Dickens and a number of personal items are also on display, together with the couch on which he died. Information is available in 10 languages.

Additional educational advice is available from the Education Officer on Portsmouth +44 (0)23 9282 7261.

What are the minimum and maximum group sizes and the free Teacher Ratio?

Booking a Group Visit
For all enquiries and group visits please telephone Visitor Services direct line +44 (0)23 9229 6905. (An answering machine is available to leave a message at any time of day when staff are not in the office) or you can book no on-line.


Length of Stay and Group Sizes
The typical visit time is 20 - 30 minutes per 12-15 people. Because the house is very small, the maximum recommended number arriving in a group at any one time should not exceed 30. We will then admit 12-15 in at a time. A teacher/pupil ratio of at least 1:10 is essential. (When school groups are in the museum, the behaviour of the children or students is the responsibility of the teacher in charge).

What facilities are there for school groups for food and drink, shop etc?

There is a shop on site selling books and small souvenirs.