Groups, tours and talks
Visiting in a group
The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum welcomes groups of all ages. Groups can freely explore the Museum at their leisure or book one of our informative Birthplace Tours or Samuel Johnson’s Lichfield Walks.
Our rooms are quite small, so we recommend that large groups split into smaller groups of up to 15 people, with a minimum 15-minute interval between each group’s entry.
Standard free entry applies to group visits without a guided tour. Donations are very welcome.
A visit to the Museum usually lasts between one and two hours.
To ensure our visitors get the best experience we request that any group of 10 or more people pre-book their visit at least one month in advance. To make a booking, please fill in the Group Booking Enquiry Form, and send it to sjmuseum@lichfield.gov.uk
Information about coach parking in Lichfield can be found here (external site).
Visit our Schools page for information on our education service.
Birthplace tour
Book the Birthplace Tour for your group to find out about the life and work of Dr Samuel Johnson and explore the family home where he grew up.
Tours are led by our knowledgeable guides and last around 45-60 minutes.
Tours during opening hours cost £4 per person (£40 minimum charge applied for groups of less than 10 people). Maximum tour size is 15 people, larger groups of up to 45 people are split into smaller groups with 30-minute intervals between tours.
Out-of-hours tours cost £10 per person (£100 minimum charge applied for groups of less than 10 people). Maximum out-of-hours tour size is 15 people, larger groups of up to 30 people are split into two smaller groups with a 30 minutes interval between tours. Tours must be pre-booked at least one month in advance. To make a booking, please fill in the Birthplace Tour Booking Enquiry Form, and send it to sjmuseum@lichfield.gov.uk
Walking tour: Samuel Johnson’s Lichfield
Book a guided walk and explore Samuel Johnson’s Lichfield. Tours will start at the Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum and end at St. Michael’s Church, Church St, Lichfield WS13 6ED. The distance between the two locations is around two miles. Most surfaces are paved, and there are some steps and slopes on the tour. We recommend groups wear comfortable shoes and prepare for the weather.
Walking tours are led by our knowledgeable guides and last around two hours.
Walks cost £6 per person (£60 minimum charge applied for groups of less than 10 people).
Maximum tour size is 15 people.
Walks must be pre-booked at least one month in advance. To make a booking, please fill in the Walking Tour Booking Enquiry Form, and send it to sjmuseum@lichfield.gov.uk
Talks
Book one of our speakers to visit a society meeting as part of our outreach service. We offer two fascinating talks: The Life of Dr Samuel Johnson or The Life of Francis Barber.
Talks booked during office hours; Monday-Friday between 10:00am and 16:00pm, cost £70 + travel costs + VAT.
Talks booked out of office hours cost £100 + travel costs + VAT. Talks must be pre-booked at least one month in advance. To make a booking please fill in the Talk Booking Enquiry Form, and send it to sjmuseum@licfield.gov.uk
‘All travel has its advantages. If the passenger visits better countries, he may learn to improve his own, and if fortune carries him to worse, he may learn to enjoy it.’
