The Sherlock Holmes Museum

Baker Street's most famous address isn't actually where Holmes lived - it's where visitors queue for hours to peek inside a Georgian townhouse that's become a shrine to Conan Doyle's detective. The Museum occupies 221B Baker Street itself, and if you're expecting cutting-edge displays, you'll be disappointed. Instead you get a cluttered Victorian parlour crammed with props, first editions, and memorabilia that feels more like a dusty fan's attic than a proper museum.

The appeal is entirely in the location and the theatrical presentation. You'll see Holmes's violin (or one of several), a recreation of his sitting room complete with stuffed armchair, and enough deerstalker hats to open a shop. It's all rather charming if you don't mind the cramped quarters and the constant shuffle of visitors on the narrow staircases. Plan on 45 minutes maximum - most people get the gist in half that.

This works best for devoted Sherlockians and families with teenage readers who've cottoned on to the books. Young children will find it slow unless you're willing to perform the whole thing as theatre. The admission isn't cheap, and you're paying largely for the postcode and the novelty rather than anything revolutionary inside.

If you're basing yourself at Lovat Parks nearby, it's an easy trip into town. The museum sits on a busy stretch, so combine it with proper exploration of the West End rather than making it your destination. Worth an hour if you're in the area and the queue's short, but don't rearrange your London itinerary for it.