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Walking Tour: American History in London

Walking Tour: American History in London

In April 1775, the American Revolutionary War began when the ‘shot heard around the world’ was fired at Lexington and Concord, MA.

To celebrate it’s 250th anniversary, Benjamin Franklin House is launching a brand-new walking tour, that retraces Franklin’s footsteps through the city and stops by some rather unique sites of American history in London.

When?

  • April 2nd
  • April 3rd
  • April 7th
  • April 10th
  • April 16th
  • April 17th
  • April 22nd
  • April 23rd

On each date there will be two tours. One at 10:30-12:30 and the other at 13:30-15:30.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased on our Eventbrite page here.

  • General Admission: £15:00
  • Concession (Student/Over 65): £12:50
  • Children (Under 12): Free

Did you know that Benjamin Franklin spent 16 years (1757-1775) living in London acting as a colonial agent? Some even argue that he was the first de-facto American ambassador to the UK!

During much of his time in the city, Franklin fought to maintain the union between the American colonies and Great Britain. He lived and worked in the city, delivering speeches at the Houses of Parliament, attending royal coronations at Westminster Abbey and meeting with some of the most important figures from the 18th century.

Did you know he also visited a waxwork museum run my an alleged American spy who corresponded with him during the Revolutionary War?

What’s included on the tour?

The tour begins at Benjamin Franklin House where you will get a private look around the world’s only remaining Franklin home. We will see where Franklin lived and hear about some of the famous guest he hosted.

We will then depart from the House on a circular route that retraces Franklin’s movements around Westminster.

Along the way we will pass by the office of John Quincy Adams, the formal residence of George III, the site of an embassy for the Republic of Texas, and come face to face with George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.

The tour will finish on Craven Street, outside Benjamin Franklin House.

What are we seeing?

As well as uncovering American history in London, you will also be ticking off some of the most iconic landmarks the city has to offer!

Key sights are:

  • Trafalgar Square
  • St. James’s Palace
  • The Mall
  • Buckingham Palace
  • Westminster Abbey
  • Palace of Westminster
  • Big Ben
  • Scotland Yard
  • London Eye

Who’s leading the tour?

The tour will be led by Henry Wilkinson, who has served as Education Manager at Benjamin Franklin House for over 3 years. He is a graduate of History from the University of Cambridge and a former History teacher. He has lived in London for over 5 years and also supports other museums across the UK with education advice through his work with the Historic Houses Association.

Need to know

  • The tour will last approximately 2 hours. (30mins at Benjamin Franklin House 90mins walking tour)
  • You will be doing roughly 5,000 steps / 4km of walking – so bring suitable footwear and a bottle of water.
  • This tour is not wheelchair accessible and not suitable for individuals with mobility difficulties.
  • Recommended age for the tour is 12+
  • An umbrella and/or rain gear is always recommended for London.
  • No food or drink will be provided but feel free to bring along your own.
  • Toilets are available at Benjamin Franklin House.
  • We will pass public toilets during the walking tour but these may not be available at certain points. Some public toilets require a small fee, payable by cash, card or contactless.
  • London is incredibly busy, so you must stay with the group at all times. We are not liable for any lost, stolen or damaged property, persons of goods during the tour.
  • The tour will be in English only.
  • The tour will begin at the advertised time, if you are late you may not be able to join the tour if it has departed from the House.

Tickets

Tickets can be purchased on our Eventbrite page here.

  • General Admission: £15:00
  • Concession (Student/Over 65): £12:50
  • Children (Under 12): Free
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Springtime Open House

 

 

Join us for a FREE day of family fun — enjoy a self-guided tour by downloading the Bloomberg Connects app, test your observation skills with a scavenger hunt, try your hand at arts and crafts, and enjoy hot chocolate and practice proper etiquette with Mrs. Polly Hewson, the lady of the House!

 

Pre-booking is not required. Just drop in, and stay as long as you’d like! Last entry will be from 3:30pm.

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Colour and Paint in the Smaller 18th-century Town House with Patrick Baty

6pm

Get tickets here via Eventbrite!

 

Join us either in person or online as Patrick Baty talks us through his long career of conserving some of England’s most remarkable historic homes, including his process of restoring the original ‘Franklin green’ color to the wooden-panelled walls of Benjamin Franklin House!

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Ben’s Bon Voyage

March 20, 2025 – 6pm

Get tickets here via Eventbrite!

To mark the 250th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin’s hasty departure from London, we’re hosting a hybrid roundtable discussion featuring leading historians of Early America.

Founding Director Márcia Balisciano will deliver a special keynote speech highlighting the remarkable conservation efforts of the original board that saved Benjamin Franklin House. Then, moderator Ben Marsh will lead Liz Covart, Patrick Griffin, and Tara Bynum in a discussion reflecting on Franklin’s legacy 250 years on.

If you can’t join us in Ben’s parlour at 36 Craven Street, London, then we hope you’ll tune in online!

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Robert H. Smith Lecture in Democracy

 

 

 

Márcia Balisciano is founding Director of Benjamin Franklin House. She is also founding Chief Sustainability Officer at RELX. She holds a PhD in Economic History from LSE and serves on the board of the Foundation for the (UN) Global Compact and the Ban Ki-moon Centre for Global Citizens.

Michael Cox is a Founding Director of LSE IDEAS. He was Director of LSE IDEAS between 2008 and 2019. He is author or editor of several books, including Agonies of Empire: US Power from Clinton to Biden, a collection of essays titled The Post-Cold War World (2018), a centennial edition of J.M. Keynes’s The Economic Consequences of the Peace (2019), and a new edition of E. H. Carr’s 1945 classic Nationalism & After (2021).

Get Tickets via Eventbrite

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Thanksgiving at Benjamin Franklin House

Join us on Thanksgiving Day!

 

9-11am: FREE drop-in social for postgraduate students

Whether you’re an American studying abroad, you have an interest in American studies, or you’re just hoping to celebrate Thanksgiving in the home of one of the United States’ most preeminent founding fathers, we hope you’ll join us a hot drink and a Thanksgiving treat! We’d love you meet you and hear about your research interests and experiences.

 

1-2:30pm and 3-4:30pm: Architectural Tour & Talk

Join us for a tour of Benjamin Franklin House, which will include autumnal refreshments and a talk on Benjamin Franklin and Native American relations in pre-Revolutionary Pennsylvania by Dr. Megan King (University of Kent).

 

Tickets for the Tour & Talk should be pre-booked here.

 

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2024 US Election Debate with Justin Webb

Join moderator Justin Webb, the BBC’s first North America Editor, Host of the Today Programme, and BFH’s Journalist in Residence, for a debate between Kristin Wolfe of Democrats Abroad UK and Greg Swenson of Republican Overseas!

Attend in person or online on Thursday, 24 October, with a chance to ask your own questions on who is best placed to lead the United States over the next four years: Kamala Harris or Donald Trump.

BOOK TICKETS

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Ben’s Book Club Returns!

We’re proud to be hosting an array of accomplished historians who have kindly donated their time to walk us through some of Franklin’s practical lessons and words of wisdom, fascinating friendships and connections, and contributions to American literacy.

Book your free tickets here.

 

Buy a copy of our featured works below:

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Education Volunteers Needed!

Are you looking for some experience in delivering exciting creative learning opportunities for young people? If so, Benjamin Franklin House needs you!

We are currently looking for a team of Education Volunteers to support the delivery of our Tuesday schools programming at the House. Benjamin Franklin House is a Grade-I listed building and heritage gem in the heart of Central London. We are the world’s only remaining Franklin residence and serve as an historic house and education facility championing Franklin’s legacy in history and science.

During Term Time, we welcome school groups to the House for exciting trips that cover a range of topics in the National Curriculum. Our main audience is KS2 Primary School children, but we also offer visits for KS4, KS5 and Higher Education learners too.

As an Education Volunteer, you will be supporting the delivery of our exciting schools programme that involves: welcoming classes to the House, leading introductions to our history, and running workshops covering the history of medicine and science. This is a fantastic opportunity to gain or develop experience working with young people in an historic setting and we provide excellent professional development opportunities. Previous volunteers have been able to use their experience here to progress into graduate courses in museum/heritage/education studies as well as early careers in teaching and museum education.

Education volunteers are required to work between 10am and 2pm every Tuesday during Term Time and are welcome to also support our other offers including our Family Events and other education related programming.

If you are interested in becoming an education volunteer at Benjamin Franklin House please email our Education Manager, Henry Wilkinson, for further information. Please email: education@benjaminfranklinhouse.org

Volunteers are needed throughout the year so get in touch any time! If you would like to arrange a call/visit to the House with our Education Manager, please email.

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Dr Tristram Hunt: ‘The Radical Potter: Josiah Wedgwood and the Transformation of Britain’

Join Benjamin Franklin House and Dr Tristram Hunt on 16th November @ 17.30, 36 Craven Street

An entrepreneur, abolitionist and beacon of the Industrial Revolution, Josiah Wedgwood was perhaps the greatest English potter. From his kilns in Stoke-on-Trent he changed the production of ceramics in Georgian England. Tristram Hunt, Director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, and author of the acclaimed new biography of Wedgwood, The Radical Potter, calls him the ‘Steve Jobs of the 18th century’ for the way he changed consumer culture, and the impact and extraordinary contribution he has had globally.  In this talk, Hunt will also explore Wedgwood’s life beyond the pottery and looks at his radical politics, including his friendship and admiration for Benjamin Franklin, who he regarded as an enlightened thinker, fellow patriot, and loyal customer.

Limited tickets available, £15 –> Book now