Charles Dickens Museum, London

Tucked inside a prim Georgian townhouse on a posh London street that practically oozes with respectability, the Charles Dickens Museum is a tribute to the literary giant, complete with a full-on Dickensian deep dive. Spread across four floors, this was once the actual home of Charles, his wife Catherine, and their ever-expanding brood. Today, it's packed with the world's swankiest collection of Dickensiana: handwritten letters, first editions, personal effects, paintings, and the kind of furniture that, if it could, would probably whisper, "Please don't sit on me unless you're a Victorian novelist."

Dickens moved in here in 1837, freshly married and riding high on the success of his first two books. Within these walls, he cranked out Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby, while starting Barnaby Rudge-because one book at a time is for amateurs. This house also saw life’s highs and lows: two of the Dickens children were born upstairs, and Catherine’s younger sister tragically died in Charles' arms. That heartbreaking moment he later rewrote into the demise of Little Nell in The Old Curiosity Shop.

Wandering through the museum feels like Dickens just popped out for a foggy walk. The rooms are restored to their original 1830s vibe, complete with Dickens’ own furniture, including his iconic writing desk-the very one he used during his dramatic public readings. You’ll also find the wistful, unfinished painting Dickens’ Dream, where he sits at his desk, surrounded by his fictional creations, likely wondering why they all have such complicated names.

Bonus perk: On select days, you can actually touch some of the artifacts. That’s right-gloveless time travel, Victorian-style. Just try not to spill your latte from the on-site café in the garden. Even Dickens would’ve frowned on that.