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Audio Tours

Visitors can learn more about the Museum, and enhance their visit around the Soane, by listening to an Audio Tour. Download these recordings to your MP3 player and use them as your personal guide on a fascinating visit to Sir John Soane's Museum.

There is a choice of four free Audio Tours: two general tours and two tours that focus on architecture in Sir John Soane's Museum.

General Tours:

The ‘Junior Tour’ is for children and first-time visitors to the Museum and the ‘Classic Tour’ is for adults.

Architectural Tours:

The ‘General Architecture Guide’ is suitable for anyone over the age of about twelve. The ‘Professional Architecture Guide’ is designed for professional architects, architectural students and those with a keen interest in architecture.

Introduction to the General Tour

Stephen Fry Introduced by Stephen Fry

Both General Audio Tours are introduced by Stephen Fry. Use the controls below to listen to his introduction to the tours and to the Museum.



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The Junior Tour



Eleanor Bron Introduced by Stephen Fry and read by Eleanor Bron

In this atmospheric tour, lasting 59 minutes, the actress Eleanor Bron guides the listener through Soane's Museum, accompanied by sound effects and music. It is suitable for children and first-time visitors to the Museum.

The tracks are organised on a room-by-room basis allowing the visitor to follow a set route or to see the rooms in any chosen order.


Download whole tour



Single MP3 MP3 (87MB) ZIP (60MB)
Multiple MP3s   ZIP (60MB)



Download individual tracks


01 Overview MP3 (4.9MB) ZIP (4.3MB)
02 Introduction MP3 (2.2MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
03 Outside the Museum MP3 (6.6MB) ZIP (5.3MB)
04 Dining Room & Library MP3 (8.9MB) ZIP (6.1MB)
05 The Study MP3 (1.7MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
06 The Dressing Room MP3 (1.5MB) ZIP (1.1MB)
07 The Corridor MP3 (3.5MB) ZIP (2.4MB)
08 The Picture Room Pt. 1 MP3 (1.8MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
09 The Picture Room Pt. 2 MP3 (1.1MB) ZIP (0.7MB)
10 The Picture Room Pt. 3 MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (1.7MB)
11 The Picture Room Pt. 4 MP3 (1.6MB) ZIP (1.0MB)
12 The Basement Steps MP3 (1.6MB) ZIP (1.0MB)
13 The Monk's Cell MP3 (2.0MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
14 The Monk's Parlour & Yard MP3 (2.0MB) ZIP (1.9MB)
15 Corridor to Ante Room MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (1.7MB)
16 The Catacombs MP3 (2.3MB) ZIP (1.7MB)
17 The Crypt MP3 (4.4MB) ZIP (3.3MB)
18 The Colonnade MP3 (2.0MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
19 The Dome MP3 (2.2MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
20 Apollo Belvedere MP3 (1.3MB) ZIP (1.1MB)
21 The New Picture Room MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (1.8MB)
22 The Ante Room MP3 (2.1MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
23 No. 12 Breakfast Parlour MP3 (2.5MB) ZIP (1.9MB)
24 Breakfast Parlour Pt. 1 MP3 (1.9MB) ZIP (1.2MB)
25 Breakfast Parlour Pt. 2 MP3 (1.9MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
26 Breakfast Parlour Pt. 3 MP3 (1.3MB) ZIP (0.8MB)
27 The Staircase MP3 (1.4MB) ZIP (1.1MB)
28 The South Drawing Room pt. 1 MP3 (1.0MB) ZIP (0.7MB)
29 The North Drawing Room MP3 (1.8MB) ZIP (1.2MB)
30 The South Drawing Room Pt. 2 MP3 (2.2MB) ZIP (1.8MB)
31 The South Drawing Room Pt. 3 MP3 (2.1MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
32 The South Drawing Room Pt. 4 MP3 (3.2MB) ZIP (2.5MB)

The Classic Tour



Tim Knox Introduced by Stephen Fry and read by Tim Knox,
Director of Sir John Soane's Museum

In this recording, lasting 1 hour, Tim Knox accompanies the visitor on an in-depth tour of the Museum, pointing out the highlights of the collection.

The tracks are organised on a room-by-room basis allowing the visitor to follow a set route or to see the rooms in any chosen order.







Download whole tour



Single MP3 MP3 (87MB) ZIP (60MB)
Multiple MP3s   ZIP (60MB)



Download individual tracks


01 Overview MP3 (4.9MB) ZIP (4.3MB)
02 Introduction MP3 (1.5MB) ZIP (1.0MB)
03 Outside the Museum MP3 (5.5MB) ZIP (3.9MB)
04 Dining Room & Library MP3 (9.2MB) ZIP (6.2MB)
05 The Study MP3 (1.3MB) ZIP (0.9MB)
06 The Dressing Room MP3 (2.3MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
07 The Corridor MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (1.8MB)
08 The Picture Room Pt. 1 MP3 (1.9MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
09 The Picture Room Pt. 2 MP3 (2.9MB) ZIP (2.0MB)
10 The Picture Room Pt. 3 MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (1.8MB)
11 The Picture Room Pt. 4 MP3 (1.6MB) ZIP (1.0MB)
12 The Basement Steps MP3 (1.7MB) ZIP (1.1MB)
13 The Monk's Cell MP3 (1.1MB) ZIP (0.8MB)
14 The Monk's Parlour & Yard MP3 (2.2MB) ZIP (1.4MB)
15 Corridor to Ante Room MP3 (2.1MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
16 The Catacombs MP3 (2.0MB) ZIP (1.4MB)
17 The Crypt MP3 (4.6MB) ZIP (3.6MB)
18 The Colonnade MP3 (2.4MB) ZIP (1.6MB)
19 The Dome MP3 (3.0MB) ZIP (2.1MB)
20 Apollo Belvedere MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (1.9MB)
21 The New Picture Room MP3 (2.5MB) ZIP (1.6MB)
22 The Ante Room MP3 (3.7MB) ZIP (2.3MB)
23 No. 12 Breakfast Parlour MP3 (3.1MB) ZIP (1.9MB)
24 Breakfast Parlour Pt. 1 MP3 (1.9MB) ZIP (1.2MB)
25 Breakfast Parlour Pt. 2 MP3 (1.4MB) ZIP (0.8MB)
26 Breakfast Parlour Pt. 3 MP3 (1.9MB) ZIP (1.1MB)
27 The Staircase MP3 (1.7MB) ZIP (1.0MB)
28 The South Drawing Room pt. 1 MP3 (1.1MB) ZIP (0.7MB)
29 The North Drawing Room MP3 (2.2MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
30 The South Drawing Room Pt. 2 MP3 (3.5MB) ZIP (2.5MB)
31 The South Drawing Room Pt. 3 MP3 (3.3MB) ZIP (2.1MB)
32 The South Drawing Room Pt. 4 MP3 (2.6MB) ZIP (2.1MB)

The General Architecture Guide



Michael Palin - Photo: John Swannell Read by Michael Palin,

In this recording, lasting 1 hour, Michael Palin accompanies the visitor on an in-depth tour of the Museum, using the Museum to explain some of the basic aspects of architecture. It is suitable for anyone over the age of about twelve.

The tracks are organised on a room-by-room basis allowing the visitor to follow a set route or to see the rooms in any chosen order and uses the Museum to explain some of the basic aspects of architecture.





Download whole tour



Single MP3 MP3 (59.6MB) ZIP (55.3MB)
Multiple MP3s   ZIP (56.8MB)



Download individual tracks


01 Introduction MP3 (1.1MB) ZIP (0.96MB)
02 Lincoln's Inn Fields & The Museum Exterior MP3 (5.8MB) ZIP (5.5MB)
03 The Dining Room & The Library MP3 (7.2MB) ZIP (6.7MB)
04 The Study MP3 (2.0MB) ZIP (1.8MB)
05 The Dressing Room MP3 (1.6MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
06 The Corridor MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (2.5MB)
07 The Picture Room (pt 1) MP3 (1.8MB) ZIP (1.6MB)
08 The Picture Room (pt 2) MP3 (1.9MB) ZIP (1.7MB)
09 The Picture Room (pt 3) MP3 (1.2MB) ZIP (1.1MB)
10 The Basement Steps MP3 (0.45MB) ZIP (0.40MB)
11 The Monk's Cell MP3 (1.2MB) ZIP (1.1MB)
12 The Monk's Parlour MP3 (4.6MB) ZIP (4.3MB)
13 The Monk's Yard MP3 (0.98MB) ZIP (0.89MB)
14 The Basement, Corridor & Ante-Room MP3 (1.9MB) ZIP (1.7MB)
15 Catacombs, New Court to The North West Corner MP3 (1.6MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
16 The Sepulchral Chamber & The Egyptian Crypt MP3 (2.3MB) ZIP (2.1MB)
17 The Colonnade MP3 (1.7MB) ZIP (1.6MB)
18 The Dome MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (2.5MB)
19 The Breakfast Parlour (Pt 1) MP3 (1.6MB) ZIP (1.5MB)
20 The Breakfast Parlour (Pt 2) MP3 (1.4MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
21 The Staircase MP3 (1.7MB) ZIP (1.6MB)
22 The South Drawing Room (pt 1) MP3 (0.59MB) ZIP (0.52MB)
23 The North Drawing Room MP3 (2.8MB) ZIP (2.6MB)
24 The South Drawing Room (pt 2) MP3 (2.0MB) ZIP (1.9MB)
25 The South Drawing Room (pt 3) MP3 (2.6MB) ZIP (2.4MB)
26 The South Drawing Room (pt 4) MP3 (1.7MB) ZIP (1.6MB)
27 The Breakfast Parlour in Number Twelve MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (2.5MB)

The Professional Architecture Guide



Julia Somerville Read by Julia Somerville,

In this recording, lasting 1 hour, Julia Somerville accompanies the visitor on an in-depth architectural tour of the Museum. The tour is designed for professional architects, architectural students and those with a keen interest in architecture.

The tracks are organised on a room-by-room basis allowing the visitor to follow a set route or to see the rooms in any chosen order.







Download whole tour



Single MP3 MP3 (53.2MB) ZIP (47.5MB)
Multiple MP3s   ZIP (47.6MB)



Download individual tracks


01 Introduction MP3 (1.5MB) ZIP (1.3MB)
02 Lincoln's Inn Fields & The Museum Exterior MP3 (4.6MB) ZIP (4.2MB)
03 The Dining Room & The Library MP3 (5.2MB) ZIP (4.7MB)
04 The Study MP3 (1.7MB) ZIP (1.6MB)
05 The Dressing Room MP3 (2.5MB) ZIP (2.2MB)
06 The Corridor MP3 (1.9MB) ZIP (1.7MB)
07 The Picture Room (pt 1) MP3 (2.7MB) ZIP (2.4MB)
08 The Picture Room (pt 2) MP3 (2.2MB) ZIP (1.9MB)
09 The Upper Drawing Office MP3 (0.93MB) ZIP (0.79MB)
10 The Basement Steps MP3 (1.0MB) ZIP (0.89MB)
11 The Basement & Monk's Parlour MP3 (4.8MB) ZIP (4.4MB)
12 Basement, Flaxman Recess, Ante-Room, Monument Ct MP3 (2.3MB) ZIP (2.1MB)
13 Catacombs, New Court to The North West Corner MP3 (1.8MB) ZIP (1.6MB)
14 The Sepulchral Chamber & The Egyptian Crypt MP3 (2.3MB) ZIP (2.0MB)
15 The Colonnade MP3 (0.93MB) ZIP (0.78MB)
16 The Dome MP3 (3.9MB) ZIP (3.5MB)
17 The Breakfast Parlour MP3 (3.6MB) ZIP (3.2MB)
18 The Staircase MP3 (1.2MB) ZIP (1.0MB)
19 The South Drawing Room (pt 1) MP3 (0.48MB) ZIP (0.39MB)
20 The North Drawing Room MP3 (2.3MB) ZIP (2.0MB)
21 The South Drawing Room (pt 2) MP3 (3.3MB) ZIP (3.0MB)
22 The Breakfast Parlour in Number Twelve MP3 (2.1MB) ZIP (1.9MB)



These audio tours have been written and produced by Simon Sharkey at Vocal Heroes, with the collaboration of Sir John Soane's Museum. The Museum is grateful to the BAND Trust for supporting this project.

Photograph of Michael Palin by John Swannell.



Please do not hesitate to Contact us for more information.


Friday 30 July 2010