The Museum was opened on 4th May 1991 on the 100th anniversary of the death of Sherlock Holmes under the auspices and in the presence of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and Dame Jean Conan Doyle, daughter of the author of the Sherlock Holmes detective stories, in the English church in Meiringen.
The Museum was designed by the englisch architect couple John and Silvia Reid.
In the Museum you can see carefully collected authentic Exhibition pieces of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes and the Victorian era. An it has the unique Feature of a faithful rconstruction of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson's living room in Baker Street 221B, London. It ist carefully and authentically reconstructed according to clues that are to be found in the stories.
Meiringen was one of the first places in Switzerland to hold English church services. First in the hotel "Zum wilden Mann" (now known as Parkhotel du Sauvage) and later in the Zeughaus chapel. Due to a shortage of space, construction of the English Church began in 1867. Financial problems led the church being handed over to the Bishop of London in 1876. During the first Meiringen village fire in 1879, the church remained miraculously unscathed, only to be destroyed during the second fire in 1891. The then owners of the "Sauvage" requested the chapel be rebuilt with few changes. They managed to put the chapel back into operation that same year. The English church was used by detained British soldiers during WWI – with the proviso that the bell was not to be rung. After the war very few English tourists came and consequently English church services were deemed no longer necessary. In 1937, the church came into the possession of the "Sauvages", who mainly used it for storing empty bottles. During WW2 it served as a soup kitchen.
In 1974, the village of Meiringen bought the English Church and shortly after it was declared a historical monument. For ten years it was used for school purposes. On 2 July 1984, Arthur Reinhard laid the foundation stone for the 30-year era of the English Church Gallery with his exhibition on the history of the English Church.
In 1990, the English Church was rebuilt and renovated. In the following summer, on 5 May 1991, the Sherlock Holmes Museum was opened in the basement.
Single entry
| Adults | CHF 7.00 |
| Children (6-15) | CHF 4.00 |
Reductions
| Swiss Museum Pass | free admission |
| MUSEUMS-PASS-MUSÉES | free admission |
| RAIFFEISEN Card | free admission |
| Tourist Card Haslital | 50% |
Combi Tickets
Admission to the museum and Reichenbachfall Funicular (round trip). The combination tickets are only available during the operating hours of the Reichenbachfall Funicular.
| Adults | CHF 15.00 |
| Children (6-15) | CHF 9.00 |
Groups
| Adults and children | CHF 4.00 |
Outside of normal opening hours prior notification (telephone or email) is necessary and single admission prices apply + Supplement flat rate CHF 15.00.
Guided tours
The audio guide optimized for use in our museum; guides you through the museum via headphone / earphone with all the necessary information.
Duration: about 35 minutes.
Available languages: DE / FR / IT / GB / CM / NL / JP / ES / RU.
Duration: about 35 minutes.
Available languages: DE / FR / IT / GB / CM / NL / JP / ES / RU.
Miscellaneous
For the security of the visitors and because of fire regulations, a maximum of 20 people are permitted in the museum at the same time.
