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Elizabethan House
Elizabethan House
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Temporarily closedClosed until further notice
About
2023 OPENING: 1 April - 1 October 2023
Built in the late 1500s when Plymouth was a thriving port, Elizabethan House is a rare, surviving example of its time. The historic property underwent a major restoration as part of Plymouth’s Mayflower 400 commemorations.
Enjoy an authentic journey through the history of the House. Get an insight into the history of Plymouth’s fascinating Barbican area, and meet some of the many people who’ve lived in Elizabethan House since it was built 400 years ago.
Suggested duration
1-2 hours
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.0
53 reviews
Excellent
22
Very good
13
Average
11
Poor
6
Terrible
1
mul883
Greater London, UK26 contributions
Sep 2021
On a return trip to Plymouth, we were delighted to find that the Elizabethan House had finally opened. We really enjoyed our visit to this wonderful house. Our two guides were outstanding - very enthusiastic about the house and it's history, including the surrounding areas. When we asked questions about Plymouth and it's history, we were delighted to find that our guides were very knowledgeable. They really made our visit special - thank you. The house itself and it's history really appealed to us, particularly 'the secret lady of the house'! We loved our visit to the house - it's another fantastic attraction for Plymouth.
Written September 5, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Diane W
Stourbridge, UK45 contributions
May 2022 • Solo
This restored Elizabethan House in Plymouth gives a fascinating insight into some of its occupants and their occupations. There are 6 rooms to explore and written information is available in each room. A guide is also available as an option. On the day I visited R and M were at the house and both were very knowledgeable and passionate about the house. Very enjoyable visit.
Written May 3, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
D_Welsh
South West5 contributions
Nov 2021
I visited the Elizabethan House on The Barbican, Plymouth last weekend with my wife and nine-year-old daughter.
We were greeted on arrival by a very friendly gentleman who turned out to be an excellent guide throughout our tour.
The house itself has been restored carefully to ensure the unique historical features are displayed as close to their former glory as possible.
We began out tour in a room at the top of the house; from there a short video montage was played describing a particular person who lived in the house during a specific period in history.
Our brilliant guide then took us to five more rooms, where the same process was repeated.
Thoughout the tour our knowledgeable guide relayed additional information and was able to answer our many questions.
The tour was conducted at a good pace, we were not hurried at any point.
I wholeheartedly recommend you visit this fabulous piece of history in the heart of Plymouth; and do take your children/grandchildren as they will be equally impressed.
We were greeted on arrival by a very friendly gentleman who turned out to be an excellent guide throughout our tour.
The house itself has been restored carefully to ensure the unique historical features are displayed as close to their former glory as possible.
We began out tour in a room at the top of the house; from there a short video montage was played describing a particular person who lived in the house during a specific period in history.
Our brilliant guide then took us to five more rooms, where the same process was repeated.
Thoughout the tour our knowledgeable guide relayed additional information and was able to answer our many questions.
The tour was conducted at a good pace, we were not hurried at any point.
I wholeheartedly recommend you visit this fabulous piece of history in the heart of Plymouth; and do take your children/grandchildren as they will be equally impressed.
Written November 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Connor R
Plymouth, UK334 contributions
Apr 2023
The house is very old and only has a spiral staircase to access the 3 floors. You go through five rooms, with the house telling you stories about those that lived there throughout the years. It was a bit scary for my niece and nephew as several of the rooms only had audio. The scariest room for them was the bedroom (number 3) which had a video about a man who was a wigmaker. The story was told by creepy marionette puppets with horrible voices that probably could of been told in a more friendly manner.
Written April 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
cammax
10 contributions
Sep 2021 • Couples
Very enjoyable visit, really clever idea to have the house itself ‘telling’ you its history. The house has been restored brilliantly, it is truly fascinating to look around and imagine what life was like for all the different people who stood in the same spot hundreds of years ago! Tour guide was amazing and very knowledgeable. Plymouth is in desperate need of attractions like these, which celebrate and preserve its rich history. We only found out that it had been opened to the public by accident, so it would perhaps benefit from more promotion locally. Really good value for money and suitable for people of all ages.
Written September 18, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ali0818
London, UK342 contributions
Oct 2021 • Family
Such an interesting house with a rich and varied history. All told via videos projected into walls. Rather spooky voices and very dark as they try to recreate life in past times. Three floors of history. Booking online only but we were the only family in our tour!
Written October 19, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Meghan B
14 contributions
May 2022
It was lovely to visit this epic part of Plymouth's history. It was a pity that the courtyard section was not made to fit in with the historical house. I really enjoyed the information in each room and the fact that you could interact with the exhibits.
Written June 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
June A
Plymouth, UK3 contributions
Jul 2021
Guided 45 minutes tour with visual and sound very interesting would recommend a visit.Not for those with mobility problems due to nature of historic staircases and low doorways.Ticket price single was £7.50 which i thought was reasonable.
Written July 20, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark K
Plymouth, UK59 contributions
Aug 2021
A very good hour to spend (especially if the weather is 'iffy') looking around a genuine 15th Century Elizabethan House that has been refurbished.
It has many advantages over traditional museums in that there is a reliance on a tour guide (ours wise excellent - well done Paul) and has a very clever way of giving information without the need to read loads. It is done to technology using multi-media commentaries on each of the room charting the history of the house from its humble beginnings. Each room is 'kitted out' with a short video using a brilliant concept - i.e. imagining that the house has a 'spirit' not in a spooky way but more like the house's heart. It was really good.
It has many advantages over traditional museums in that there is a reliance on a tour guide (ours wise excellent - well done Paul) and has a very clever way of giving information without the need to read loads. It is done to technology using multi-media commentaries on each of the room charting the history of the house from its humble beginnings. Each room is 'kitted out' with a short video using a brilliant concept - i.e. imagining that the house has a 'spirit' not in a spooky way but more like the house's heart. It was really good.
Written August 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Liam G
Southport, UK15 contributions
Oct 2021 • Couples
Really enjoyed visiting this historical little house. Cleverly presented with each room telling the story of residents from a different era in the houses history via a sound and light presentation, competently supported by John and David, the knowledgeable and friendly guides who were on hand to answer any questions and they certainly knew their stuff when it came to the history of the house and of the Barbican in general. It is necessary to book a tour which occur every hour on the hour. We were the only visitors on our tour so it felt like a private tour. We visited on a Saturday afternoon so I can only put this down to a lack of publicity (it wasn’t mentioned in our lonely planet guide at all, we stumbled across it on the internet.)
The Elizabethan house is well worth a visit to anyone interested in history and it deserves to be better known.
The Elizabethan house is well worth a visit to anyone interested in history and it deserves to be better known.
Written October 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jannerbloke
Plymouth, UK12,533 contributions
Since the council seem to have abandoned any future plans for this building are they prepared to put it up for sale on the open market for conservation/refurbishment and basic updating for private residential use? At the moment it looks as if it has been left to rot.
Joanne C
Plymouth
Thank you for your enquiry. We have not abandoned any future plans for this building and are currently in the process of carrying out essential analysis and restoration work. If you got to the news page of the Plymouth Museums Galleries Archives website so you will see a recent press release giving more detailed information. Best wishes.
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Claim your listingElizabethan House - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about Elizabethan House
- Elizabethan House is open:
- Tue - Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Hotels near Elizabethan House:
- (0.00 mi) City Break in the Centre of the Historical Waterside Area of Plymouth's Barbican
- (0.02 mi) 1 bedroom accommodation in Barbican, Plymouth
- (0.03 mi) The Duplex by Pureserviced
- (0.03 mi) The Lookout by Pureserviced
- (0.03 mi) The Rooftops by Pureserviced
- Restaurants near Elizabethan House:
- (0.00 mi) Himalayan Spice
- (0.02 mi) Crown and Anchor
- (0.02 mi) Monty's Cafe and Coffee Shop
- (0.02 mi) Bubbles Bar
- (0.02 mi) Platters Seafood Restaurant