Consider yourself....at home—right here at the Charles Dickens Birthplace Museum. Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, at 1 Mile End Terrace (today 393 Old Commercial Road), in Portsmouth, the home of his parents, John and Elizabeth Dickens. His father had a job nearby working for the Royal Navy. Even though the original furnishings have long sense been dispersed, you can still experience the authentic atmosphere of the Regency home that sheltered the Dickens family. In fact, much of Victorian Portsmouth still remains in the city’s streets. If you're a Dickens fan, you ought to make the pilgrimage. And what better time than this summer? You can take a virtual tour of the museum here.

"Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who with their soul encourages another person to be brave and true."  —Charles Dickens