Sherlock Holmes & the Case of the Fake Address

221B Baker Street, London — the sacred pilgrimage site for fans of literature’s most iconic detective, Sherlock Holmes. There’s a blue plaque. There’s a “museum.” There’s even a wax figure of Watson that looks like he just saw a ghost. But let’s pull out our metaphorical magnifying glass, shall we? 🔍

Holmes Was Never Real 🚫🧍

Plot twist: Sherlock Holmes, genius detective, violinist, and lover of disguises, was not a real guy. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made him up in 1887, when he published the first Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet.
But you knew that already, right?

What you may not know is that the entire address — 221B Baker Street — didn't even exist back then. Yup. Baker Street stopped at number 85 when Doyle was writing. So, technically, Holmes lived in an address that was... pure fiction. 🏠✨

The Museum Is Serving Vibes, Not Facts 🎭🖼️

The Sherlock Holmes Museum opened in the 1990s. It's at 239 Baker Street but legally calls itself 221B for aesthetic reasons. The whole interior is decked out Victorian-style: pipe, slippers, bullet holes in the wall — the whole murder board fantasy.
And we love that for them. But let’s not forget: it’s basically an immersive fanfic. 🧵

Conan Doyle? Not a Fan ✍️🫠

Want more irony? Doyle got so sick of Holmes’ fame that he killed him off in The Final Problem. (Spoiler: he yeeted Holmes off a waterfall with Moriarty. 🌊💀) Public outcry was so intense that he had to bring Holmes back.
Imagine hating your own OC and still being haunted by him forever. #relatable

The Tourist Trap Energy 🪤📸

People line up for hours to get into a house that never existed, to see a room based on a fictional floor plan, belonging to a man who hated people.
And honestly? That’s kind of beautiful.

The Real Mystery? 🤔

Why are we so obsessed with making fiction real?

Maybe it’s the comfort of order in chaos. Maybe it’s the joy of believing genius lives somewhere, if only in a room with a Persian slipper full of tobacco. 🥿🚬

Or maybe, like Holmes himself, we just need to believe the world has clues and answers — and we’re smart enough to find them. 🧠✨

Final Clue: The address is fake. The museum is cosplay.
But the obsession? Very real.
And honestly? Sherlock would have totally solved your situationship in two clues and a raised eyebrow.

Now where’s my pipe? 🧩🫖