Frederick Douglass, famed abolitionist and orator, spent his later years at Cedar Hill, his home in Washington, D.C. In this Nerd Trips post, we offer part one of our trip to the Frederick Douglass National Site.

Composer George Fredric Handel (1685-1759) created one of the most famous choral works ever – the Messiah, with its well known “Hallelujah Chorus.” But a trip to the Handel House in London revealed an interesting connection to a famous 20th century musician. It’s a connection that appears to have grown stronger since our 2013 visit.

Benjamin Franklin’s London lodgings may have truly been the first American embassy. In this Nerd Trip, you’ll learn about Franklin’s life in London, including the instrument he invented while living at 36 Craven Street.

There are many things to discover at the Ben Franklin house in London. First, many people may not realize that one of the Founding Fathers of the United States lived in London for a more than decade-and-a-half. And, he lived in a house where hundreds of human bones were found underneath the building. Yes, human bones, and you can see them for yourself.

The gallery at the Theodore Roosevelt birthplace has “hundreds of original items from Roosevelt’s colorful life.” You’ll see campaign buttons and handwritten notes, including a short diary entry on the day in 1884 when TR lost both his mother and his first wife. He wrote simply, “The light has gone out of my life.”

On our first tour of London’s Chelsea neighborhood we missed the home of Winnie-the-Pooh author A.A. Milne. But a return trip to London allowed us make up for our omission.

Take a walk with Nerd Trips through London’s Chelsea neighborhood to see the homes of some famous literary figures, including Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain and George Eliot.