We’ll Soon Get to See Where David Bowie Grew Up

David Bowie’s childhood bedroom is on track to become one of London’s newest cultural attractions. The modest home where Bowie transformed from a quiet suburban student into a budding rock innovator has been purchased by a charity that plans to open it to the public, according to the Associated Press.

The Heritage of London Trust announced that the 19th-century railway worker’s cottage, located in the south London suburb of Bromley, will be restored to reflect how it looked in the 1960s. The house is expected to open to visitors in 2027. Among its main features will be Bowie’s compact 9-by-10-foot bedroom, which the charity describes as the place “where a spark became a flame.”

Born David Jones, Bowie lived in the house with his parents from 1955, when he was eight years old, until 1967. By the time he moved out at age 20, he was already a working musician eager to break through.

Geoffrey Marsh, co-curator of the Victoria and Albert Museum’s popular 2013 exhibition “David Bowie Is,” said the house captures a pivotal stage in Bowie’s development. “This is where Bowie evolved from an ordinary suburban schoolboy to the beginnings of extraordinary international stardom,” Marsh said. Bowie himself once reflected on the importance of the space, noting that his bedroom was his entire world, filled with books, music, and his record player.

From Bromley, Bowie launched a creative journey that took him to cities including Philadelphia, Berlin, and New York. Along the way, he reinvented his image and sound repeatedly, exploring genres ranging from folk-rock and glam to soul, electronic music, and new wave. His catalog includes enduring songs such as “Space Oddity,” “Changes,” “Life on Mars,” “Starman,” “Young Americans,” and “Heroes.”

The charity moved quickly to secure the property when it went on the market last year. While the purchase price was not disclosed, similar homes on the street have recently sold for more than $670,000, relatively modest by London standards. The project, supported by Bowie’s estate, has already received a $670,000 grant and is seeking an additional $1.6 million in donations.

Heritage of London Trust chief executive Nicola Stacey said the goal is to create a living, immersive space rather than a static museum. In addition to public tours, the house will host creative workshops for children. Stacey said the project will offer insight not only into Bowie’s early creativity but also into everyday family life in the 1950s and 1960s, a time of major social change. “We want visitors to feel like they’ve stepped into David Bowie’s life in the 1960s,” she said.