18 Exciting museums in Bath to visit (2024)
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Bath is one of the most exciting heritage cities in England, for its Roman baths and elegant Georgian architecture. Explore the museums in Bath to learn about the town’s history, as a Roman and Medieval centre of worship, with healing mineral waters that 18th century high society flocked to enjoy.
See Bath through the eyes of Jane Austen, Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, wealthy art collectors and the ordinary working folk who ran the draper’s shops, bakers and workshops. Whatever your interest, there’s a Bath museum for everyone to enjoy!
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Roman Bath Museum
Best for: All the family
The Roman Baths are one of the top places to visit in Bath, combining a Victorian re-creation of the original Roman bathing pools, with a museum that covers 2000 years of history. An audioguide is available to walk you round the baths and museum at your own pace, with explanations for children as well as adults, and reflections from travel writer Bill Bryson.
Roman Baths Bath
Learn about life in the Roman town of Bath at the temple of the goddess Sulis Minerva, whose golden head is on display. See the models of the temple and bath complex, with its impressive stone pediment and Gorgon’s head. Walk around the spaces where everyday Romans bathed at their version of a leisure centre and recorded their prayers to the goddess on clay tablets.
Roman Baths Bath
The museum and Roman baths are presented in an interactive way, with different Roman characters projected onto the walls, and real life re-enactors sitting around to tell you their stories.
This is a world class museum and attraction for all ages and one that you shouldn’t miss on your visit to Bath. At holiday times and weekends it’s advisable to book tickets online in advance.
Roman Baths Bath
Open: Daily all year round. Opening hours: 9am – 6pm (variable with day and season)
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £21.50
Website: Romanbaths.co.uk Address: Abbey Church Yard, Bath, BA1 1LZ
Bath Abbey Discovery Centre
Best for: A glimpse of Bath’s medieval and monastic past
Bath Abbey, the city’s imposing cathedral, is located close to the Roman Baths. As one of the leading attractions in Bath, you’ll want to take a look at the beautiful stained glass, vaulted stone ceiling and tombs dating back to the 15th century. Once you’ve visited the main church, head downstairs to the Discovery Centre, located in the crypt of Bath Abbey.
Bath Abbey
This museum space opened in 2023 following the restoration of the Abbey’s floor and explores the history of the monastic Abbey that was founded on this spot in the 1st century AD. On display are artefacts discovered in the Abbey and information about life in the Medieval monastery. The Discovery Centre is family friendly, with plenty of videos, interactive exhibits and costumes for dressing up as a monk.
Bath Abbey Discovery Centre
Open: Daily all year round. Opening hours: 10am – 5.30pm (closed during services and special events)
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £7.50 (includes Abbey and Discovery Centre)
Website: Bathabbey.org Address: Bath Abbey, Bath, BA1 1LT
Bath Abbey Discovery Centre
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No 1 Royal Crescent
Best for: Lovers of Bridgerton and Georgian lifestyle
This Georgian townhouse is located at the end of Bath’s well known Royal Crescent. No 1 Royal Crescent is furnished as it might have been at the end of the 18th century, when Bath was the destination for fashionable society. The front of the house is featured in the series Bridgerton, as the London residence of the Featherington family.
No 1 Royal Crescent Bath
As you move around the house on a self guided tour, the rooms are brought to life in an immersive experience, through the voices of a wealthy family who have rented the house for the season.
No 1 Royal Crescent Bath
In each room the pictures and mirrors come to life as different characters from the family talk about their daily life in fashionable Bath, the balls and parties they plan to attend and their hopes to improve their social standing. Below stairs, in the kitchen and housekeeper’s rooms, we hear the voices of the household servants, and something of their lives.
This is one of the most beautiful Bath museums, that illuminates the life of wealthy visitors and their households in Georgian Bath. The final room tells us something of the real family on whom the characters we hear from are based.
No 1 Royal Crescent Bath
Open: Tuesday – Sunday (Closed in January) Opening hours: 10am – 5.30pm
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £15.50
Website: No1royalcrescent.org.uk Address: 1 Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LR
The Jane Austen Centre
Best for: Jane Austen fans
A visit to the Jane Austen Centre starts with a video about Georgian life in Bath and a short talk from one of the costumed characters, who tell you about celebrated author Jane Austen’s time in Bath. Exhibitions continue on the lower ground floors, with more information about the places Jane lived in Bath and costumes that her characters might have worn.
Jane Austen Centre Bath
Dress up as a Regency lady of fashion for a photo opportunity with Mr Darcy, in the famous film scene where actor Colin Firth emerges wet from a swim in the lake. Try your hand at writing with a quill pen in Mr Bennet’s study and see the life size wax model, that gives the best impression of what Jane Austen might have looked like.
In the small top floor Regency tea room, you can enjoy formal afternoon teas, with menu options named after Jane Austen characters, such as Mr Darcy, Lady Catherine and Miss Dashwood. The centre organises the Jane Austen festival held in September, with Jane Austen themed events, a costumed ball and promenade through the city.
Waxwork in Jane Austen Centre Bath
Open: Daily all year round Opening hours: 9.45am – 6pm (Shorter hours in winter)
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £14.75
Website: Janeausten.co.uk Address: 40 Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2NT
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein
Best for: Teens and anyone who doesn’t normally do museums
Located in a Georgian townhouse next door to the Jane Austen centre, the Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein couldn’t be more different. Dedicated to the life of Mary Shelley, author of the novel Frankenstein, the museum’s decor echoes the story’s dark Gothic horror theme.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein Bath
Mary Shelley wrote her novel in 1816, while resident in Bath, based on ghost stories that she and her friends told each other, while on a rainy holiday in Switzerland. Each room of the museum is dedicated to a different part of Mary Shelley’s tragic life, with the loss of her young children and the death by drowning of her husband, the poet Percy Shelley.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein Bath
We see a recreation of her imaginary monster, who was named after its creator Dr Frankenstein, a creature that breathes and moves in an eerie way within the museum’s walls. In the attic rooms, you’ll see how the monster was brought to life in stage plays and film, to become the cartoon like version of Frankenstein that we would recognise from old movie posters.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein Bath
Take care if you visit the basement, where creatures lurk in the darkness to jump out and make you squeal. This part of the museum is an optional extra, and if you scare easily (like me!), just stick to the more traditional museum information and exhibits.
Escape rooms are available in the basement and attic, that can be hired separately for groups of up to 7 people.
Open: Daily all year round. Opening hours: 11am – 5pm (longer opening Saturday and holidays)
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £15.50
Website: Houseoffrankenstein.com Address: 37 Gay Street, Bath, BA1 2NT
Victoria Art Gallery in Bath
Best for: Art lovers on a budget
The permanent collections of this Victorian public art gallery are in a large room on the first floor, accessed from an imposing entrance hall and staircase. At the top of the staircase, look up to the beautifully decorated rotunda dome, painted with signs of the zodiac.
Victoria Art Gallery Bath © Visit Bath
The upper gallery contains the art collection of Bath city council, spanning 500 years of European art, objects and sculpture. Here are the 18th century portraits of Bath’s wealth residents and visitors who flocked here to mingle with fashionable society. There are also works from artists at Bath Academy of Art in the 1950s and 60s.
On the ground floor is a smaller exhibition within the gift shop area, and a large lower gallery for temporary exhibitions of contemporary artists, which changes every couple of months. The permanent exhibition in the Upper Gallery is free to visit, but there is a charge for the temporary exhibitions.
Victoria Art Gallery Bath
The Upper Gallery was closed for renovation when we visited (March 24) and is expected to reopen in September 2024, but the gift shop and exhibitions in the Lower gallery remain open.
Open: Tuesday – Sunday (closed Mondays) Opening hours: 10.30am – 5pm
Ticket Price: Free to visit permanent gallery Exhibitions: Standard adult ticket from £7
Website: Victoriagal.org.uk Address: Bridge Street, Bath, BA2 4AT
Holburne Museum
Best for: Bridgerton fans and art lovers
Without realising it, you may have admired the Holburne Museum featuring as Lady Danbury’s townhouse in the series of Bridgerton. This elegant Georgian mansion was built in 1799 as the Sydney Hotel, surrounded by the Sydney Gardens, where visitors to Bath could promenade, take refreshments and attend dances in the hotel’s first floor ballroom.
Holburne Museum Bath
The heart of the museum’s collection came from Sir William Holburne, after whom the museum is named. Living in Bath, he amassed a large collection of objects, artworks and books, which were bequeathed on his death to the City of Bath.
The Museum has reopened after a long renovation, including a modern glass extension at the rear. It’s designed to reflect the surrounding mature garden and houses the ground floor cafe and 1st floor exhibition space.
Holburne Museum Bath
Overlooking the front of the mansion is the spacious ballroom. Facing the back in the new extension is Sir William’s ‘cabinet of curiosities,’ with a selection of small objects he collected and information about his life. The top floor is used as gallery space for temporary exhibitions from contemporary and past artists.
Holburne Museum Bath
This is one of the most beautiful art galleries in Bath, with elegant portraits hung up the stairs, hosting regular musical events and art camps. The ground floor cafe has a pretty outdoor terrace surrounded by gardens, and can be visited independently of the museum.
Open: Daily all year round Opening hours: 10am – 5pm
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £11
Website: Holburne.org Address: Great Pulteney Street, Bath, BA2 4DB
Herschel Museum of Astronomy
Best for: Stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts
This Georgian house on a quiet street in Bath, was the home of brother and sister, William and Caroline Herschel. William Herschel, a composer and musician from Hanover, moved to Bath in 1766 and was joined by his younger sister Caroline, also a talented singer.
Herschel Museum of Astronomy Bath © Visit Bath
They both had a passion for astronomy, and it was here that they discovered the previously unknown planet of Uranus. William was awarded the title of King’s Astronomer by King George III, while Caroline went on to discover 8 comets and was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society. William later married and his son, John Herschel also took up his interest in astronomy and music.
The house is furnished as it would have been when the Herschels lived there, with a music room and basement workshop where he made astronomical instruments. Telescopes and globes from the period are on display, and the purpose built exhibition space on the ground floor leading into the garden, tells the story of the Herschels and their discoveries.
Open: Tuesday – Sunday all year except January Opening hours: 10am – 5pm (closed 1-2pm weekends)
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £12
Website: Herschelmuseum.org.uk Address: 19 New King Street, Bath, BA1 2BL
Sally Lunn kitchen museum
Best for: a glimpse of life below the streets
This old and picturesque tea shop is home to the famous Sally Lunn bun. The large brioche style roll is served here at lunch or teatime with sweet or savoury toppings. The tea shop claims to be one of the oldest houses in Bath, and there is evidence of a food premises on this site in Roman times, possibly serving visitors to the nearby Temple of Sulis Minerva and Roman baths.
Sally Lunn Museum Bath
To visit the small museum, pass by anyone queuing for a table and head straight downstairs to the cellar. Here you’ll find a couple of small rooms, to show how the original bakery would have looked, with its wood fired oven.
On the other side of the cellar is an excavated area, with some sections that show there was a building here in Roman times, as well as a later Medieval monastery complex. Information sheets are available to tell you the history of the building, but it’s a small space so probably one for a quick visit if you’re passing.
Sally Lunn Museum Bath
Open: Daily when tea shop is open Opening hours: 10am – 4pm
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket 30p (free if you are taking refreshments)
Website: Sallylunns.co.uk Address: 4 North Parade Passage, Bath, BA1 1NX
Museum of Bath at Work
Best for: An insight into the lives of working people
While many of Bath’s museum celebrate the lives of high society and wealthy collectors, the Museum of Bath at Work offers up the everyday lives of the average man or woman. Here are the packed shelves of the grocer’s shop, tools crammed into a workshops for making and mending, or the typesettings of a printing press from the pre-digital age.
Museum of Bath at Work
At the core of the museum’s collection is the Bowler engineering and soft drinks factory. The entire contents of the old factory were transported here and reconstructed, as they were when it was still running. There are numerous other displays about Bath’s trade and industry. A collection of photographic portraits shows not the rich and famous, but faces of ordinary working people.
Museum of Bath at Work
The upper floor covers the businesses that are still well known names in Bath today, together with a vintage car manufactured in 1914 by the Horstmann Car Company of Bath.
Open: Feb-Mar Weekends only Apr-Oct Daily Opening hours: 10.30am – 5pm
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £10
Website: Bath-at-work.org.uk Address: Julian Road, Bath, BA1 2RH
Museum of East Asian Art
Best for: Lovers of Asian art and exquisite miniature items
Close to Bath’s Royal Crescent is the Georgian townhouse containing the privately owned Museum of East Asian Art. Its collection consists of 2,000 objects from East and South East Asia, covering jade, bronzes, ceramics and small collectables.
Museum of East Asian Art Bath
The collection was founded by Brian McElney OBE, who was born and resided in Hong Kong for many years, to house his personal collection built up over many years.
Take your time to examine many small and exquisite items in the permanent collection, while the ground floor has changing exhibitions that are connected to or inspired by items from the collection.
Museum of East Asian Art Bath
Open: Wednesday – Saturday Opening hours: 10.30am – 4.30pm
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £5
Website: Meaa.org.uk Address: 12 Bennett Street, Bath, BA1 2QJ
The Old Theatre Royal Bath
Best for: A glimpse into Masonic Bath
In a quiet cobbled backstreet in the centre of Bath is the Old Theatre Royal, the predecessor of the current Theatre Royal Bath, which is in a different location. Opening its doors to performances in the 1750s, it was the first Theatre Royal outside London.
Subsequently the theatre became a Catholic Chapel and it also houses one of England’s oldest Masonic halls, which is still in use today. Theatrical and musical events are still held in the hall, which retains its original stage.
Visits are by pre-booked guided tours of around an hour, covering the main hall, the backstage areas of the old theatre and the building’s vaults. The tour ends in the vaults, to allow visitors to visit the Edward Gayner Museum, with a collection of rare Masonic artefacts.
Open: Tues, Weds, Thurs by guided tour at 11am and 2.30pm, Saturday guided tour at 2.30pm
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £8
Website: Oldtheatreroyal.com Address: 12 Old Orchard Street, Bath, BA1 1JU
Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution
Best for: Online talks, exhibitions and events, even if you can’t visit Bath in person
The B.R.L.S.I was founded as a home for geological and natural history collections in Bath. It now operates as an online museum, organising regular low cost lectures and events on diverse topics. Collections relating to geology, natural history and human history are listed on the website and can be viewed through themed online exhibitions of chosen objects from the collection.
Over 100 low-cost ticketed talks are held every year on a wide range of topics. Many of these are held in both the Queens Square headquarters of the B.R.L.S.I. and are also broadcast online, so can be watched from any location. There’s also a free B.R.S.L.I. App with Discovery Trails around Bath, inspired by the Museum’s collections.
Open: Visiting is mainly for events, otherwise collections can be viewed online. The Queen Square headquarters is open for enquiries Monday – Friday 10am – 4pm.
Ticket Price: Event tickets typically £4-10
Website: Brisi.org Address: 16-18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN
Fairfield House – home of HIM Haile Selassie I
Best for: Anyone with an Ethiopian or Rastafari connection
Built in 1850, Fairfield House is the villa where His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Haile Selassie I spent time with his family, during his period of exile from Ethiopia between 1936-1941. Following his return to Ethiopia, Emperor Haile Selassie donated the house to the City of Bath.
Fairfield House Bath © Visit Bath
Now running as a museum and community centre, the aim of Fairfield House is to preserve the legacy, conserve and present artefacts relating to H.I.M Haile Selassie, during his time in Bath. The collection of artefacts is a work in progress, with an ongoing appeal to Bath residents for information, stories and objects related to the Emperor’s time in Bath, so they can build up the collection.
The House is opened on Sundays, for visitors to take a historical tour and learn more about the Emperor’s time in Bath, as well as for multi-cultural community events and monthly Rastafari Sabbath Worship.
Open: On most Sundays for pre-booked open day and historical guided tour. Tours at 12pm and 1.30pm. Check website for upcoming open days.
Ticket Price: Historical tour Adult ticket from £10
Website: Fairfieldhousebath.co.uk Address: 2 Kelston Road, Bath, BA1 3QJ
Bath World Heritage Centre
Best for: A free overview of Bath’s Heritage sites
Centrally located, close to the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey, the Bath World Heritage Centre is a hybrid of visitor centre and museum. It’s a great place to orientate yourself on the heritage of Bath, including the hot springs, Georgian architecture and spa town that developed from Roman times.
Bath World Heritage Centre © Visit Bath
There are information boards, interactive displays and volunteers on hand for information about the places to visit. You can also download a Bath World Heritage app with maps and bespoke itineraries to help you discover all the city’s heritage sites.
Open: Daily all year round Opening hours: 10am – 5pm
Ticket Price: Free
Website: Bathworldheritage.co.uk Address: 10 York Street, Bath, BA1 1NH
Museum of Bath Architecture
Best for: those with a fascination for how cities develop over time
This museum celebrates the rich architectural history of Bath, as it was transformed from a small medieval town, to a fashionable spa in Georgian times. The museum is housed in a old chapel, built in the Gothic revival style in 1765 for the Countess of Hastings, who was an ardent Methodist.
Museum of Bath Architecture © Visit Bath
Following a restoration, the chapel now houses a collection of maps, models, building fragments and architectural drawings. They show how 18th century architects and craftsmen turned Bath into an elegant location for Georgian high society.
A highlight of the collection is a scale model of Bath, giving a bird’s eye view of how the city developed. The museum opens at end March 2024, following an extensive restoration.
Museum of Bath Architecture © Visit Bath
Open: From 30 March 2024 Wednesday – Saturday Opening hours: 10am – 4pm
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £7
Website: Museumofbatharchitecture.org.uk Address: The Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel, The Paragon, The Vineyards, Bath, BA1 5NA
Museums just outside Bath
There are a couple of museums that are within a 30 minute drive of central Bath and are well worth visiting if you have a car. Visiting by bus from Bath city centre is also possible, but you may need to walk a little way from the bus stop.
American Museum & Gardens
Best for: Lovers of American art and culture
Located in a beautiful Georgian manor house just outside Bath, the museum features American decorative arts and temporary exhibitions with links to American culture. The permanent collections tell the stories of America, through quilts, folk art and furnishings, spanning 2000 years of American history.
American Museum and Gardens © Visit Bath
The Grade II listed house is surrounded by 125 acres of beautifully maintained gardens, with an arboretum, wilderness trails and children’s garden. For coffee or lunch overlooking the gardens, stop by the American Garden deli with its outdoor terrace, serving American inspired food from produce grown in the gardens or sourced from local suppliers.
Open: From mid March – end December Tuesday – Sunday Opening hours: 10am – 5pm
Ticket Price: Standard adult ticket from £16.50
Website: Americanmuseum.org Address: Claverton Manor, Bath, BA2 7BD
Beckford’s Tower and Museum
Best for: Great views over Bath
Beckford’s Tower has been undergoing long term restoration, with plans to reopen in Summer 2024.
Located at the top of Lansdown Hill, the tower was built for the wealthy William Beckford in 1827, as a study retreat and home for his collection of art and rare books. Beckford was forced to live in exile abroad following a homosexual affair that scandalised society, and on his return a decade later he was forced to live outside aristocratic society.
Beckford’s Tower in Bath © Visit Bath
The tower, which has outstanding views over Bath and the surrounding countryside, is now a museum illustrating William Beckford’s life as a collector, wealthy slave owner and social outcast. Visitors can climb the 154 steps of the spiral staircase, to the Belvedere at the top.
Open: Planned opening from Summer 2024
Website: Beckfordstower.org.uk Address: Lansdown Road, The Paragon, The Vineyards, Bath, BA1 9BH
Beckford’s Tower in Bath © Visit Bath
Free museums in Bath
Some might say that the whole city of Bath is a free museum, with so much elegant Georgian architecture and picturesque outdoor attractions like the Royal Crescent and Pulteney Bridge. Most of the Bath museums have admission charges, but those that are free include:
Bath World Heritage Centre – free to visit and the ideal place to familiarise yourself with Bath’s Heritage attractions and to pick up a leaflet or download the app, so that you can make a self guided tour.
Victoria Art Gallery – The upstairs gallery housing the permanent collection is free to visit, although there is a charge for special exhibitions. The upstairs gallery is currently closed for renovation, expected to reopen in Autumn 2024.
Sally Lunn Museum – There is a nominal 30p charge to visit the small basement museum, although free for seniors, children and anyone taking refreshments at the tea shop.
Museums in Bath that are currently closed
Fashion Museum in Bath
The Fashion Museum Bath was previously located in the beautiful Assembly Rooms, a heritage building that hosted dances and social events in Georgian times. At the time of writing (March 2024) the Fashion Museum is temporarily closed, with a plan to reopen in a few years time in The Old Post Office building, centrally located on New Bond Street.
Fashion Museum Bath
Also planned is the opening of a Fashion Collection Archive in the Locksbrook campus of Bath Spa University, to the west of Bath city centre. In the meantime, parts of the collection are on loan for special exhibitions in the UK and other parts of the world. You can also see items from the collection through online exhibitions, via the website.
Website: Fashionmuseum.co.uk
Bath Postal Museum
The museum is now permanently closed
Website: Bathpostalmuseum.org.uk
Read Next
For more about Bath read my article: How to find a fabulous spa break in Bath
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For more information on all the things to do in Bath, check out the Visit Bath official tourism website
Some of the museum visits in Bath were hosted* by Visit Bath
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This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com