When you’re planning a visit to the city of Bath, you’ll want to visit some of its many museums. You’ll find a museum of Roman Bath, art galleries, and others that celebrate the Georgian city. And a whole host of specialist, sometimes quirky, collections. Here is a list of the museums and galleries in Bath.
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The Roman Baths Museum
The Roman Baths, where 18th century visitors took the waters, are a reminder of the city’s importance long before fashionable visitors started to arrive in the Georgian era. The museum attached to the baths is an extensive exploration of the Roman city, including bathing areas, temples and artefacts recovered during archaeological excavations.
Read more: Roman Spa And Hot Springs Of Bath: A Continuous Tradition.
Art Museums In Bath
Victoria Art Gallery
Art lovers should start with the Victoria Art Gallery, housed in a purpose-built Victorian building beside the Pulteney Bridge. It contains more than 1,500 artworks, with an extensive British collection including paintings by Thomas Gainsborough and Walter Sickert.
Holburne Museum
The Holburne Museum is the oldest museum in Bath. It is home to a private collection with 18th century paintings and decorative arts, and much more. There is a regular programme of special exhibitions.
Read more: Holburne Museum And Sydney Gardens: The Oldest Park And Gallery In Bath.
Museums Of Georgian Bath
Jane Austen Centre
Jane Austen, who briefly lived in Bath and featured the city in her novels, is one of the city’s most famous figures. The Jane Austen Centre, in a house with period furnishings on Gay Street, is devoted to her life and work. Visit to get an understanding of how Bath influenced her writings, before exploring some of the places frequented by her heroes and heroines.
Read more about the Jane Austen Centre and the places associated with her books – Where To Find Jane Austen In Bath.
No 1 Royal Crescent
To get an idea of how high society lived in Georgian times pay a visit to No 1 Royal Crescent. This is a house that has been furnished and decorated as it might have been in the 18th century.
Georgian Garden
Gardens were an important part of domestic architecture. The Georgian Garden at the rear of No 4 The Circus is a recreation of a garden as it might have appeared in the 18th century (free entry).
Pump Room
The Pump Room, beside the Roman Baths, is not exactly a museum, but it can certainly give you a flavour of Georgian Bath. This was where fashionable people once came to drink the spa water – today you can stop for morning coffee or afternoon tea, and you can even try a glass of the water for yourself.
Specialist Museums Of Bath
There are numerous small and specialist museums in Bath.
American Museum And Gardens
Around 5 km from the city centre is the American Museum and Gardens. This showcases American history and folk art (including lots of lovely quilts), as well as temporary exhibitions. The museum’s gardens are beautiful and have spectacular views.
Beckford’s Tower
A little way from the city centre, Beckford’s Tower was built in the early 19th century by William Beckford, an eccentric writer and collector. A visit to the tower gives the opportunity to see paintings, furniture and other objects from his collections. And you can climb the steps of the spiral staircase to the very top of the tower to take in the view over the surrounding countryside.
You can also explore the Victorian cemetery beside the tower: expect elaborate tombs and great views. At the end of the cemetery is the remains of “Beckford’s Grotto”, an underground tunnel once used as access to the tower.
Old Theatre Royal And Masonic Hall
One of my favourites has to be the rather quirky Old Theatre Royal and Masonic Hall. This is a former theatre that became a chapel and burial place before becoming a masonic lodge. Today the building remains in use as a masonic lodge and is also an events space.
The Old Theatre Royal also houses a small museum – the building itself being the main exhibit! Visitors can see the theatre (with its star-studded ceiling), the chapel and the catacombs, as well as a small museum of Freemasonry artefacts. Entrance is by guided tour – see the website for details.
Herschel Museum
The Herschel Museum of Astronomy was the home of William Herschel and his sister Caroline, and it was here that William first observed the planet Uranus. The museum is devoted to the Herschels’ work, both astronomical and musical.
Museum Of East Asian Art
The Museum of East Asian Art is a small, family-friendly, collection of artefacts spanning 7,000 years.
Museum Of Bath At Work
Finally, there is the very interesting Museum of Bath at Work. Housed in a former real tennis court that later became a factory, it has all sorts of exhibits about local industry, people and more…
This article is now available as a mobile app. Go to GPSmyCity to download the app for GPS-assisted travel directions to the attractions featured in this article.
5 thoughts on “Museums And Galleries In Bath: A Complete List”
I have a friend who lives in Bath and I’ve wanted to visit for a long time (mostly for the Roman ruins). Your roundup of some of the other museums is a great find. Thank you.
I love Bath. I so remember the Pump House and Roman Baths. Thank you for taking me down memory lane and pointing out additional reasons for me to return!
I had no idea there were so many museums in Bath. I thought the baths and a few related exhibits were IT. Bath has been on my to-do list for a long time. I’m hoping to do it as a side trip on my next visit to London.
Love love LOVE Bath. I’ve visited once and been to quite a few museums but you’ve introduced me to more today. Thank you. Shared and Pinned.
I had no idea there were so many great museums in Bath. Thanks for whetting my appetite. I also absolutely adore afternoon tea at a museum. It’s a perfect respite after a museum visit to stop and reflect what you’ve just seen and enjoy a tea and sweet.