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Bath Museums (Bath, England)



There is a magnificent selection of museums in Bath, with museum complexes including probably some of the best historic collections in the area.

Exhibitions in Bath museums range from large to small, local to international and many are located in beautiful Bath buildings, right in the heart of Bath.




Bath Museums: American Museum - Claverton Manor, Claverton Down, Bath, England
Tel: +44 (0)1225 460503
Bath's American Museum is situated in Claverton Down, on the outskirts of Bath. Housed in a grand, early 19th-century manor house, the American Museum is home to one of the finest collections of American art outside of the United States. Other attractions at Bath's American Museum include a series of rooms furnished with original furniture and features dating from 17th-century colonial days to the end of the 19th century, the Shaker room with examples of classic Shaker design and furniture, a number of handmade American quilts, and the Mount Vernon Garden, which is actually a replica of George Washington's own garden in America.
Museum open: March to October, Tuesday to Thursday - 13:00 to 18:00 (gardens), 14:00 to 17:00 (museum)
Friday to Sunday - 12:00 to 18:00 (gardens), 14:00 to 17:00 (museum)
Museum admission: charge

Bath Museums: The William Herschel Museum - 19 New King Street, Bath, BA1 2BL, England
Bath's William Herschel Museum is centrally placed in Bath and can be easily reached by foot from Queen's Square and the Pump Room. The museum is set in a charming house which dates back to 1764, and celebrates the numerous musical and astronomical achievements of William Herschel and his sister. Herschel became the Director of Music in Bath over 200 years ago and held regular concerts at the Pump Room and the Assembly Rooms, where he was well-known for his musical compositions. Highlights at the museum include a collection of musical instruments used in the late 18th century, replica scientific and astronomical instruments which can be handled, audio tours and an award winning film, which details Herchel's discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781.
Museum admission: charge, discounts available for senior citizens, students and children

Bath Museums: Museum of Bath at Work - Julian Road, Bath, BA1 2RH, England
Tel: +44 (0)1225 318348
The Museum of Bath is situated in central Bath, close the Circus and the Assembly Rooms. Full of interesting exhibitions and memorabilia about the historic and elegant city of Bath, attractions at the Museum of Bath at Work include the remarkable Bowler collection - the complete engineering works and fizzy-drinks factory, computerised information points, displays focusing on the Bath stone industry, cabinet making and the Horstmann Car Company. The museum's extensive archives include many thousands of photographs, documents and interesting artifacts relating to local industries and the Museum of Bath at Work hosts regular lectures and temporary exhibitions. A gift shop and refreshments area are available at the Museum of Bath.
Museum open: daily, April to October - 10:00 to 17:00, November to March on Saturday and Sunday - 10:00 to 17:00

Bath Museums: Beckford's Tower and Museum - Lansdown Road, Bath, England
Tel: +44 (0)1225 460705
Beckford's Tower and Museum is located in the Lansdown area of Bath and stands 36 metres / 120 feet tall. This neo-classical Italianate tower was built in 1827 for William Beckford as a study retreat and housed part of his extensive art collection and large library. Beckford's Tower is now home to a museum with period furniture, paintings, prints and numerous object illustrating the life of William Beckford as a writer, collector and patron of the arts. Visitors are able to climb up the 156 steps to the top of Bath's tall tower to the recently restored Belvedere, which offers some spectacular panoramic views over Bath and the surrounding countryside.

Beckford's Tower and Museum is owned by the Bath Preservation Trust and administered by the Beckford Tower Trust.
Museum open: April to October, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays - 10:30 to 17:00
Museum admission: charge

Bath Museums: Bath Postal Museum - 8 Broad Street, Bath, England
Tel: +44 (0)1225 460333
The Bath Postal Museum can be found in the centre of Bath and the museum is built on the spot where the world's first letter to bear a postage stamp, the famous Penny Black, was actually sent in 1840. The museum tells the story of the importance of letter writing over the years, the carriage and delivery of mail, everything related to postal systems, and there is also an activity room for children visiting the museum.
Museum open: March to October, Monday to Saturday - 11:00 to 17:00, November to February, Monday to Saturday - 11:00 to 16:30
Museum admission: charge

Bath Museums: The Building of Bath Museum - The Countess of Huntingdon's Chapel, The Vineyards, The Paragon, Bath, BA1 5NA, England
Tel: +44 (0)1225 333985
The Building of Bath Museum, in the Paragon area of Bath, is housed in a striking Gothic chapel, which was built in 1765. With exhibitions detailing one hundred years of architectural innovation, explaining how the World Heritage City of Bath was transformed from a small provincial town into a Georgian city within a short period. The Building of Bath Museum features displays about general craftsmanship and decoration, historic furniture making and wallpaper manufacturing. There is also a gift shop at the museum, selling a wide range of architectural merchandise, including building conservation guides, books, postcards, notelets and souvenir gifts.
Museum open: Tuesday to Sunday - 10:30 to 17:00, (open on Monday during July and August)
Museum admission: charge

Bath Museums: Museum of Costume and the Assembly Rooms - Bennett Street, Bath, BA1 2QH, England
Tel: +44 (0)1225 477785
Bath's Museum of Costume is one of the most glamorous museums in Bath and is set in the elegant Assembly rooms, in central Bath, close to The Circus and The Royal Crescent. Housing a world-class collection of more than 150 dresses from 1660 to the present day, other attractions at the Museum of costume include costumes worn by stars of recent television and film productions, 18th, 19th and 20th century galleries, magnificent interiors in Bath's Assembly Rooms, the finest set of 18th-century chandeliers in Europe, an extensive fashion bookshop with gifts and cards, audio guides, study facilities and a café.
Museum open: daily, January to February - 11:00 to 16:00, March to October - 11:00 to 17:00, November to December - 11:00 to 16:00
Museum admission: charge

Bath Museums: Museum of East Asian Art - 12 Bennet Street, Bath, BA1 2QJ, England
Tel: +44 (0)1225 464640
Museum of East Asian Art is one of Bath's most exotic museums and was founded in 1993 by Brian McElney, a retired solicitor who practised in Hong Kong for more than 35 years. Highlights at the museum include bamboo carvings, a comprehensive collection of Chinese jade, oriental ceramics, fine examples of metalware, other decorative arts, illustrated gallery guides, a museum library, a family resource area and a museum gift shop.
Museum open: Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 17:00, Sunday - 12:00 to 17:00
Museum admission: charge

Bath Museums: Number 1, Royal Crescent Museum - Royal Crescent, Bath, BA1 2LR, England
Number 1 was the fist house to be built on Bath's striking Royal Crescent in 1767, which was John Wood the Younger's fine example of Palladian architecture. This important house was given to the Bath Preservation Trust in 1968 and has been thoroughly and accurately restored. Highlights at the Royal Crescent Museum include late 18th-century furniture, paintings, carpets, and authentic reproductions of an 18th-century study, dining room, drawing rooms and lady's bedroom.
Museum open: February to October, Tuesday to Sunday - 10:30 to 17:00

Other museums nearby Bath include:

• Blasie Castle House Museum - Henbury Road, Henbury, Bristol, BS10 7QS, England
  (museums distance: 45 km / 28 miles from Bath)
• Boat Trips from Bradford on Avon - Wharf cottage, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1LE, England
  (museums distance: 14 km / 9 miles from Bath)
• Bradford on Avon Museum - Bridge Street, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire, BA15 1BY, England
  (museums distance: 14 km / 8 miles from Bath)
• Bristol Industrial Museum - Princes Wharf, Wapping Road, Bristol, BS1 4RN, England
  (museums distance: 20 km / 12 miles from Bath)
• British Empire and Commonwealth Museum - Clock Tower Yard, Temple Meads, Bristol, BS1 6QH, England
  (museums distance: 21 km / 13 miles from Bath)
• Chippenham Museum and Heritage Centre - Market Place, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 3HF, England
  (museums distance: 23 km / 14 miles from Bath)
• Cricklade Museum - 16 Calcutt Street, Cricklade, Wiltshire, SN6 6DD, England
  (museums distance: 81 km / 50 miles from Bath)
• The Edward Jenner Museum - Church Lane, Berkeley, Gloucestershire, GL13 9BH, England
  (museums distance: 56 km / 35 miles from Bath)
• Fleet Air Arm Museum - RNAS Yeovilton, Ilchester, Somerset, BA22 8HT, England
  (museums distance: 56 km / 35 miles from Bath)
• Fox Talbot Museum - Lacock, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 2LG, England
  (museums distance: 23 km / 14 miles from Bath)
• The Georgian House - 7 Great George Street, Bristol, BS1 5RR, England
  (museums distance: 22 km / 14 miles from Bath)
• Harveys Wine Museum - 12 Denmark Street, Bristol, BS1 5DQ, England
  (museums distance: 22 km / 14 miles from Bath)
• Helicopter Museum - Weston Heliport, Locking Moor Road, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset, BS24 8PP, England
  (museums distance: 48 km / 30 miles from Bath)
• International Helicopter Museum - Locking Moor Road, Weston-super-Mare, Bristol, BS22 8PP, England
  (museums distance: 50 km / 31 miles from Bath)
• John Creasey Museum and The Creasey Collection of Contemporary Art - Market Place, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 1BL, England (museums distance: 71 km / 44 miles from Bath)
• Kennet and Avon Canal Museum - Canal Centre, Couch Lane, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1EB, England
  (museums distance: 32 km / 20 miles from Bath)
• Lacock Museum of Agriculture and Rural Life - Wiltshire College Lackham, Lacock, Chippenham, Wiltshire, SN15 2NY, England (museums distance: 23 km / 14 miles from Bath)
• Malmesbury Athelstan Museum - Town Hall, Cross Hayes, Malmesbury, SN16 9BZ, England
  (museums distance: 41 km / 26 miles from Bath)
• Market Lavington Museum - Church Street, Market Lavington, Wiltshire, SN10 4DT, England
  (museums distance: 43 km / 27 miles from Bath)
• Mere Museum - Public Library, Museum and Information Centre, Barton Lane, Mere, Wiltshire, BA12 6JA, England
  (museums distance: 52 km / 32 miles from Bath)
• North Somerset Museum - Burlington Street, Weston-Super-Mare, BS23 1PR, Somerset, England
  (museums distance: 75 km / 47 miles from Bath)
• Pewsey Heritage Centre - Whatleys Old Foundry, Avonside, Pewsey, Wiltshire, SN9 5AF, England
  (museums distance: 54 km / 34 miles from Bath)
• Purton Museum - 1 High Street, Purton, Wiltshire, SN5 4AA, England
  (museums distance: 61 km / 38 miles from Bath)
• Redcoats in the Wardrobe Museum - 58 The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2EX, England
  (museums distance: 71 km / 44 miles from Bath)
• Salisbury and South Wiltshire Museum - The King's House, 65 The Close, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP1 2EN, England
  (museums distance: 71 km / 44 miles from Bath)
• Warminster Dewey Museum - Public Library, Three Horseshoes Walk, Warminster, Wiltshire, BA12 9BT, England
  (museums distance: 34 km / 21 miles from Bath)
• Wilton Town Museum and Wilton Carpet Factory Museum - Kingsway, Wilton, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP2 OAY, England
  (museums distance: 67 km / 42 miles from Bath)
• Wiltshire Heritage Museum - 41 Long Street, Devizes, Wiltshire, SN10 1NS, England
  (museums distance: 33 km / 21 miles from Bath)

Visit World Guides to Bristol for further information about Bristol Museums.

 
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