Museums in Bath: Prices, What's Free and How Long
Nine museums in Bath, from the Roman Baths and the Holburne to No.1 Royal Crescent and Beckford's Tower, with adult and child prices, which are free, how long each takes and which close for the winter, checked on the museums' own sites.
In short: the museums in Bath to start with are The Roman Baths (allow 90 minutes to 2 hours, from £23.50 booked online from 1 November), The Holburne Museum (£16.50, free for 18 and under) and Victoria Art Gallery, whose Upper Gallery is free for everyone. Four of the smaller museums close or cut their days between November and January, so check the dates before you go.
These are the nine museums in Bath you can visit this winter, with prices, opening days and how long each takes. Every one is in our directory, and seven are a short walk apart in the City Centre. Prices and dates were checked on each museum's own website on 26 October 2026; the Jane Austen Centre's site could not be read that day, so its details come from our directory.
Which museums in Bath are worth visiting?
The Roman Baths come first for almost everyone; after that, pick by interest. Here is how the nine compare.
| Museum | Adult | Under 18s | Allow |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Roman Baths | From £23.50 online | From £16.50 (6 to 18), under 6s free | 90 minutes to 2 hours |
| The Holburne Museum | £16.50 | Free | Ticket lasts the day |
| Victoria Art Gallery | Collection free, exhibitions £9 to £12 | £4 to £5.50 (6 to 18) | 45 minutes to an hour each |
| No.1 Royal Crescent | £16 | Free with an adult | About an hour |
| Herschel Museum of Astronomy | £12.50 | Free with an adult | About 45 minutes |
| The Jane Austen Centre | See its website | See its website | At least an hour |
| Museum of Bath at Work | £10 | £5 | Not stated |
| Beckford's Tower and Museum | £10 | Free with an adult | An hour or more |
| House of Frankenstein | From £10.94 | May not suit under 12s | About an hour |
The Roman Baths
The temple and bathing complex of Roman Bath, with the Great Bath, the original pavements and a museum whose collection includes the gilt bronze head of Sulis Minerva. The audio guide is included.
- ⏰ Daily, 9am to 6pm to 31 Oct
- 💷 £23.50 weekdays, £26.50 weekends (1 Nov to 18 Dec, online)
- 🎟️ Timed slots, £2 more on the day
- 📍 Abbey Churchyard
Good to know: the Baths recommend booking at least 24 hours ahead and say tickets are only available from their own website. Guided tours cost £8 extra. Local residents with a Discovery Card go free.
Which museums in Bath are free?
Victoria Art Gallery's Upper Gallery is free for everyone, every day it opens. Under 18s also go free at the Holburne, No.1 Royal Crescent, the Herschel Museum and Beckford's Tower, and the Holburne's collection displays are free on Wednesdays after 3pm.
Victoria Art Gallery
The city's public gallery by Pulteney Bridge. The free Upper Gallery holds paintings by Gainsborough and Renoir, and a free show of Japanese prints until 22 November; the lower galleries have paid exhibitions, with The World of The Snowman from 20 November to 28 February 2027.
- ⏰ Tue to Sun, 10.30am to 5pm
- 🆓 Upper Gallery free
- 💷 Exhibitions £9, then £12 from 20 Nov
- 📍 Bridge Street
The Holburne Museum
Bath's art museum at the end of Great Pulteney Street, with portraits, porcelain and miniatures. Two exhibitions run to 10 January 2027 and are included in the ticket: Richard Slee: Sunlit Uplands and Withdrawing Rooms, and Eric Ravilious and the Artists of the Chalk Downs.
- ⏰ Mon to Sat 10am to 5pm, Sun 11am to 5pm
- 💷 £16.50, £8 for 19 to 25
- 🆓 18 and under free
- 📍 Bathwick
Good to know: tickets are not timed and last all day; online booking adds a £2 fee. The café opens onto Sydney Gardens and the museum is cashless.
Which museums show Georgian Bath?
No.1 Royal Crescent, the Herschel Museum and the Jane Austen Centre are all Georgian townhouses, and the first two are Bath Preservation Trust museums.
No.1 Royal Crescent
The first house on the Crescent, furnished as it might have been between 1776 and 1796, from the family rooms to the servants' hall below stairs. It closes from 16 to 28 November and on 25 and 26 December.
- ⏰ Tue to Sun, 10am to 5.30pm
- 💷 £16, concessions £14.50
- 🚫 Closed 16 to 28 Nov
- 📍 Royal Crescent
Herschel Museum of Astronomy
The house where William Herschel found Uranus in 1781, with his workshop, music room and the garden where he made the discovery. The Photology exhibition on early photography is included until 3 January 2027.
- ⏰ Tue to Sun, 10am to 5pm
- 💷 £12.50, concessions £11
- 🔁 Ticket works as a 12-month pass
- 📍 19 New King Street
The Jane Austen Centre
An exhibition on Jane Austen's years in Bath, opening with a talk from one of its guide-actors, with Regency costumes to try on. The tea room upstairs is booked separately.
- ⏱️ Allow at least an hour
- 🎟️ Booking ahead recommended
- ♿ No lift
- 📍 40 Gay Street
Which smaller museums in Bath are worth the trip?
Three suit a second or third day: working Bath, a hilltop tower and a Frankenstein house for older children.
Museum of Bath at Work
A 1777 real tennis court holding J.B. Bowler's rebuilt ironmongery, a Bath Stone mine and the story of Plasticine, invented in Bath. A free guided tour runs daily at 11am.
- ⏰ Weekends in Nov, 10.30am to 5pm
- 🚫 Closed Dec and Jan
- 💷 £10, family £20
- 📍 Julian Road
Beckford's Tower and Museum
An 1820s tower on Lansdown with a museum on William Beckford, whose fortune came from Jamaican plantations, and 154 steps up to the views.
- ⏰ Sat and Sun 10am to 4pm, 31 Oct to 13 Dec
- 💷 £10, under 18s free
- 🚌 Bus 31 from Milsom Street
- 📍 Lansdown
Mary Shelley's House of Frankenstein
Four floors on the Frankenstein story and the teenage Mary Shelley, with an 8ft animatronic Monster and a horror basement. More attraction than museum, and dark and loud in places.
- ⏰ Daily from 11am (10am Saturdays)
- 💷 From £10.94, cheaper online
- 👪 Parents judge for under 12s
- 📍 37 Gay Street
Is there a joint ticket for Bath museums?
No: each museum sells its own ticket. No.1 Royal Crescent, the Herschel Museum and Beckford's Tower let you come back free for 12 months, and Bath Preservation Trust membership, £30 a year for one adult, covers unlimited visits to its museums. Residents with a Discovery Card go free at the Roman Baths and Victoria Art Gallery, and pay less at the Museum of Bath at Work.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best museum in Bath?
The Roman Baths, for the Great Bath and the temple remains. For art, the Holburne Museum; for Georgian home life, No.1 Royal Crescent.
Are there free museums in Bath?
Yes. The Upper Gallery at Victoria Art Gallery is free for everyone, and under 18s go free at the Holburne Museum, No.1 Royal Crescent, the Herschel Museum and Beckford's Tower.
How long do you need at the Roman Baths?
The Roman Baths recommend 90 minutes to 2 hours. The last time slots of the day may not leave enough time to see everything.
Is the Fashion Museum in Bath open?
No. The Fashion Museum left the Assembly Rooms in 2022 and plans to reopen in the Old Post Office in 2030. The Museum of Bath Architecture is also closed until further notice.
Which Bath museums are open in winter?
The Roman Baths, the Holburne Museum and Victoria Art Gallery open through the winter. Beckford's Tower closes after 13 December, the Museum of Bath at Work in December and January, and No.1 Royal Crescent and the Herschel Museum after 3 January 2027.