Brontë Parsonage Museum

About the museum

The parsonage in Haworth was built in 1778 and 1779. The Reverend Patrick Brontë moved in with his wife Maria and their six children in 1820, and it remained the family home for the rest of their lives. Here Charlotte, Emily and Anne wrote poems and, later, novels such as Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and Agnes Grey. After Patrick's death in 1861 the contents were sold at auction.

The Brontë Society was founded in 1893 to collect relics of the family, and by 1895 its collection was on show in a museum above a bank in the village. In 1928 Sir James Roberts bought the parsonage, furnished it as a museum and gave it to the Society. Important early gifts included the collection of the American collector Henry Bonnell, which came to the house in 1926 and was moved into the parsonage when it opened.

Today the museum shows the rooms much as the family knew them, with furniture, clothing, books and personal objects, and it holds one of the largest collections of Brontë manuscripts and artefacts. The Grade I listed house is run by the Brontë Society, which also keeps a research library and organises exhibitions and contemporary arts projects.

Highlights

• The family's home with the dining room where the sisters wrote
• Charlotte Brontë's mahogany writing desk
• Original manuscripts, books and personal belongings of the Brontës
• Exhibition room with lift-the-flap displays and a dressing-up corner
• Haworth village and the moors on the doorstep

Founded

1928

Operated by

Brontë Society

Admission & discounts

A ticket allows unlimited entry for twelve months from booking. Free entry for Brontë Society members, Max Card holders, Museums Association members and Art Fund or National Art Pass holders. Prices are valid from April 2026 to March 2027.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: not available
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The main entrance has steps, but a step-free entrance is available through the welcome desk at the back of the building, with a doorway 55 cm wide. There is no lift to the first floor, which is reached by 16 narrow stone steps, so a cheaper ground floor ticket is offered. A wheelchair can be borrowed. The toilet block next to the shop has an accessible toilet and a Changing Places toilet. Registered assistance dogs are welcome. Two Blue Badge spaces are in the adjacent pay and display car park. Large print guides can be borrowed, the Bloomberg Connects app has audio descriptions, and calm bags with ear defenders and sensory aids and a visual story are available. Rooms are small and the passages narrow.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities

Information panels are written with children in mind, and the upstairs exhibition room has lift-the-flap displays, a dressing-up corner, a dolls' house and a child-sized table with drawing materials. In school holidays there are crafting sessions, storytelling and trails. Pushchairs can be used on the ground floor and can be left in the shop, as they cannot go upstairs. Baby carriers are available to borrow. Calm bags are offered for families with special educational needs.

Getting there & parking

The museum stands at the top of the cobbled main street, behind St Michael and All Angels Church. Haworth is about 8 miles west of Bradford and 3 miles south of Keighley.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available
• Lockers: not available

There is no cafe on site, but cafes and restaurants are a short walk away on Main Street. Bags and luggage cannot be stored and must be carried through the museum.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit