Herschel Museum of Astronomy

About the museum

The Herschel Museum of Astronomy occupies 19 New King Street, an 18th-century townhouse in Bath. William Herschel came to England from Hanover in 1757 as a musician and settled in Bath in 1766, and his brother Alexander and sister Caroline later joined him. The family lived at this address at different times between 1777 and 1782.

William taught music and played in Bath's concert halls and chapels, and spent his spare time building telescopes by hand. In the workshop next to the kitchen he cast and polished the mirrors for them, and flagstones cracked by a spill of molten metal can still be seen. On 13 March 1781 he spotted a new object from the back garden, which turned out to be the planet Uranus. It was the first planet found with a telescope, and it doubled the known size of the solar system. The discovery brought him a position as the King's Astronomer to George III in 1782.

Caroline became her brother's assistant and an astronomer in her own right, discovering several comets, and she was the first woman paid a salary as a scientist. The house was restored as a museum, which was established in 1981, and is run by Bath Preservation Trust. The rooms include a music room with a pedal harp and a workshop with replica equipment, and the walled garden has been planted in the style of a Georgian townhouse. A gallery for changing exhibitions opened in 2011.

Highlights

• The garden where William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781
• Workshop with a casting mould, cracked flagstones and a replica mirror-polishing machine to handle
• Music room with a Louis XVI pedal harp
• Handwritten draft of Caroline Herschel's memoirs
• Georgian garden planted with herbs and plants known in the 1790s
• Free Bloomberg Connects digital guide with a children's tour

Permanent exhibitions

• Music room – The room where William Herschel taught music, with a Louis XVI pedal harp from 1795 and other period instruments.
• Workshop – The room where Herschel cast telescope mirrors, with a plaster-and-dung mould, flagstones cracked by molten metal and a replica polishing machine visitors may handle.
• Garden – A Georgian-style garden planted with medicinal and culinary plants, where Uranus was discovered on 13 March 1781.

Founded

1981

Operated by

Bath Preservation Trust

Admission & discounts

A ticket also works as an annual pass: repeat visits within 12 months are free with the receipt. Members of Bath Preservation Trust enter free. Holders of a Bath Discovery Card get 25% off and Art Fund National Art Pass holders get 50% off with a code at online checkout. Gift Aid can be added to the ticket price. Tickets can be bought at the door or online.

Accessibility

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

The museum is a listed townhouse on three floors, and the entrance and the ground-floor reception, shop and dining room are reached by a few steps. There is no lift, so six rooms and the garden can only be reached by stairs, and the basement stairs are steep and narrow. A virtual tour of the upper rooms can be borrowed on an iPad or downloaded, with an alternative tour for children. Manual wheelchairs are allowed, but mobility scooters, prams and buggies are not; scooters can be left at the owner's risk inside the railings by the entrance. Seating is provided throughout the museum. The only toilet is in the basement; the nearest accessible toilets are at Charlotte Street car park, a 10-minute walk away. There are no accessible parking bays outside, but there are some near Charlotte Street car park. Assistance dogs are welcome. A sensory map, a social story, a sensory bag and ear defenders are available for neurodivergent visitors, and quiet visits can be arranged in advance. Carers enter free.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly: not available
• Playground / play area

The Star Vault is a children's activity area with space Lego and crafts, and a free 'Top 10 Treasures' trail can be collected at the admissions desk. The digital guide has a section for children. Prams and buggies are not allowed in the museum. The museum supports the Rainbow Resource Scheme for families of children with special educational needs. Visitors under 18 enter free.

Getting there & parking

New King Street is within walking distance of the city centre, Bath Spa station and Queen Square. Taxis are available at the station. Sat nav postcode BA1 2BL.

Amenities & dining

• Café: not available
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop

A small gift shop sells cards, souvenirs and books, including the museum guide. There is no café; the city centre is about 500 metres away. A bench is provided in the garden.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies: not available

The museum can be hired for drinks receptions, corporate events and events with a guided tour, with canapés in the walled garden. It is not licensed for weddings, but the garden can be used for wedding photographs.

Plan your visit