Holburne Museum
Bath's first public art museum, in a Georgian building at the end of Great Pulteney Street, with decorative arts, British portraits and temporary exhibitions.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Holburne was founded in 1882, when the sister of the collector Sir William Holburne (1793-1874) left his collection of more than 4,000 objects to the people of Bath. It was the city's first public art gallery. Holburne had collected Italian and Dutch paintings of the 16th and 17th centuries, silver, sculpture, furniture, porcelain and decorative objects, and the museum has added to this ever since.
Since 1916 the collection has been housed in the former Sydney Hotel at the end of Great Pulteney Street, a Grade I listed building designed by Charles Harcourt Masters. The foundation stone was laid in 1796 and the hotel was finished by 1799. It stands beside Sydney Gardens, the only surviving Georgian pleasure gardens in the UK. A contemporary extension designed by Eric Parry opened in May 2011.
The collection now includes eighteenth-century British painting by Gainsborough, Ramsay, Stubbs and Zoffany, Allan Ramsay portraits of the Sargent family left in 1962, and long-term loans such as Albrecht Dürer prints and a Burgkmair portrait. The Holburne is an independent charity with no core government funding and runs a programme of temporary exhibitions that set historic art alongside contemporary work.
Highlights
- Sir William Holburne's founding collection of paintings, silver, porcelain and sculpture
- Eighteenth-century portraits by Gainsborough, Ramsay, Stubbs and Zoffany
- Georgian building with an Eric Parry extension opening onto Sydney Gardens
- Programme of temporary exhibitions in dialogue with contemporary art
- Cafe and activity drawers, sensory bags and a free creative space for families
Permanent exhibition
- The Holburne collection – Paintings, silver, porcelain, sculpture and decorative arts from the founding collection, with eighteenth-century British portraits by Gainsborough, Ramsay, Stubbs and Zoffany.
- Founded
- 1882
- Operated by
- The Holburne Museum (independent charity)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £16.50 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £8Art Fund members, ages 19 to 25 and NUS card holders |
| Children & teens | freefree up to age 18 · Ages 18 and under enter free, including all exhibitions. |
| Seniors | –No separate senior rate is listed. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · Adults accompanying a disabled visitor enter free. |
| Students & apprentices | £8Ages 19 to 25 and NUS card holders pay the concession price; students and staff of the University of Bath and Bath Spa University enter free. |
| Groups (11+ people) | £14 per personSelf-guided group visits for more than 10 people are £14 per person. Guided highlights tours for up to 25 people cost £25 per person; book about 4 weeks ahead. |
| Families | –No family ticket is listed. |
| Universal Credit ticket | £2Proof of eligibility required. |
| Wednesday after 15:00, collection displays only | freeFree entry to the collection displays; temporary exhibitions cost £8. |
Free admission: Wednesdays after 15:00 (collection displays)
General admission includes all collections, displays and exhibitions. Friends and Patrons enter free, and membership from £50 per person gives unlimited free entry. Entry to the ground-floor shop and cafe is free. Online bookings carry a £2 booking fee per transaction; the museum has been cashless since 1 July 2026 and accepts electronic payments only. Art Fund members pay the concession price.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- 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: no information
The front door has level access and opens automatically, and the ground floor is level. A lift serves all floors. There is a wheelchair-accessible toilet on the ground floor and more toilets on the lower ground floor, reached by lift. Wheelchairs can be pre-booked by phone. There are benches or chairs in all galleries, large-print labels in most galleries, and a hearing loop at the reception desk, in the Picture Gallery and in the Clore Learning Space. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout; other dogs are allowed on the ground floor and in the cafe. A downloadable visual guide helps visitors prepare. Blue Badge parking is available.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 18 |
|---|
- Family tours & workshops
- Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly: not available
- Baby changing facilities
- Playground / play area
Families can use activity trails, discovery drawers with magnifying glasses in the collection galleries, sensory bags that can be pre-booked, and the free self-led creative area Space to Make on the ground floor. Creative workshops run throughout the year. Baby-changing is available in both the men's and women's toilets. Pushchairs cannot be taken into the galleries but can be left at Reception. Visitors aged 18 and under enter free.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bath Spa railway station · 15-min walk
The museum is a 15-minute walk, about 0.8 miles, from Bath Spa railway station, through the city and down Great Pulteney Street towards Sydney Gardens. Bus services are currently diverted because of roadworks in the city centre; check routes with the First Bus journey planner.
By car
Paid parking
A small pay and display car park next to the museum, with free spaces for Blue Badge holders. Payment is via the MiPermit mobile scheme (location 701060). Charges apply from 08:00 to 18:00 daily and the gates are locked at 18:00: up to 2 hours £4.50, 2 to 3 hours £6, 3 to 4 hours £8.50, 4 to 6 hours £10.50, 6 to 8 hours £12.50, 8 to 10 hours £15.
- Accessible parking
The museum is about a 10-minute stroll from the city centre.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Restaurant: not available
- Museum shop
The Holburne Cafe, run by Graysons, is at the rear of the museum and opens onto Sydney Gardens. It serves coffee, tea, pastries, a lunch menu from 12:00 to 15:00 and cakes, with vegan and gluten-free options, and welcomes dogs inside and out. The shop sells creative art-inspired gifts, including pocket-money items. Pushchairs can be left at Reception.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Audio guide | yes |
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | A free digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app includes maps, audio clips, a family trail and background on the collection and building. Groups can book collection highlights tours. Educational groups can book self-led visits or taught workshops. There is no public telephone in the museum. |
