Jane Austen Centre
Exhibition in a Georgian building in Bath on Jane Austen's life, her writing and the Regency city, with costumed guides and a Regency tea room.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Jane Austen Centre occupies part of a Georgian terrace on Gay Street in Bath, a block of listed buildings numbered 31 to 40. The Centre presents the life and work of the novelist Jane Austen and shows how living in the Regency city influenced her writing.
The Centre has become a focus of Austen activity in Bath. In 2001 it began hosting the annual Jane Austen Festival. In 2002 the Centre's director commissioned the forensic artist Melissa Dring to produce a new portrait of the author, which was unveiled in December of that year. In 2011 it commissioned a life-size wax figure of Austen from the sculptor Mark Richards. The figure took three years to make and was unveiled in a purpose-built space at the Centre on 9 July 2014.
Visitors today see an interactive exhibition on Austen's life, her novels and the Regency period, with costumed actors who tell stories and talk to guests, and can try on Regency costume. On the second floor, the Regency Tea Room serves tea, cake and light lunches. The Centre also opened a related attraction in London, the Jane Austen Experience.
Highlights
- Interactive exhibition on Jane Austen's life and works in the Regency period
- Costumed characters who tell stories and talk to visitors
- Life-size wax figure of Jane Austen
- Dressing-up in Regency costume
- Regency Tea Room on the second floor
Permanent exhibition
- Jane Austen Centre exhibition – An interactive exhibition on Jane Austen's life and works and the Regency period, with costumed actors, Regency dressing-up and a life-size wax figure of the author.
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £18 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | £16.30Students and over-60s |
| Children & teens | £9.95Child ticket for ages 6–16 (listed by Visit Bath); the Centre's own ticket page gives no age range. |
| Seniors | £16.30The concession price applies to visitors over 60. |
| Visitors with disabilities | –companion free · A carer can enter free with a full-price ticket; proof of need is required. |
| Students & apprentices | £16.30Student ticket with proof of status. |
| Families | £40.95Family ticket for 2 adults and up to 3 children; 1 adult and up to 3 children costs £30.45. |
| Small family ticket, 1 adult and up to 3 children | £30.45 |
Online prices include booking fees. Bath Discovery Card holders get 15% off and Blue Light Card holders get 10% off, redeemed in the gift shop. Blue Peter badge holders enter free with a paying adult (one child per paying adult). Group bookings and gift vouchers are available. Exhibition and tea room tickets are booked separately.
Accessibility
- Partially wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: not available
- Accessible restroom: not available
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The Centre is in a listed Georgian townhouse with no lift. There is a step to the front door and another to the entrance, and a ramp is provided. The ground-floor exhibition is wheelchair accessible, but the introductory talk room is on the first floor and the tea room on the second floor, both reached by stairs. The toilets are in the basement and are not wheelchair accessible. Private accessible tours of the exhibition are offered for walk-in visitors, depending on actor availability. Seating is available in the exhibition, all videos have English subtitles, a transcript of the talk is available in the gift shop, and a portable hearing loop is available in the talk room. Assistance dogs are welcome. Free companion tickets are bought at the gift shop and cannot be pre-booked.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Family ticket | £40.95 · Family ticket for 2 adults and up to 3 children; 1 adult and up to 3 children costs £30.45. |
- Hands-on stations
- Stroller-friendly: not available
- Baby changing facilities
Children can dress up in Regency costume and meet costumed actors, and the Centre sells family tickets. Pushchairs are difficult on the stairs, so baby carriers are recommended; pushchairs can be left inside the main entrance as space allows.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Bath Spa station
Bath Spa railway station and Bath Bus Station are both less than a 15-minute walk from the Centre. Regular coach services run to Bath from London Victoria, Heathrow and Gatwick airports.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
There is no car park at the Centre. The Charlotte Street car park (BA1 2NE) has 1,056 spaces including 26 disabled spaces, and the Broad Street car park (BA1 5LW) has 48 spaces including 4 disabled spaces and a four-hour maximum stay; both are open 24 hours.
Bath has a charging Clean Air Zone in the city centre, which does not apply to all vehicles.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
- Coat check: not available
The Regency Tea Room on the second floor serves leaf tea, cake and light lunches and can be visited without an exhibition ticket. There is a gift shop and an online shop. Luggage and large items cannot be stored. Baby changing is in the ladies' toilets in the basement. Dogs are not allowed except registered assistance dogs.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | At least one hour is recommended for the exhibition and for the afternoon tea. An introductory talk is given in the first-floor talk room, and a QR code lets visitors follow it in 23 languages on a smartphone. Costumed actors tell stories and talk to visitors in the exhibition. |
