Why go

The Holburne Museum closes the long view down Great Pulteney Street, Bath’s grandest Georgian avenue, with Sydney Gardens behind it. The building was originally built as a hotel for the pleasure gardens and is now home to the city’s leading art museum, based on the collection of Sir William Holburne. A modern glass extension at the back opens onto the gardens. Inside you will find paintings, silver, porcelain, miniatures and furniture, alongside a changing programme of temporary exhibitions that draws visitors from well beyond Bath. It is compact enough to see properly in an hour or two.

What to see

  • The permanent collection. Old master and Georgian paintings, including portraits by artists who worked in Bath, with decorative arts displayed around them.
  • Temporary exhibitions. A changing programme of shows; in November 2026 the museum was showing ceramics by Richard Slee.
  • The building. A Georgian building at the head of Great Pulteney Street, with a contemporary extension overlooking Sydney Gardens.
  • The garden café. Serves drinks, pastries and cakes all day, with lunch from 12pm to 3pm. It is free to enter and dog friendly.
  • The digital guide. A free guide to the collection is available for your phone.

Plan your visit

The Holburne is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sundays and bank holidays from 11am to 5pm, with last admission at 4.30pm. Its closures page listed no planned closures when we checked.

A general admission ticket costs £16.50 and covers all collections and exhibitions for the whole day; tickets are not timed. Art Fund members, 19 to 25 year olds and NUS card holders pay £8, and visitors on Universal Credit pay £2 with proof. Under-18s, students and staff of the University of Bath and Bath Spa University, and adults accompanying a disabled visitor go free. On Wednesdays after 3pm, entry to the collection displays is free for everyone, and temporary exhibitions are £8. Tickets are non-refundable but can be moved to another date. Since 1 July 2026 the museum has been cashless.

Getting there

It is a 15-minute walk (0.8 miles) from Bath Spa station: cross Pulteney Bridge and walk the length of Great Pulteney Street. There is a small pay and display car park beside the museum, paid through MiPermit (location 701060). Charges run from 8am to 6pm, starting at £4.50 for up to two hours, and the gates are locked at 6pm. Blue Badge holders park free. The museum warns that bus routes may be diverted by roadworks in the city centre.

Accessibility

The museum publishes access information on its website, and adults accompanying a disabled visitor go free.

Good to combine with

The Holburne pairs well with a walk across Pulteney Bridge and along Great Pulteney Street, which the Mayor of Bath’s Honorary Guides cover on their free Pulteney Estate walks on Tuesdays and Thursdays from April to October. In winter, come on a Wednesday afternoon, see the collection free after 3pm, and finish at the café before it gets dark.

Nearby

Sydney Gardens, Bath’s Georgian pleasure gardens, are directly behind the museum, with the Kennet and Avon Canal running through them. Jane Austen lived nearby on Sydney Place. Pulteney Bridge is ten minutes’ walk back along Great Pulteney Street.