Bath has more museums in just one square mile than most larger cities can boast altogether, offering a wealth of remarkable stories. Many offer the chance to learn about Bath's unique history from home. Here's our roundup of Bath museums that you can discover online...

The Great Bath by torchlight at The Roman Baths

1. Roman Baths

The Roman Baths is the site of extensive ancient ruins and an interactive museum filled with many treasures and visual snippets that transport you back to Roman times. If you aren't able to walk the Roman Baths’ ancient pavements in person, you can go on a virtual walkthrough of the famous bathing complex and its museum.

Pink dress on display at Fashion Museum Bath

2. Fashion Museum Bath

Fashion fans can browse Fashion Museum Bath's full Dress of the Year collection, from the 1960s to present day. Outfits designed by the likes of Mary Quant, Ossie Clark, Christian Dior, Karl Lagerfeld and Giambattista Valli all feature in this iconic collection. You can also test your fashion knowledge with their online quiz.

Front facade of No.1 Royal Crescent

3. No.1 Royal Crescent

Built between 1767 and 1774, the Royal Crescent is considered one of the finest achievements of eighteenth-century urban architecture. The first house to be built on the Crescent was No.1, which is now home to a museum which offers the chance to look beyond the Crescent's famous Palladian façade and see what life was like in eighteenth-century Bath. You can take a digital tour of the museum, as well as discovering some of the museum’s past exhibitions, on their website.  

Herschel Museum

4. Herschel Museum of Astronomy

The city of Bath was home to two pioneering eighteenth-century astronomers, William and Caroline Herschel, and their former home is now the Herschel Museum of Astronomy. You can learn more about the museum’s astronomical artefacts on their website.

Bath Postal Museum CREDIT Chris Lacey

5. Bath Postal Museum

Bath played a key role in the development of the modern postal system, and the first stamp to ever be mailed, the Penny Black, was sent from Bath Post Office. You can discover Bath Postal Museum's extensive digital collection online, which includes many valuable and rare artefacts that provide the museum with information for their exhibitions.

The Museum of East Asian Art

6. The Museum of East Asian Art

The Museum of East Asian Art is the only UK museum solely dedicated to the arts and cultures of East and South East Asia. The collection of 2,000 objects represents more than 7,000 years of the finest artistry and craftsmanship from China, Japan, Korea and South East Asia. You can discover the full collection from the comfort of your own home, on their online database.

A bun from Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House

7. Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House

According to legend, Sally Lunn, a Huguenot refugee, arrived in Bath in 1680 and started work with a baker in Lilliput Alley (now North Parade Passage). Sally introduced the baker to her light, airy, brioche-style bun, which soon became popular at public breakfasts and afternoon teas. The Sally Lunn bun is now sold at Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House in the same North Parade Passage building Sally Lunn baked in. You can find out more about Sally Lunn’s life on the Sally Lunn’s website.

You can also get a taste of the famous buns yourself by ordering online via their website and having them delivered direct to your door.

Dyrham Park exterior

8. Dyrham Park

National Trust property Dyrham Park is a seventeenth-century Baroque mansion nestled in an ancient deer park. The mansion was built for King William III’s Secretary of State, William Blathwayt, who filled his home with furniture, china and pictures with a strong Dutch influence. You can explore Dyrham Park's full collection of over 8,000 items online.

Book covers dating back to the 1700s

9. Bath Record Office

Marvel at some of the city’s history on Bath Record Office's fascinating online exhibition. Find full-size images of documents, as well of transcripts, including a letter from the Bath Blitz, transcripts of the Langton family papers, and Theatre Royal playbills from 1781 to 1782.

Part of the Bath in Time collection

10. Bath in Time

Discover a collection of over 40,000 high-quality historical images of Bath on the Bath in Time website. Based on the Bath Local Studies collection, the archive includes contributions from the Bath Preservation Trust and several private collections. Amongst the collection, you’ll find images of Jane Austen’s Bath, the Bath Blitz, and the Suffragettes.

Display at Chippenham Museum

11. Chippenham Museum

Housed in an eighteenth-century townhouse, Chippenham Museum tells the fascinating story of the historic market town from its prehistoric origins to the present day, and you can discover the museum's most recent exhibition online. From its beginnings as a family cinema to its time playing host to the biggest names in '80s music, this online exhibition celebrates the legacy of Goldiggers, an award-winning nightclub that once stood in Timber Street, Chippenham.

More Virtual Bath.

Related

The Roman Baths
Historic Site
The Great Bath at The Roman Baths, Bath

Famed for its hot springs, Bath houses the best preserved Roman Spa from the ancient world. Delve into the history of this magical monument and admire its architecture and engineering.

Fashion Museum
Museum
Exhibits at Fashion Museum Bath

The Fashion Museum Bath left the Assembly Rooms on 30 October 2022. A new home for the museum is being created in the Old Post Office on New Bond Street, in the centre of Bath.

No.1 Royal Crescent
Historic Site
Front No 1 Royal Crescent

Step back 250 years to explore a fascinating Georgian townhouse.

Herschel Museum of Astronomy
Museum
The Music Room at The Herschel Museum of Astronomy, Bath

Explore the life of William Herschel, the astronomer who discovered Uranus in 1781.

Museum of East Asian Art
Museum
Museum of East Asian Art

The only UK museum solely dedicated to the arts and cultures of East and South East Asia.

Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House
Tea Room/Coffee Shop
Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House & Museum

Bath's oldest house, serving the famous Sally Lunn Bunn and an evening a la carte menu. You can also order your own Sally Lunn Bunn for nationwide delivery.

Chippenham
Market Town
Market Place, Chippenham

A lively Wiltshire market town, 14 miles east of Bath.

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