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Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution

16 - 18 Queen Square, Bath, BA1 2HN

Type:Exhibition Centre

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Tel+44 (0) 1225 312084

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution BRLSI

About

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution (BRLSI), founded in 1824, is a place where science, literature and the arts come together to fire up imaginations and showcase amazing collections of treasures from around the world.

BRLSI is an independent charity that exists to promote a world of culture to Bath and its surrounding areas, and through the power of digital technology, the wider world. It is a non-profit organisation and provides world-class lectures for as little as £4.00 a ticket.

Not only that, BRLSI provides a community hub to a host of smaller cultural societies who use its building to meet, delivers an amazing programme of family activities, and maintains a rich geographical and ethnological collection of world renown and importance.

For further news of BRLSI's events and activities, sign up to the venue's 'Weekly What's On' newsletter at https://www.brlsi.org/whats-on-events/weeklynewsletter/. 

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Facilities

Establishment Features

  • Event Venue

Key Features

  • In town/city centre
  • No Smoking Attraction

Parking & Transport

  • Parking (charge) - Charlotte Street Pay and Display Car Park Nearby.

Show Facilities

Opening Times

Opening (1 Jan 2026 - 31 Dec 2026)
DayTimes
Monday - Saturday10:00 - 16:00*
SundayClosed*
Dates and times marked with a '*' are provisional and may be subject to change

Visit the website for more information

Events

Saturday, 28th March 2026 - Saturday, 26th September 2026

poster with photographsWorlds Apart: Rare Early Photographs of China & Bath at BRLSIExplore the rare & wonderful collection of 19th century photographs in this free BRLSI exhibition.
more info

Tuesday, 5th May 2026 - Tuesday, 5th May 2026

mixed architectural featuresJohn Gray- Living in a Hobbesian world at BRLSIIn a highlight of BRLSIs the Renaissance: Journeys of Discovery programme, Professor John Gray, asks, 'How far is Hobbes's picture of human conflict still valid, and is the remedy he proposed viable today?'
more info

Wednesday, 6th May 2026 - Wednesday, 6th May 2026

map of LibyaBook Discussion: The Return by Hisham Matar at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionA memoir of twentieth century Libya & a son's relationship with his disappeared father.
more info

Monday, 11th May 2026 - Monday, 11th May 2026

stained glass windowFrom Caxton to Copyright: Printing in Renaissance England at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionThis talk will explore Caxton's significance as a printer, publisher and entrepreneur; the growth of the book trade in London and beyond up to the early 18th century; trade regulation and censorship; and the emergence of what we now know as copyright as codified by statute in 1710.
more info

Tuesday, 12th May 2026 - Tuesday, 12th May 2026

4 drawings of Prichard, building and peopleJames Cowles Prichard: early Victorian Ideas on Psychiatry & Anthropology at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionThe Bristol-based physician-scholar who championed humane psychiatry & the single origin of the human race.
more info

Thursday, 14th May 2026 - Thursday, 14th May 2026

Sepia Darwin and writingDarwin & The Ascent of Women at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionThis talk will reflect on these questions and will highlight how, both literally and metaphorically, Darwin contributed to the ascent of women as scientists, as explorers and as citizens.
more info

Friday, 15th May 2026 - Friday, 15th May 2026

various musical groupsBRLSI Party in the City 2026 at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionBRLSI takes part in this year's Bath Festival opening weekend – free, fun & fabulous music for everyone.
more info

Tuesday, 19th May 2026 - Tuesday, 19th May 2026

Tree-trunk with carved writingWe are Nature, not Machines: Practical Philosophies for possible futures at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionDo we really have to go faster & do more to generate innovation?
more info

Thursday, 28th May 2026 - Thursday, 28th May 2026

historical world mapFrom Trade Routes to Industry: the Renaissance Journey of Ideas at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionHow did Renaissance ideas have their roots beyond Europe? Discover more about this great journey of ideas!
more info

Friday, 29th May 2026 - Friday, 29th May 2026

badly drawn birdWays of Drawing: Learning From Contemporary Artists at BRLSIThis talk challenges the common assumption that drawing is about accurate representation.
more info

Friday, 5th June 2026 - Friday, 5th June 2026

Assembly Rooms with rainbow flagOliver Messel at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionOliver Messel, artist, architect, theatre & interior designer, brought his distinctive style to Bath in the 1960s when he designed the new interiors for Bath Assembly Rooms after the building was severely damaged during the Blitz.
more info

Wednesday, 10th June 2026 - Wednesday, 10th June 2026

Lex Croucher and book cover.The Unmagical Life of Briar Jones with Lex CroucherFrom instant New York Times bestseller, Nero Award-shortlisted, TikTok Book of the Year-shortlisted, Lex Croucher comes your new dark academia obsession…
more info

Monday, 15th June 2026 - Monday, 15th June 2026

Katherine Arden and book.The Unicorn Hunters with Katherine Arden at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionFrom the bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale and The Warm Hands of Ghosts comes a sweeping new historical epic, The Unicorn Hunters.
more info

Tuesday, 16th June 2026 - Tuesday, 16th June 2026

Classic painting of God reaching out to manThe Relevance of the Renaissance today at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionWhat are the lessons & opportunities given to us by the Renaissance?
more info

Wednesday, 17th June 2026 - Wednesday, 17th June 2026

silhouette of woman by seaBook Club: The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles at Bath Royal Literary and Scientific InstitutionSet in 1867 England but written with twentieth-century foresight, John Fowles' The French Lieutenant's Woman (1969) is a postmodern masterpiece that reinvents and deconstructs the Victorian novel.
more info

Map & Directions

Map Link

Click here to view map

Road Directions

Find out about the latest on the roads and get travel directions from TravelWest.info   Bath is operating a charging Clean Air Zone. Owners of all higher emission vehicles – except private cars and motorbikes – will need to pay to drive in the city centre. To check if you need to pay or to apply for an exemption or discount, go to bathnes.gov.uk/BathCAZ  

Public Transport Directions

For comprehensive information about getting here by public transport, please visit TravelWest.info   Bath is operating a charging Clean Air Zone. Owners of all higher emission vehicles – except private cars and motorbikes – will need to pay to drive in the city centre. To check if you need to pay or to apply for an exemption or discount, go to bathnes.gov.uk/BathCAZ 

TripAdvisor

What's Nearby

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Map and Directions

Click here to view map

Road Directions

Find out about the latest on the roads and get travel directions from TravelWest.info   Bath is operating a charging Clean Air Zone. Owners of all higher emission vehicles – except private cars and motorbikes – will need to pay to drive in the city centre. To check if you need to pay or to apply for an exemption or discount, go to bathnes.gov.uk/BathCAZ  

Public Transport Directions

For comprehensive information about getting here by public transport, please visit TravelWest.info   Bath is operating a charging Clean Air Zone. Owners of all higher emission vehicles – except private cars and motorbikes – will need to pay to drive in the city centre. To check if you need to pay or to apply for an exemption or discount, go to bathnes.gov.uk/BathCAZ 

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