Holburne Museum
Museums & Galleries
The Holburne Museum on Great Pulteney Street, Bath: a Grade I listed art museum founded in 1882, with a dog-friendly cafe, lift access and its own car park.
Bath’s first art museum
The Holburne Museum calls itself Bath’s first art museum. It was founded in 1882 and began with the collection of Sir William Holburne, mainly 16th and 17th century Italian and Dutch paintings, with silver, sculpture, furniture, porcelain and other decorative objects. The collection has since grown to include 18th century British paintings by artists such as Gainsborough, Lawrence, Ramsay, Stubbs and Zoffany.
The museum is in a Grade I listed building on Great Pulteney Street, Bath, the street that runs on from Pulteney Bridge. It describes its setting as the UK’s only surviving Georgian pleasure gardens. Changing exhibitions run alongside the permanent collection, so check the museum’s website to see what is on.
Cafe and dogs
The Holburne cafe serves drinks, pastries and cakes through the day, with lunch served in the middle of the day. The museum describes it as dog friendly. Elsewhere, assistance dogs may go throughout the museum, and other dogs are limited to the ground floor and the cafe.
Getting there and parking
Bath Spa station is about 15 minutes on foot, roughly 0.8 miles, and the walk runs down Great Pulteney Street. The museum has a small pay and display car park next to the building, with a few free bays for Blue Badge holders. The gates lock at 6pm, and payment is by phone. Bus routes may be diverted for city centre roadworks, so check the First Bus journey planner on the day.
Access
The museum has a lift to all floors and a level ground floor, and the front entrance has level access with automatic doors. A wheelchair can be pre-booked by telephoning 01225 388569, and front of house staff can help if your mobility is impaired. Both toilets have baby-changing facilities.
Planning the visit
Tickets are bought through the museum’s online ticketing page. Opening days and the last admission time are on the Holburne website, so check them before you travel. For another house-sized museum in the city, see No. 1 Royal Crescent, which is a Georgian home rather than an art gallery.
Where to stay near Holburne Museum
Sample dates: 16 October 2026 - 18 October 2026. Adjust below to see live prices for Somerset.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
- Can I take a dog to the Holburne Museum?
- Assistance dogs can go throughout the museum. Other dogs are only permitted on the ground floor and in the cafe.
- Is the Holburne Museum wheelchair accessible?
- The museum has a lift to all floors, level access at the front entrance with automatic doors, and a level ground floor. A wheelchair can be pre-booked on 01225 388569.
- Is there parking at the Holburne Museum?
- There is a small pay and display car park next to the museum, with a few free bays for Blue Badge holders. It is locked at 6pm. Check the museum's visit page for current charges.
- How do I walk to the Holburne Museum from Bath Spa station?
- The museum says it is about 15 minutes on foot, roughly 0.8 miles, down Great Pulteney Street.