Description
The Museum of Bath Architecture is a unique and engaging historic attraction that offers some of the most insightful things to do with kids in Bath. Housed inside the striking, Grade II* listed Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel, this specialized museum shows families how a small medieval walled town was radically transformed into the world-famous Georgian spa city we see today. Through an intriguing collection of models, historic tools, and interactive displays, it pulls back the curtain on the creative genius and intense physical labor that built the city’s iconic sweeping crescents.
Ticket prices are structured to be highly affordable for families looking for a low-cost educational outing, with standard adult tickets priced at just £7.00. Even better for parents trying to keep holiday costs down, entry for all children and young people under the age of 18 is completely free of charge when accompanied by a paying adult. This fantastic value makes it an incredibly accessible local destination for introducing kids to design, engineering, and history without breaking the bank.
If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and kids, this community-focused museum perfectly combines historical learning with creative inspiration. Children can examine miniature city layouts, look at real building fragments from centuries ago, and discover the specific skills used by 18th-century craftsmen. It provides an essential, eye-opening context to local history that will completely change how your family looks at the streets of Bath during the rest of your visit.
Features
- Paid
- Host birthday parties: No
Features
Key Features
- Interactive Exhibits: Hands-on architectural construction toys and design materials allow kids to experiment directly with the engineering principles used to build Georgian homes.
- Sensory Play: Children can physically touch real historical building materials, try on authentic Georgian costumes, and explore a beautifully detailed period dolls' house.
- Educational Day Out: The museum tells a brilliant local history story, charting the architectural evolution of Bath from its medieval roots right through to modern conservation battles.
- Creative Holiday Workshops: During school breaks, the venue hosts regular drop-in family sessions, including popular Lego Architecture™ challenges and stone carving crafts.
Highlights
- The Bath City Model: This breathtaking, fully detailed 1:500 scale miniature layout of the entire city took over 10,000 painstaking hours to build and gives kids a birds-eye view of Bath's layout.
- The 1694 Gilmore Map: An incredible historic map illustrating Bath just before its grand Georgian expansion, featuring detailed borders showing the local inns and lodging houses of the era.
- The Queen Square Balustrade: A surviving physical stone fragment from the original formal central gardens of Queen Square, dating back to 1732 before it was replaced with iron railings.
- John Wood’s Drawing Instruments: The actual historic tools used by Bath’s master architect to sketch out the grand designs for the city's most famous streets and squares.
- The Countess of Huntingdon’s Chapel Interior: The beautiful, spacious historic setting of the museum itself, offering an authentic 18th-century atmosphere with its wide spaces and grand original features.
Beyond the Main Attraction: Just a short walk from the museum's doors, families can explore the bustling independent shops and cafes along Julian Road and The Paragon. The museum also connects easily to the rest of Bath's iconic central landmarks, making it simple to walk over to the nearby Royal Victoria Park for an afternoon on the adventure playground or a family picnic on the lawns.
0.15 miles
