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Visit the house where the Planet Uranus was discovered from in 1781. The Herschel Museum of Astronomy is dedicated to the achievements of the Herschels’: distinguished astronomers and talented musicians.
Opening Times
Open 1st February to 31st December 2024 (Tuesday to Sunday)
10am to 5pm, last entry 4pm.
Closed between 1pm to 2pm on Weekends. Closed on 25 & 26 December
Upcoming partial closures due to school trips and private visits:
- November 13th: Open from 1pm to 5pm, closed in the morning for school workshop
- November 19th: Open from 11:30am to 5pm. Closed from 10am till 11:30am for education workshop.
- November 21st: Open from 10am to 4pm, closed from 4pm for private group.
- November 22nd: Open from 10am to 2pm, closed from 2pm for education workshop.
If you would like to enquire about a private visit or school trip please email herschel@bptrust.org.uk.
ADMISSION PRICES on ‘Visiting the Museum’ link below
What’s new?
New collection item: the James Short Telescope
We are delighted to reveal the display of a new object: a Gregorian Reflector telescope created by James Short, the pre-eminent telescope maker of the 18th century. The telescope, which is on long-term loan from Richard N. Blythe of Shropshire, was created between 1738-1768, and is an excellent example of its kind.
Bloomsberg Connects App
We are thrilled to launch a new guide on Bloomberg Connects, the free arts and cultural app created by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Along with our sister museum No.1 Royal Crescent, we are currently one of the only museums in Bath to offer guides on the app. The Bloomberg Connects app, available for download from Google Play or the App Store, makes our museum accessible for onsite visits through photo, audio and video features. We also have devices that visitors can borrow to access these new guides.
The guide also includes sections just for children so that they can engage with the museums independently.
Whether you are in the museum or sitting at home, you can explore the collections and engage with our stories.
Caroline Herschel’s memoirs
We are thrilled to have on display the handwritten draft of Caroline Herschel’s memoirs. We are hugely grateful to our various public and private funders, including the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF), ACE/V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the Friends of National Libraries, facilitated via Christie’s Private Sales.
Herschel 200
In 2022 we commemorated 200 years since the death of William Herschel with a programme of special exhibitions and events.
Caroline’s Almanac: Seasonal Guides to the Night Sky
Ever wondered when the best times of year are to see ice clouds, meteor showers, constellations, planets and deep space objects in the night sky? With the help of Bath Astronomers, we’ve created four seasonal guides to show you the most exciting things to look for at different times of the year:
- Spring Skies – March to May
- Summer Skies – June to August
- Autumn Skies – September to November
- Winter Skies – December to February
Walking Maps
As part of our Herschel 200 project in 2022, we collaborated on two new Herschel-themed walking maps. Our first new walking map, of Bath, allows you to follow the Herschels’ footsteps around the city, taking in the sites of where the musical and astronomical family of Herschels lived and performed in Bath.
We also worked with the Herschel Society to launch a second downloadable map, for anyone looking to visit UK locations connected to William Herschel. William spent part of his life in Bath, but not all; take a look at this map to see some of the other places that William travelled, worked and lived.
3D Telescope
Bath Spa University Creative Computing Students created a phenomenal interactive 3D model of William Herschel’s telescope! Take a look and click around here.
