The Holburne Museum in Bath is one of the UK’s best-loved independent museums. Changing Lives Through Art is our vision based on our knowledge of the positive impact of art on people's well being.

The Holburne opened its doors to the public in 1893 and is one of the UK’s best-loved small museums. Our collection was shaped by the enthusiasms and tastes of Sir William Holburne. It is he who we have to thank for the collection’s strengths: Renaissance bronzes, mailoica, Dutch landscapes, silver and porcelain.

His collection has given the Museum its character, its human scale, its sense of profusion and delight in the small and exquisite. Our other great strength is British 18th-century portraits including works by Gainsborough, Stubbs and Zoffany.

We aim to encourage as many people as possible to experience the pleasures art brings. Tens of thousands of people a year enjoy our collection, exhibitions, education workshops and events.

With no regular government funding, everything we do is made possible by the generosity of our volunteers and donors.