Victoria Art Gallery
Victoria Art Gallery
4
About
The Victoria Art Gallery is the public art museum in Bath. It is run by Bath & North East Somerset Council and houses its collection of paintings, sculpture and decorative arts.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingTours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience Victoria Art Gallery and nearby attractions
The area
Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
589 within 3 miles
Attractions
222 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- Rodney G5 contributionsBath visit get cleaned outWe travelled to see this Gallery. We were bullied into forking out entry but there was only one (children's)) part open. Are not museums free entry. Or at least by voluntary donation. Everything in Bath seems a rip off. Rgil1256Hi there, we're sorry that you didn't enjoy your recent visit to Victoria Art Gallery. Our permanent collection in the Upper Gallery remains free to enter, but is currently undergoing conservation work until later this year. Our temporary exhibitions change every few months, and we're sorry that our exhibition didn't appeal this time. Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your experience.Written 16 May 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited February 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 9 February 2024
- Wander6612512519710 contributionsThe Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists at Victoria Art Gallery"The Wonderful World of the Ladybird Book Artists" is a brilliant exhibition of the art and artists that made the Ladybird books. All the books that I remember from our youth are there, together with works from the artists, both for the books and their own backgrounds. You can even sit on beanbags, with a lava lamp (glug-glug lamp) on the shelf and read the books to bring back the memories!Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We're so glad you had a great visit and our Ladybird exhibition brought back memories. We hope to see you again soon for our new exhibition 'Toulouse-Lautrec and the Masters of Montmartre'!Written 16 May 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited February 2024Travelled with familyWritten 26 February 2024
- Martin J3 contributionsLovely galleryBrilliant gallery tucked away in Bath city centre. Worth spending 45-60 minutes here. We went on a Saturday which was fine. Nice setting next to the river and famous bridge.Thanks so much for your review, really glad you enjoyed your visit. We hope to see you again soon!Written 16 May 2024This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.Visited April 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 23 April 2024
- permia65,930 contributionsHigh point of posterismAn abundant collection of famous posters brought together in one space was a great opportunity to see what previously was dispersed throughout many galleries. Toulouse-Lautrec is probably the best known of those featured but accomplished works by many others are here. For example a humorous poster by Henri Gerbault is advertising hot chocolate of the brand Capentier. It is so delicious that a cat is about to indulge, a dog has front paws on the table trying to get to it and an infant in arms is ignoring milk and reaching out towards the mug of sweetness.Visited May 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 28 June 2024
- Dave PulsNottingham, United Kingdom2,189 contributionsAmazing Montmartre postersThis summer there is a small exhibition at the gallery, just one large room, however the collection of posters from Toulouse-Lautrec and his contemporaries is exceptional. Beautiful colours and drawing, and a chance to brush up on your French! Knowledgeable staff and reasonal entrance fee.Visited August 2024Travelled with familyWritten 8 August 2024
- Robert WBath, United Kingdom6 contributionsCan't remember EXACTLY when I went, but it was over 2yrs agoAn excellently laid out place with beautiful art to look at - on the ocassion(s) that I did go - but I wish it was much bigger with more to look at. Though being a 'Bath Resident' it might be 'free' or very cheap to enter (it used to be anyway). It DOES (or used to have) a wheelchair accessible entrance, though as for whether or not there is a ground floor toilet I could not say. NOT so big, that I would pay more than £5 for a look (if I was a tourist or non resident).Visited September 2023Travelled soloWritten 11 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.0
481 reviews
Excellent
203
Very good
195
Average
62
Poor
15
Terrible
6
Forked
Lymington36 contributions
Sept 2021
Couldn't even get in. The gallery requires pre-booked tickets only, with no over-the counter ticket sales, even if that means slots go unused.
We asked at the door if we could enter, but their only suggestion was to try and book tickets on a smart phone before coming in. Not much good if you don't have a smart phone.
The reason suggested is for covid safety, but that wouldn't stop them from taking your details manually as an alternative and booking you in at reception. The system as it is discriminates against those who can't (or won't) use social media to book. This is particularly unfair for those with limited means, cognitive or trust issues etc (or even different languages) who may struggle with such things.
The lady was nice and polite, but hamstrung by the system.
We asked at the door if we could enter, but their only suggestion was to try and book tickets on a smart phone before coming in. Not much good if you don't have a smart phone.
The reason suggested is for covid safety, but that wouldn't stop them from taking your details manually as an alternative and booking you in at reception. The system as it is discriminates against those who can't (or won't) use social media to book. This is particularly unfair for those with limited means, cognitive or trust issues etc (or even different languages) who may struggle with such things.
The lady was nice and polite, but hamstrung by the system.
Written 12 September 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello there. While we are looking forward to life returning to normal, we are also aware of the continuing need to do everything we can to keep visitors and staff safe. For this reason, we have decided to maintain social distancing and implement online booking in advance.
If a visitor does not have access to the internet they can call our bookings team who will be happy to book them into a time slot. We do appreciate your feedback on this and we will be looking into how we admit visitors over the next few months. Thank you.
Written 13 September 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
CalBristol
Weston super Mare, UK2,150 contributions
Mar 2020
On my way to the Theatre Royal, I called in to the Victoria Art gallery to visit this exhibition and what a revealation it was! Apart from the size of the posters and the vibrant colours used, the exhibition also features work by Alphonse Mucha and several other of Lautrec's contemporaries. There is information on the artists, the performers they featured in their works and the venues where the performances took place. Another fascinating item was the way the posters were produced and there was a short video showing this. On the day that I visited, there were students from the local art college who had even more information about certain of the posters; they had also learnt a short piece of poetry relevant to the art work! They were informative and a delight to talk to!
Allow yourself a good hour or so to view the art works; I was short of time and didn't get to visit the permanent collection but I shall do so on another visit to the city.
Allow yourself a good hour or so to view the art works; I was short of time and didn't get to visit the permanent collection but I shall do so on another visit to the city.
Written 15 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Davanden
Alexandria, Virginia, USA370 contributions
Sept 2019
The Victoria Art Gallery is not very large. It consists of two long rooms filled with painings. The arrangement is similar to the prints of exhibitions or stately homes from the 18th Century. Artworks are hung close together all along the walls and up to the ceiling. There was a lot to take in.
Written 19 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NM
2 contributions
Sept 2022 • Friends
Really quite a poor selection. The day we went the upstairs gallery was closed which was the main reason for the visit looking at the pictures online. The downstairs gallery you have to pay for and i’m not quite sure what value you get for your money
Written 22 September 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris Jones
liverpool3 contributions
Mar 2022
A fabulous free exhibition on first floor, with some really wonderful oils from 1600’s. I am not a great art critic, but the opportunity to closely examine the paintings, being able to compare and contrast methods of application, was great. A very helpful and engaging guide giving great background information on the paintings was a great bonus. It follows art through the years ending with modern art … I still have no appreciation for it! A great worthwhile venue to visit.
Written 4 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mattia Manzetti
Samarate, Italy14 contributions
Jul 2022 • Friends
I visited the museum with a friend on a Sunday morning. the staff was kind and friendly and I could start the visit as soon as I booked the ticket (I didn't even need to pre-order it)
since I'm under 18 I could visit the whole art gallery for free. I had to pay only for the temporary exhibition (just £2.50).
the museum is not really big but there are lots of paintings, ceramics and artifacts in it.
in conclusion, it has been a nice experience and I would definitely do it again.
since I'm under 18 I could visit the whole art gallery for free. I had to pay only for the temporary exhibition (just £2.50).
the museum is not really big but there are lots of paintings, ceramics and artifacts in it.
in conclusion, it has been a nice experience and I would definitely do it again.
Written 24 July 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grasica I
1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
Went last year and there was a woman there named Alice who was so so nice. She told us all her about her favourite pieces, all these interesting facts about them, and showed us some hidden gems tucked in the drawers we hadn't seen on our first visit. She was happy to stand for ages talking to us about the gallery, you could tell she just genuinely loved what she did and that positivity rubbed off on you. Alice made the whole visit 10 times better!
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael B
Bellflower, CA24,435 contributions
Nov 2021
Walking down Bridge Street towards Pulteney bridge we passed the Victoria Art Gallery, and in a niche in the façade above the entrance is a lovely white marble statue of Queen Victoria, flanked with Ionic columns and pilasters, carved by Anglo-Italian sculptor, Andrea Carlo Lucchesi.
It was a gift to the City of Bath from the local Women’s organizations to commemorate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.
The building is built out of limestone and was designed in 1897 by John McKean Brydon, as a public library, it was converted in 1990 to house over 1500 objects of art including a collection of oil paintings from British artists dating from 1700 onwards. Unfortunately, the Art gallery was closed, but we will be sure to check it out next time we are in town.
TIP: If the gallery is open it is worth a look as it has over 1500 objects of art including a collection of oil paintings from British artists dating from 1700 onwards.
Thanks for reading my review, would appreciate a thumbs up if you’ve found this helpful.
It was a gift to the City of Bath from the local Women’s organizations to commemorate Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee.
The building is built out of limestone and was designed in 1897 by John McKean Brydon, as a public library, it was converted in 1990 to house over 1500 objects of art including a collection of oil paintings from British artists dating from 1700 onwards. Unfortunately, the Art gallery was closed, but we will be sure to check it out next time we are in town.
TIP: If the gallery is open it is worth a look as it has over 1500 objects of art including a collection of oil paintings from British artists dating from 1700 onwards.
Thanks for reading my review, would appreciate a thumbs up if you’ve found this helpful.
Written 5 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John S
Bristol, UK370 contributions
Mar 2023
A fiend told us about this gem, which we had not heard about before. To visit the gallery on the first floor is free of charge. How brilliant! The gallery contains some superb paintings by renowned artists and we spent a happy hour touring the gallery.
Written 19 March 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi John, thank you so much for leaving us a review. We're delighted to read how much you enjoyed the first floor gallery and we hope to welcome you back again soon.
Written 23 March 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Clement Oke
5 contributions
Mar 2022 • Family
The information about the choice of exhibits is really helpful and adds to the experience and enjoyment of the art on display. Especially love the trays of sketches and drawings of the local area. A nice oasis if you’re looking to escape the bustle of tourists around the Abbey.
Written 20 March 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hello, thank you so much for leaving us a review. We are very pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the trays and sketches of the local area and hope to welcome you again soon.
Written 28 March 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Hi, how long would it take to go through this gallery at a moderate pace?Thanks
Written 1 April 2018
Hello. If you are visiting our temporary exhibition and our permanent collection in the Upper Gallery we would recommend allowing at least an hour to see everything. We hope you enjoy your visit!
Written 10 April 2018
Showing results 1-1 of 1
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing