Family Day Out Review: Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein in Bath*

[Ad-gifted] Have you been to Bath before?

We have not, well…not until the recent half-term school holidays when we decided to spent a couple of nights in the historical City of Bath.  Located in South West England, in the county of Somerset, the drive to Bath took us just over two hours, hence the perfect destination for a short holiday adventure with our children.

You could, of course visit Bath in a day but there is just so much to see and do there, so we would recommend staying for a few nights, especially if you are travelling with children so you don’t need to rush around. Our first stop in Bath was Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein.  Set in a Grade II listed building, this museum is dedicated to Mary Shelley who wrote the world’s first science fiction novel, Frankenstein in 1816 while staying in the beautiful city.

House of Frankenstein is an award-winning multi-sensory interactive museum, created to invoke thought, imagination and even an eerie experience.  Keep on reading to find out what we did and what we thought of the museum.

What did We Think of House of Frankenstein?

As our children get older, we find that it is important to find places which interests them and let me tell you that spooky, gory places come tops on their list. Before we start, let me share that the recommended age for visiting this attraction is 12-years-old and above.  You can still bring in younger children, but make sure they are accompanied by an adult when visiting the attraction and use your own discretion to judge how your child feels.

The House of Frankenstein is housed in a four-story Georgian townhouse which is tall, narrow and only accessible by staircase.  Each floor has a concept to it and in each floor, there are also rooms with different themes. You will find plenty of information in writing, photos and 3D.  The rooms are painted in dark colours, with dim lights creating an eerie atmosphere and spooky sound effects.

As soon as we walked into each floor, we could immediately get a scent, sometimes pungent and at other times sweet smelling. Both my children were intrigued by  Mary Shelley’s life, the tragedies which inspired her writing as well as the 8ft Frankenstein animatronic monster (which was breathing).  My 10-year-old son waited till we went into the room before he came in.  I enjoyed seeing Frankenstein’s monster and how it has evolved through the times via the illustrious movie poster.  There is also a Frankenstein themed pin ball machine (which was not working while we were there) and I was also fascinated with the TV room showing vintage Frankenstein advertisements.  I found the advertisements hilarious but I bet it was scary and cutting edge back then when they created it.

Next, we headed to the top floor which had a cinema room where we could sit on old style-wooden chairs to watch a silent movie.  We were told to end our tour in the basement. My son decided he did not want to go in, so I waited with him, while my daughter and husband went it.  I was told, it was dark, spooky and without giving away too much… watch out for the creepy actors. Do also stop off at their gift shop to get some Frankenstein themed memorabilia.

Frankenstein has always been a fascination of mine, I’ve read the book and watched re-runs of the film growing up. Learning more about the enigmatic Mary Shelley and her life was truly intriguing. Did you know that she wrote the book when she was just 19 years old? Mary, her husband Percy and Mary’s step-sister Claire escaped to Bath (due to controversy and to hide Claire’s pregnancy) and in Bath Mary wrote her first draft of Frankenstein. It was said that she had a terrible nightmare after a thunderstorm and this helped inspire her writing.

Also, for those who are unaware, Frankenstein is the name of the scientist as the monster never had a name, “it” was called Frankenstein’s monster.

We would certainly recommend heading to the attraction when you are in Bath as it is such an entertaining place filled with sights, sounds and 3D objects to entrance you.  For those travelling with children, it is worth playing the I-Spy (Live Hunt) Game, you will need your phone which has a good reception in Bath as you would need to scan the QR Code to find the hidden clues around the house.  A great place to spend a few hours indoor especially if it is wet and raining outside.

Victor’s Lair Escape Room

If you love a good mystery and solving cases, then check out Victor’s Lair Escape Room.  You would need to book this in advance and entry into the house is included with each Escape Room Ticket.

How much are the tickets?

Age recommendation 12. A family ticket consisting of 2 adults and 2 children is priced at £53.  You get a 10% discount if you book in advance. Do note that all children (15-years-old and under) must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.

Individual adult tickets can be purchased for £15.50 or you can purchase an ebook for this price and get a free ticket. Tickets are priced at £12.50 for Seniors (above 65) and £12.50 for Children (Under 15).

Under 5s go for Free. Essential Carer enter for Free. Please note this ticket must be booked with at least one full paying ticket.  Supporting documentation will be required.

What are their Opening Hours?

Mon – Fri & Sun 11am to 5pm.  Saturday 10am to 5pm (Last admission at 4pm).

Please allocate around one hour to visit Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein and another hour if you are doing the Escape Room experience.

Where is Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein in Bath?

Situated between Queens Square and The Circus, they are around eight-minute walk from the city centre (Bath Abbey), and approximately 15 minutes walk from Bath Spa train station.  The nearest car park is Charlotte Street, BA1 2NE, which is five minutes walk away. Please note though there is a minimum stay at this car park of 4 hours. Do note that Bath is under the Clean Air Zone Restriction so you may need to pay a daily charge to drive in Bath if your vehicle does not meet emission standards.

37 Gay St
Bath
BA1 2NT
01225 551542

Note: 

• Please be advised – Victor’s Lair Escape Room is a dark disorientating area with some confined spaces and may not be suitable for those who suffer with claustrophobia or have a nervous disposition. Special effects, audio and flashing lighting are used throughout and therefore may not be advisable for those with photosensitive epilepsy.
• Do note that all children 15-years-old and under must be accompanied by an adult aged 18 or over.
• Gay Street is a Grade II listed town house spread over four split-level floors. Movement between the floors is via multiple low-rise stairwells, short-steps and wide landings hence unable to accommodate buggies, prams or wheelchairs.
• The basement walk through experience is designed to be creepy, containing dark environments and audio and visual effects. This element of the experience is not suitable for those with asthma, epilepsy, claustrophobia and heart conditions.
• Only service dogs are allowed on the premise
• This is a cashless attraction

About

In 1816, Mary Shelley wrote the world’s first science fiction novel, Frankenstein, whilst resident in Bath.  Our world-first visitor attraction blurs the lines between museum and immersive visitor experience. The attraction, set in a Grade II listed property, extends over four atmospheric floors including our dank foreboding basement experience. You’ll step into the dark world of Mary Shelley with a floor dedicated to uncovering her history and tragic life events and, confront the formidable 8ft monster recreated exactly as Mary imagined. You can experience all things Frankenstein, and his monster, in our popular culture rooms, investigate our eerie attic quarters and attempt to escape Victor’s Lair in our Escape Room experience

Bursting with unusual artefacts and vintage items, interactive multi-sensory environments and assorted body parts, Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein delivers an unnervingly visceral, illuminating and entertaining experience

Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein contains ominous audio and visual effects, darkened environments and some scenes of a disturbing nature. Parents & guardians should use good judgement whether the house is suitable for younger children

If you have never heard of Frankenstein it is a book by English author Mary Shelley and tells the story of a monster created by a scientist and explores themes of life, death, and man versus nature.

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*We were gifted a family ticket in return for the feature.  All opinions are our own.