Fashion Museum

The Fashion Museum sits inside Bath's stunning Assembly Rooms, housing over 100,000 pieces of historic clothing from the 1600s to today. You'll see everything from elaborate Georgian court gowns to contemporary designer pieces, including that famous silver tissue dress from the 1660s and annual Dress of the Year selections dating back to 1963. The collection spans four centuries of fashion evolution, from corsets and crinolines to Vivienne Westwood punk designs.

You'll walk through the grand Assembly Rooms first (they're worth seeing on their own), then descend to the basement museum spaces. The chronological layout works well, starting with Tudor ruffs and progressing through each era. The lighting is excellent, letting you see intricate beadwork and fabric details up close. The Dress of the Year display changes annually and always features something unexpected, from space age 1960s pieces to recent red carpet gowns.

Most fashion museums feel sterile, but this one gets the balance right between preservation and accessibility. Adult tickets cost £10.25, which feels steep for what's essentially a basement exhibition, but the quality justifies it. Skip the audio guide (£3 extra) and just read the excellent wall text instead. The gift shop is overpriced tourist tat, so save your money for the Roman Baths next door.