No, the Fashion Museum in Bath is currently closed and has been since 30 October 2022. It's being rebuilt in a new home, the Old Post Office on New Bond Street, and is currently expected to reopen in 2030. If you're visiting Bath now, there's no substitute site currently open to the public, so it's worth removing from your itinerary until it reopens.
What happened to the Fashion Museum
The Fashion Museum spent nearly 60 years inside the Assembly Rooms, the grand Georgian building it shared with Bath's function rooms, but that arrangement ended in 2022. Bath and North East Somerset Council, which owns the collection, announced in September 2022 that the museum would move out of the Assembly Rooms and relocate to the Old Post Office on New Bond Street, in the centre of Bath. The Fashion Museum closed its doors on 30 October 2022 to make the move happen.
The collection itself, one of the largest and most significant costume collections in the world, didn't just go into storage waiting for a new building. A dedicated Fashion Collection Archive was created in Locksbrook, to the west of the city centre, to house and care for the pieces during the transition.
When will it reopen?
As of the most recent updates, the council and the project team are targeting a 2030 reopening for the new museum in the Old Post Office building. Planning applications for the redevelopment were submitted in early 2026, and the museum's own team has continued to post project updates through 2026, including news in May and July about the Milsom Quarter site (the area around New Bond Street and Old Bond Street where the new building sits) and a partnership with Bath Spa University to build a new digital fashion platform. There's no earlier opening date confirmed, so treat 2030 as the current best estimate rather than a guarantee.
Can you see any of the collection now?
There's no permanent public display of the Fashion Museum's collection while the new building is under development. The Fashion Museum team runs occasional events, talks and online content, including a digital catalogue project, so it's worth checking their official site if you want to engage with the collection before the physical museum reopens. For dress history and Georgian-era exhibits you can visit in Bath right now, No.1 Royal Crescent gives a strong sense of how Bath's Georgian residents actually lived and dressed, and it's a reasonable substitute if the Fashion Museum was on your list.
What to see instead
| If you wanted... | Try instead |
|---|---|
| Georgian-era social history | No.1 Royal Crescent |
| A small, story-led museum | Herschel Museum of Astronomy |
| A broader look at Bath's museums | Best museums in Bath beyond the Roman Baths |
| Art and design | Holburne Museum |
See our full things to do in Bath guide for how to fill the gap in your itinerary, and our where to stay guide if you're planning a return trip once the Fashion Museum reopens.
FAQs
Is the Fashion Museum in Bath open?
No. It closed on 30 October 2022 and is currently expected to reopen in the Old Post Office building on New Bond Street in 2030.
Where was the Fashion Museum before it closed?
It was inside the Assembly Rooms, where it had been based since 1963.
Where is the Fashion Museum's collection now?
The collection is held in a dedicated Fashion Collection Archive in Locksbrook, west of the city centre, while the new museum building is developed.
When will the Fashion Museum reopen?
The current target is 2030, in a new building at the Old Post Office on New Bond Street. Planning applications were submitted in early 2026, and there's no confirmed earlier date.
Can I see any of the Fashion Museum's collection before it reopens?
Not as a permanent display. The museum team occasionally runs talks, events and online projects, so check their official site for current activity.
What can I visit in Bath instead of the Fashion Museum?
No.1 Royal Crescent covers Georgian domestic life in detail, and the Herschel Museum of Astronomy or the wider museums roundup are both good alternatives for a similar-length visit.