The House of Frankenstein, Bath: For Readers & Horror Enthusiasts

Just about every bookish traveler knows that Bath is an ideal escape for Jane Austen fans, but did you know that it has a remarkable attraction for Mary Shelley fans as well?

It is only in recent years that Bath has started capitalizing on its connection to another famous English writer, Mary Shelley, most famous for having published Frankenstein when she was only 19 years old. She’s also credited as the inventor of the science fiction genre.

Shelley lived here for five months in 1816, during which time she polished and finished the novel Frankenstein. The House of Frankenstein is one of Bath’s most underrated attractions, and it’s dedicated to famous author and her seminal work. And let me tell you, this is a writer’s museum unlike any you’ve ever seen before!

In this post, I’ll tell you all about what makes this literary museum unique and what you can expect from your visit there. I’ll tell you about the special events and activities they put on throughout the year and give you my personal tips for visiting.

I’ll even spill the beans on my humorous but terrifying experience in Frankenstein’s basement (the things I do for you, dear readers). So let’s dive in.

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Disclosure: I visited this museum for free with a Media Pass from Visit Bath. All opinions are my honest thoughts.

Whenever possible, I recommend buying books at local bookshops or through Bookshop.org, because shopping there puts the profits right into the hands of indie bookstores all over the country.

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Mary Shelley in Bath

Bath has long been known for its ties with another female British writer — Jane Austen. There are tons of Jane Austen attractions in Bath and a massively popular Jane Austen festival that takes place each September. Even as an avid literary traveler myself, I didn’t know until planning my visit to Bath that Mary Shelley also lived and wrote in Bath, England.

I knew the story of how Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein came to be — a ghost story competition started by Lord Byron while Mary, Percy, Lord Byron, and some other friends were traveling in Europe. I’ve also visited the Frankenstein Castle in Germany that supposedly inspired Shelley.

But I was fascinated to learn that it was in Bath that Mary Shelley turned her initial short story into the novel that we now know as Frankenstein. In September 1816, Mary and her husband, poet Percy Bysse Shelley, retired to Bath, at least in part to escape the scandal of Percy having impregnated Mary’s stepsister, Claire.

During their time in Bath, Mary and Percy lived near the front of Bath Abbey, in a building that has since been demolished. Mary spent her time attending lectures on experimental science and learning about the potential of electricity to bring inanimate matter to life.

She also spent those five months further developing her story idea for Frankenstein into a novel, with Percy’s encouragement. By the end of their five months’ stay in Bath, the novel was complete.

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Related: While you’re near Bath Abbey, don’t miss out on visiting Topping & Co, one of the many unforgettable indie bookshops in Bath.

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The House of Frankenstein, Bath: What is it?

The House of Frankenstein in Bath opened in 2021 as a way to pay tribute to Bath’s forgotten literary connection with Mary Shelley. As Shelley’s Bath home was destroyed, it’s not a recreation of her actual residence, but a multi-sensory museum dedicated to the writer, her most famous work, and her influence on the horror genre as a whole.

This Mary Shelley Museum is actually the first visitor attraction dedicated to the author and her famous work. It’s a relatively new Bath attraction that is steadily growing in popularity, despite a difficult opening during COVID lockdowns and being frequently overlooked in favor of the nearby Jane Austen Centre.

But for literary travelers or fans of horror, the House of Frankenstein should absolutely be on your Bath itinerary. It’s a creatively imagined museum unlike any other in the world.

If you’re more of a visual person, watch my museum tour and walk-through on Youtube (don’t forget to like and subscribe!)

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Visiting the House of Frankenstein

The House of Frankenstein aims to be much more than your traditional museum — it’s an immersive, multi-sensory experience over multiple floors of this historic Georgian building. Upon entry, you’ll be instructed to follow the skeleton footsteps upstairs to explore multiple floors of exhibits.

First, you’ll learn about Mary Shelley’s life and the writing of Frankenstein. Yes, there are informational plaques on the wall, but it’s enhanced by 3-D exhibits and a horror soundtrack playing throughout your visit. It lives and breathes “gothic,” which makes the experience of learning about Shelley all the more interesting.

As you continue upstairs, the exhibits shift their focus to the writing of Frankenstein and its critical reception. I found it fascinating to read some of the early reviews of the novel, like this one:

 “The writer of it is, we understand, a female; this is an aggravation of that which is the prevailing fault of the novel; but if our authoress can forget the gentleness of her sex, it is no reason why we should; and we shall therefore dismiss the novel without further comment.”

If you’ve courage enough, you can even push your way through some textured, fleshy curtains and explore Dr. Frankenstein’s lab, complete with an 8-foot animatronic creature. This creature was custom made for the museum by Millennium FX, as they wanted to create it as faithfully to the book’s description as possible:

“His limbs were in proportion, and I had selected his features as beautiful. Beautiful! Great God! His yellow skin scarcely covered the work of muscles and arteries beneath; his hair was of a lustrous black, and flowing; his teeth of a pearly whiteness; but these luxuriances only formed a more horrid contrast with his watery eyes, that seemed almost of the same colour as the dun-vohite sockets in which they were set, his shrivelled complexion and straight black lips.”

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein

On the wall plaques, you can read more about this creation of Frankenstein’s monster and see photos of the process. Pictures really don’t do the thing justice; you’ve got to see it in person, surrounded by all the details of Dr. Frankenstein’s lab, with the sounds of the creature growling and panting, to really do it justice.

The final sections of the museum are dedicated to the impact of Mary Shelley and Frankenstein on literature, film, and pop culture. On the top floor, you can even enter a retro-feeling theatre room and watch the first, silent film adaption of the novel.

You’ll also get to check out many movie posters of various adaptations and memorabilia that’s been created based on the book and the many films based on it. My favorite was a Frankenstein-themed pinball machine, which you can actually play.

There’s also opportunities to interact in this section, such as moving a metal tool through a pipe without waking the creature, and taking a photo as though you were the creature itself.

Frankenstein’s Basement

Once you reach the top floor exhibit with the retro theatre, you’ll head back down to the main floor, where you have the option to head into the haunted basement. Now, dear reader, I need you to understand that I hate haunted houses. I am easily terrified by them, I hate jump scares, and to top it all off, I was visiting all on my own.

If I were visiting just for myself, I wouldn’t have ever dreamed of entering that basement. But I greatly felt my duty as a dedicated literary travel writer to at least check it out so I could report back to you, dear readers. So I hope you appreciate it!

After discussing the experience ad nauseam with the kind gift shop worker so I’d know what to expect, then awaiting another solo traveler whom I begged to accompany me so I could hide behind her, I ventured down those awful stairs.

And awful it is! Horrific sound effects, more fleshy curtains, dark enclosed spaces, sudden lightening, and costumed characters darting to and fro and jumping out at you, realistically dead bodies hanging, and all of this was in the first room at the bottom of the stairs!

After the first jump scare I knew I was done, said, “I’m out of here!” and ran back toward the stairs, but the hidden character decided to have some fun and scare me again as I ran toward them. I sprinted upstairs, my watch alerting me unnecessarily to my abnormally high heart rate, and made immediate eye contact with a small group of visitors who were just entering the building.

“Was that you screaming?” they asked, alarmed. “Um, yes, yes, it was,” clutching my chest. “Should we…. should we not come in here??” Oh my, I can only imagine their shock upon entering a benign-looking museum to hear piercing screams and see a terrified woman emerging from a basement. It was all of course quite comical once my heart rate slowed.

Suffice it to say, readers, that the basement is indeed quite terrifying, so don’t say I didn’t warn you. For those who enjoy that sort of thing, I assure you you will love it. For those who don’t, enjoy the rest of the museum and maybe skip the basement.

The gift shop

Make sure you take a moment to browse the gift shop before you leave the Mary Shelley Museum/House of Frankenstein. You can buy a copy of Frankenstein as well as other books by Shelley, tote bags, key chains of human fingers, and all sorts of souvenirs from the grotesque to the practical.

Sadly, they do not have a museum stamp with which to stamp their books, but I told them in no uncertain terms that they should absolutely get one (I love getting books stamped from the places where they were written — like the Count of Monte Cristo stamped at the Chateau d’If, or Oliver Twist at the Charles Dickens Museum). Hopefully they will take my advice and you will be able to avail yourself of that unique souvenir.

Note that it is a cashless museum.

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Special Activities and Events at the Museum

One thing the House of Frankenstein does really well is special events! There are so many themed experiences you can have here, either year-round or for special times of year. Let’s have a look at some of your options:

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Related: Do you like spooky destinations, and with a literary twist? Check out my list of the best Halloween travel destinations, all of which are inspired by famous books and writers.

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Tips for Visiting

If you think you might want to visit Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein while you’re in Bath, here are some recommendations I’d give after my visit:

• I’d allow for around an hour for your visit to the Frankenstein House, not including time for an escape room or escape game, if you’re adding that on.
• Make sure to check the official website for opening hours, as they change seasonally
• Because the museum is located in a historic row home, wheelchairs and strollers cannot be accommodated. You should have the mobility to ascend and descend many, semi-narrow flights of stairs.
• You’ll get a cheaper price on tickets if you pre-book ahead of time, though you can also purchase them on-site (card only).
• This is a cashless museum, so all purchases must be made by card or tap-to-pay.
• When it gives warnings about something being scary, take it seriously! If you are easily frightened, or if you’re going to the museum with children, take care. I could even see some children being scared of Dr. Frankenstein’s lab with the 8-foot animatronic creature and definitely the basement.

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Verdict: Who should go to Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein?

So, is the House of Frankenstein in Bath worth visiting? I’d say if you’re interested in classic literature and/or horror as a general genre, it’s a resounding yes!

While chatting with one of the museum workers, I observed to him that it seems they probably attract two very different sorts of visitors — those who love the book by Mary Shelley, and those who just love all things horror. He agreed, adding a third category of those who love escape games.

We discussed how this can be tricky when marketing the location, as it doesn’t have a super defined identity that can fit within one box or category. Is it a literary travel destination? A fan museum for horror enthusiasts? A haunted house? An escape room?

The answer to all these questions is, yes! Bath’s Frankenstein House does many things, but in my experience, it does them all incredibly well. I think it’s definitely worth visiting during your time in Bath. You certainly won’t forget about your experiences here.

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Where to stay nearby

While staying in Bath, I splurged and stayed overnight at the Gainsborough Hotel and Spa in downtown Bath. It was within walking distance of all the Bath attractions I wanted to see, and I had a lovely suite overlooking the thermal spas. Plus, the hotel itself has a thermal spa where you can book massages and facials (mine was lovely!).

There are also other more budget accommodations nearby. I recommend trying to stay somewhere within Bath proper, because it’s a very walking friendly city, and it’s easiest not to fuss with driving or public transportation here.

If you’re looking for privately owned vacation rentals, I recommend checking VRBO. I’ve personally had much better experiences with their owners and rentals than I have with their primary competitor.

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