The Roman Baths are a remarkably well-preserved Roman bathing and temple complex in the centre of Bath, built from around 60–70 AD around a natural hot spring the Romans dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva. Visitors today walk past the same Great Bath, sacred spring and temple remains that made Aquae Sulis one of the most important religious spa sites in Roman Britain, alongside a museum housing thousands of Roman objects, including one of the largest coin deposits ever found in the country. The Baths sit at the heart of the City of Bath UNESCO World Heritage Site, and while the water still rises hot and mineral-rich from the ground exactly as it did 2,000 years ago, it hasn’t been safe to touch since 1978.

History of the Roman Baths

The Legend of Bladud and the Celtic Shrine

Long before the Romans arrived, the hot spring at Bath was already sacred ground. According to a largely fictional legend recorded centuries later by the medieval chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, the exiled British prince Bladud was cured of leprosy after noticing his pigs wallowing happily in the warm, mineral-rich mud around the spring — he tried it himself, was cured, and went on to found the settlement that became Bath. Whatever the truth behind the story, genuine archaeological and toponymic evidence suggests the local Celtic Dobunni people did worship at the spring before the Roman conquest, dedicating it to a goddess named Sulis.

When the Romans arrived in Britain in AD 43, they didn’t erase this existing worship — they absorbed it, merging Sulis with their own goddess Minerva to create the composite deity Sulis Minerva, and building their own temple directly on the sacred site the Celts had already established.

Aquae Sulis: The Romans Build Their Temple

Construction of the formal temple and bathing complex began in the AD 60s, with the site’s earliest surviving written record dating to AD 76 — by which point the temple and baths had likely already been standing for some years. The settlement that grew up around the complex, Aquae Sulis (“the waters of Sulis”), became one of the most important spa and pilgrimage destinations in the western Roman Empire, drawing visitors from across the province rather than serving as just a local amenity. Unusually for a Roman town in Britain, Aquae Sulis functioned primarily as a place of healing and religious retreat rather than a military garrison, reflected in the scale and quality of the surviving bath house, temple courtyard and Sacred Spring.

The bathing complex itself was gradually expanded over roughly the next 300 years, eventually including cold rooms, heated rooms, a central swimming pool, and dedicated curative spaces for bathers seeking the water’s supposed healing properties.

Curses, Coins and the Sacred Spring

Roman visitors to Aquae Sulis didn’t just bathe — they threw offerings into the Sacred Spring, and archaeologists have recovered more than 12,000 Roman coins from it, the largest votive coin deposit found anywhere in Britain. Far stranger are the roughly 130 inscribed curse tablets recovered from the spring in 1979–80: thin sheets of lead or pewter carrying appeals to Sulis Minerva, many from bathers asking the goddess to punish whoever had stolen their clothes while they bathed. These tablets are now recognised on UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register as among Britain’s earliest surviving written prayers, and a genuinely rare window into the everyday grievances of ordinary Roman-British bathers rather than the concerns of emperors or generals.

A separate, later discovery, the Beau Street Hoard, was found nearby in 2007 and contains more than 17,000 additional Roman coins — a reminder that Aquae Sulis’s Roman-era wealth is still, occasionally, being unearthed today.

Georgian Rediscovery and Victorian Excavation

After the Romans left Britain, the baths fell into disrepair and were gradually buried beneath the medieval and later city. Bath re-emerged as a fashionable spa destination in the 18th century, when Georgian high society, encouraged by royal visits, built the elegant streets and crescents the city is now equally famous for — largely without realising quite how much genuine Roman engineering still lay beneath their feet. The Roman remains were substantially rediscovered in 1790, when workers excavating foundations for the new Georgian Pump Room broke through into the ancient bath complex below street level.

Serious archaeological excavation followed in the Victorian era, and the Roman Baths finally opened to the public as a purpose-built visitor complex and museum in 1897 — meaning everything visitors see at street level today, including the famous terrace and its statues, is actually a 19th-century addition built around and above the genuine Roman remains underneath.

Closure to Swimmers and UNESCO World Heritage Status

The Roman Baths remained open for actual bathing far longer than most visitors realise, closing to swimmers only in October 1978, after a young girl died from a rare infection contracted in the water. The site has never reopened for bathing since, and today’s visitors observe the water rather than enter it — more on exactly why in the practical section below. In 1987, the wider City of Bath was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognising the whole city’s combination of Roman archaeology and Georgian architecture rather than the Baths alone, and Bath was later included in a second UNESCO designation as one of the eleven “Great Spa Towns of Europe.”

Visiting the Roman Baths: Practical Information

Roman Baths Opening Hours

From 1 September to 31 October, the Roman Baths are open daily from 9am to 6pm, with last admission at 5pm. They close on Christmas Day and Boxing Day (25 and 26 December), close early on 24 December (last entry 4.15pm) and open at 10am on 1 January. Hours change with the seasons, so check the official Visit page for other dates.

Opening hours last checked: October 2026.

Roman Baths Ticket Prices

These prices are for tickets booked online in advance; buying on the day costs £2 more. Prices are higher at weekends and on bank holidays (UK public holidays). Children under 6 go free but still need a reserved ticket.

Ticket	1 Sep – 31 Oct 2026 (weekday / weekend)	1 Nov – 18 Dec 2026 (weekday / weekend)
Adult (19+)	£26.50 / £29.00	£23.50 / £26.50
Child (6–18)	£19.50 / £22.00	£16.50 / £19.50
Senior (65+) or student	£25.50 / £28.00	£22.50 / £25.50
Family (2 adults + 2–4 children)	£69.00 / £77.00	£59.00 / £69.00
Family (2 adults + 1 child)	£63.00 / £70.00	£54.00 / £63.00
Family (1 adult + 2–4 children)	£51.00 / £57.00	£44.00 / £51.00

Concession (reduced-price) tickets are for seniors aged 65 and over and full-time students; student cards from any country are accepted. Admission includes an audioguide in 13 languages, a British Sign Language guide and a taste of the spa water.

Prices last checked: October 2026.

Booking Your Tickets

Book at least 24 hours ahead, because tickets often sell out, especially in summer. Entry is by timed slot, and you can’t join the entrance queue without a ticket for your slot. Tickets are non-refundable, though you can change the date for a £10 fee. Tickets are sold only through romanbaths.co.uk, and the Roman Baths has warned visitors about a fraudulent site offering half-price tickets.

Other Discounts: Students, Carers and Locals

A carer or companion goes free; select the free carer ticket when booking. Full-time students at the University of Bath, Bath Spa University or Bath College get free entry with student ID. Children with a Blue Peter badge (an award from a long-running BBC children’s programme) go free with a paying adult. Bath & North East Somerset residents get free entry with a Discovery Card. UK visitors receiving Universal Credit, Pension Credit or Employment Support Allowance can buy £1 tickets. There’s no NHS or military discount.

Parking at the Roman Baths

There’s no parking at the Roman Baths. Use one of Bath’s council car parks within walking distance, or a Park and Ride, such as Lansdown, on the edge of the city with services into the centre. The nearest disabled parking is three-hour bays on Cheap Street, BA1 1NA, for Blue Badge holders. A Blue Badge is the UK’s disabled parking permit.

Getting to the Roman Baths

Getting there from London: Trains run to Bath Spa from London Paddington. Coaches run to Bath bus station from London Victoria and from Heathrow and Gatwick airports. Bath is about 100 miles (160 km) west of London.

From the station: The Roman Baths are five to ten minutes’ walk from Bath Spa station and the bus station. The entrance is in Abbey Church Yard, BA1 1LZ, next to Bath Abbey.

Included in Passes

The Roman Baths are owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council, so English Heritage and National Trust members don’t get free entry.

Roman Baths Dog Policy

The Roman Baths is not dog friendly. Only assistance dogs, such as guide dogs and hearing dogs, are allowed on site.

Guided Tours of the Roman Baths

Shared one-hour tours start from the Great Bath every hour from 10am to 3pm daily. They cost £8 per person on top of admission (free for under-6s) and take up to 16 people. Private tours for up to 10 people run daily at 11am and 3pm, cost £80 per tour plus admission, and must be booked in advance. For a shared tour, book admission at least an hour before the tour time so you can see the museum first. For a private tour, admission must be booked for the same date and time as the tour.

Accessibility at the Roman Baths

About 90% of the site is accessible to wheelchair users, and there are four lifts. The baths sit six metres below street level, so seeing the whole site means climbing some steps. A carer goes free, and the British Sign Language guide and the audio-described guide are free to use. Pushchairs must be left in reception because of steps and narrow walkways, so bring a baby carrier if you can. Tours cross uneven Roman paving, so contact the team before booking if you have access needs.

How Long to Allow for a Visit

Allow 90 minutes to 2 hours. The last slots of the day may not leave enough time to see everything, so book an earlier slot if you can. Guided tours last one hour.

Best Time to Visit

Book well ahead in summer, when tickets often sell out, and avoid the last slots of the day. The torches around the Great Bath are lit at about 4pm in winter and 6pm in summer.

Managing Body

The Roman Baths are owned by Bath & North East Somerset Council, not English Heritage or the National Trust.

Nearby Attractions

The Pump Room restaurant adjoins the Roman Baths, and Bath Abbey stands next door. The nearby Thermae Bath Spa uses the same spring water, treated so it’s safe to bathe in.

Where to book: Official Roman Baths tickets page

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to visit the Roman Baths?

Adult tickets cost £23.50 to £29.00 when booked in advance, depending on the season and whether you visit on a weekday or at the weekend. Children aged 6 to 18 pay £16.50 to £22.00, and under-6s go free. These prices were checked in October 2026 for visits from September to mid-December 2026.

Do you need to book Roman Baths tickets in advance?

Yes. Booking at least 24 hours ahead is recommended because tickets often sell out, especially in summer. Entry is by timed slot, and advance tickets are £2 cheaper than buying on the day.

Can you swim in the Roman Baths, or drink the water?

No. The water in the Great Bath is untreated and unsafe to swim in, touch or drink, though admission includes a taste of spa water served separately. To bathe in Bath’s hot spring water, go to the nearby Thermae Bath Spa, which uses the same water, treated to make it safe.

Is there parking at the Roman Baths?

No dedicated on-site parking. Use one of Bath’s council-run car parks or the Lansdown Park and Ride on the edge of the city; standard Bath Car Park charges apply.

Is the Roman Baths dog friendly?

No. Only assistance dogs, such as guide dogs and hearing dogs, are allowed on site.

How long does a visit to the Roman Baths take?

Allow 90 minutes to 2 hours. The last slots of the day may be too short to see everything, so book an earlier time if you can.

Is the Roman Baths part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Yes, indirectly — the wider City of Bath, including its Roman archaeology and Georgian architecture, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. It’s the whole city that carries the designation, not the Baths as a standalone site.

The Roman Baths pair naturally with a day trip to Stonehenge in Wiltshire — combine a visit with Stonehenge for a single well-trodden route between Britain’s prehistoric and Roman history in one day. Planning the trip from London itself? See our dedicated Bath day trip from London guide for train times, fares and what to see in a day. Browse the full Museums & Galleries collection, or see our England guide for the wider country this history belongs to.