Bath might be best known for its genteel Georgian reputation but Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein, Bath’s latest (and scariest!) visitor attraction is welcoming guests to discover how one of world most famous monsters came to life in the city.
Mary Shelley wrote much of her now infamous novel Frankenstein while living in Bath and the house is part museum and part visitor experience. The whole building is dedicated to the origins of the classic story and Mary’s personal tragedies which shaped her determination to create the fascinating tale of Frankenstein and his monster.
Starting with Mary’s own story you explore each of the rooms of the house and as you delve further into her life you soon come face to face with the Frankenstein which she envisaged, far removed from the Hollywood version.
The house is filled with fascinating insights and facts about the world of Mary Shelley and the literary world’s initial response to the tale. Just like Frankenstein’s monster itself, you also see how her creation gained a life of its own and became a much different character, being re-imagined in horror movies, cartoons, comics and even pinball machines, all of which you can see up close here .
We loved learning more about Mary Shelley’s life and the challenges she faced, and the children were bewitched with the full scale model of Frankenstein’s monster in the creepy lab. Much of the house is filled with sounds and visual effects designed to conjure up a sense of the novel.
Alongside the fascinating museum, there’s an eerie basement experience where you can expect to be scared out of your wits and some excellently plotted escape room experiences including a ‘body in a suitcase’ which saw the whole Globalmouse family put to the test, and thanks to a few nudges from the brilliant staff we managed to solve the grisly mystery just in time.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein cleverly tells the tale of both Mary and her creation in an immersive and informative way which will stay with you long after your visit. It’s a great addition to Bath’s tourist attractions and well worth making sure it’s on your itinerary on your visit to the city.
You can find out more and get your tickets here.