Bath's Old Orchard Street Theatre

Me and my partner called by on seeing that there are tours and a museum visit.
Vince was a wonderful guide and very much put the history of the building in the context of Bath throughout the centuries. I found it very informative, having spent many years living in Bath, much of the city's history was somewhat obscure to me.
Vince's tour was well received by my partner as well, as she has a great love of theatre, so seeing the interior of what was the theatre was very much to her interest.
The main room is awe inspiring, and I know that I passed comment several times of how well used the space is.
The museum below is pleasant and in the old vaulted ceilings of Bath that i well remember. It is probably a case where one can only have so many visitors down there at any one time as it is quite close and one would not wish to knock anything over.
I do hope to call past sometime in the future as it was a lovely and memorable day for both me and my partner.

This was a wonderful trip. The tour was really informative, friendly and engaging. Room for questions, photos, led by a mason themself. The history was pretty fascinating - theatre, Catholic chapel, Masonic lodge, with a lot of hidden gems, spaces and unique furnishings and museum pieces. I appreciated how much knowledge the tour guide had and the level of insight they were happy to give, sharing the space, artefacts, explaining the symbolism in the layout of the main room. It was easy to book online and well priced. I looking for something to do in Bath and it came up on a few lists, and the price for a tour was very good. I recommend for anyone with an interest in masonry and/or local history. And wider history to be honest - from theatre life to the Knights Templar (they have a secret room here you can see where they still meet!). This place and the story is a core part of Bath history and was delivered in a very personal, professional and warm way!

What a great tour. My guide Peter was a wealth of knowledge & took me on the journey of how the original theatre came into being, then it’s progression through history into a church and now Masonic Hall & Museum. Absolutely fascinating and thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

Had a very interesting visit to Bath Masonic Temple and museum today. Our guide, Vince, was a font of knowledge about Bath in general, the history of Freemasonry in Bath and the history of the Temple Building, first as a theatre (it was a Theatre Royal) then a Roman Catholic Chapel and latterly The Masonic Temple. Well worth the £8 admission (£6 for me as an old codger).

Pictures 3 and 4 are of a previous specifically built Temple, now a book shop. If you look closely at the hopper at top of drain pipe you'll see a square and compasses.

One of the best attraction we have been to. Our guide, Peter Townsend was terrific it was a pity there were only three of us to enjoy it.
We loved the whole visit and learnt a great deal about early Bath, Theatre in the 17th century and the free masons.
The freemason's museum was fascinating
I would recommend a visit

We spent an interesting time touring the Orchard Street Theatre. Our guide described the history of the building, touching briefly on its time as a theatre and the actress Sarah Siddons. I hadn't expected there to be quite so much time devoted to Freemasonry but this aspect was nonetheless, very interesting and informative.

This is an extremely interesting tour of an amazing and historical building. Not only does it have a long and varied history but it has one of the most spectacular Masonic temples I have ever been in.
The actual Masonic museum is packed with interesting artefacts and it’s fair to say I could have spent a lot longer in there than circumstances allowed.
I visited with my partner who was equally impressed and said afterwards how glad she was that we had visited it. There was another couple there who were visiting from South Africa and they were also captivated by it. The guide was witty and knowledgable and made it a memorable visit. It won’t be my last!

Our guide, Vince, gave us an informative tour of the Masonic Hall detailing the history of the building and of Bath. He was very knowledgeable and pleased to receive questions. I would recommend this tour to Masons and non-Masons alike. All will find it interesting.

Extremely interesting guided tour. Emir is a Freemason himself and he gave us a very personal review of what’s happening inside the lodge. Of course, secrets were kept but I never was able to see and touch Masonic culture so close and then even ask any questions. Highly recommend for all seekers

Interesting for both theatre history and masonic info. Our guides were welcoming and very knowledgeable about the history of the building. They showed us the theatre building and the vaults beneath and explained about the Masons without giving away their secrets. It was a very enjoyable and light-hearted experience.