If you have a passion for fashion then a visit to the Museum of Costume is a must.

The Museum of Costume has an outstanding Collection of more than 30,000 objects of fashionable dress for women, men and children, dating from the late 16th century to the present day.

The collection also includes works on paper, such as fashion drawings, photographs and dressmaking patterns, that relate to the history of fashion.

It is one of the largest and finest collections of original fashionable dress in the world.

The displays, which include nearly 200 dressed figures, showcase the story of fashion over the last 400 years. In addition, there is a special exhibition at the Museum each year on one aspect of fashion. Continuing in 2006 until February 25, 2007 is The Nureyev Style' exhibition, a display of Rudolf Nureyev's balley costumes, personal clothes and textiles. In addition, two new exhibitions are planned for 2006, Fashion and Bath' from March 22 until January 28, 2007, and John Bates: Fashion designer' from July 14 until August 28. John Bates designed under the name Jean Varon from the 1960s to the 1980s.

The Museum was founded in 1963 by Bath City Council when a noted designer, collector and historian, Doris Langley Moore, gave her famous private collection to the City of Bath. The Museum of Costume plays an important role in the Museum sector and receives nearly 150,000 visitors per annum. In addition, the Collection is much sought after as a source of loans to other museums in this country and abroad.