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4 Clarence Road
Cheltenham
Gloucestershire
United Kingdom
GL52 2AY
Gustav Holst was born in Cheltenham on 21st September 1874. His childhood home became a museum in 1975, just over 100 years after his birth. The Holst museum is made of three floors, a basement and the back yard. The ground-floor rooms are dedicated to Holst’s music, complete with the Holst piano, his personal music chest and music stand. The rest of the house is set up to exhibit a Victorian regency house with an elegant first-floor sitting room and bedroom, a top-floor nursery and maid’s bedroom, and basement rooms such as servants’ quarters, larder and kitchen. The outside section of the Holst Birthplace Museum allows access to a traditional outdoor lavatory.
The Holst Museum shop specialises in recordings of the Holst family music and also has a range of replica Victorian toys for sale. The museum also holds many events and has an education programme which includes a popular Key Stage 1 and 2 sessions on the Victorian home life. A calendar of events can be found here. A number of exhibitions are held in the museum and a newly opened ‘Discovery Space’ provides an area for further collections.
Admission
Adults £4.50
Concessions/Children £4.00
Family £10.00
Children under 5 Free
(There are special rates for school parties and guided tours are welcome by appointment)
Opening Times
February – End-June/October – Mid-December
Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 – 16.00
July - September
Tuesday – Saturday 10.00 – 17.00
Sunday 13.30 – 17.00
The museum is open on bank holiday Mondays.
Unfortunately, due to the period in which the house was built, access is limited and may be difficult for wheelchair users. There are no lifts, but there are handrails for all stairs except the entrance steps.
As an independent organisation, the Holst Birthplace Museum is run and supported by volunteers. To read more information on volunteering for the museum and to find out how to apply for volunteer positions, follow this link.
