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Russell-Coates Art Gallery and Museum The Russell-Coates Art Gallery and Museum is one of Bournemouth's premier tourist attractions. Located on the top of East Cliff , the Museum is housed in the Victorian mansion of Sir Merton Russell-Coates, a wealthy 19th century resident of the town. The Russell-Coates bought the Bath Hotel in Bournemouth in 1876, and within a couple of years the family had refurbished it and re-named it the Royal Bath Hotel. The family had a passion for travel, and as the Russell-Coates travelled to exotic parts of the world they collected a treasure trove of souvenirs, furniture, furnishing and works of art. They put these on show around their hotel, and it has soon gained a fantastic reputation, attracting the rich and famous - and even royalty - to come and see the curios. The collection includes sculpture from Europe, an excellent display of Victorian art, and an eclectic array of unusual artefacts. However, the house is probably most famous for its Japanese Drawing Room which contains hundreds of articles collected on a tour of Japan in 1885. The collection soon grew so big that the house had to be extended to accommodate everything. In addition several separate art galleries were built to house the family's huge art collection. In the early 20th century the family then made the generous gift of donating the house, complete with its fantastic contents, and the art galleries to the town of Bournemouth. Ever since the Russell-Coates Art Gallery and Museum has been open to the public. Today it is open daily except Mondays, from 10am to 5pm. Admission is free.
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