About
The Brontë Parsonage Museum in Haworth, West Yorkshire, is one of the most celebrated literary shrines in the world. Set on the edge of the wild Pennine moorland that inspired some of English literature's greatest novels, the Georgian parsonage was home to the Reverend Patrick Brontë and his remarkable children — Charlotte, Emily, Anne, and Branwell — from 1820 until the family's end. It was here, in the modest rooms of this stone house overlooking the village churchyard, that Charlotte wrote Jane Eyre, Emily composed Wuthering Heights, and Anne penned The Tenant of Wildfell Hall. All three novels were published in 1847, marking one of the most extraordinary literary debuts in history.
Managed by the Brontë Society, the museum contains the most significant collection of Brontë manuscripts, letters, personal belongings, and artworks in existence. Visitors can walk through the very rooms where the sisters lived and worked: the dining room where they read their manuscripts aloud to each other each evening, the study where Patrick Brontë ministered to his parish, and the small bedroom where Emily died in 1848. The parsonage has been carefully preserved and restored to reflect its appearance during the 1850s, the period when Charlotte achieved international fame.
The collection includes original manuscripts of the published novels, childhood miniature books hand-stitched by the siblings, Charlotte's wedding bonnet, Emily's writing desk, and Branwell's haunting portraits of his sisters. The museum's extension houses a permanent exhibition exploring the Brontës' lives, times, and literary legacy, complemented by a changing programme of temporary exhibitions, talks, and events throughout the year.
Haworth village itself forms part of the experience, with its steep cobbled main street of stone buildings, the adjacent churchyard where most of the family lies buried, and the moorland walks stretching toward Top Withens — the ruined farmhouse traditionally associated with Wuthering Heights. The Brontë Parsonage Museum attracts visitors from around the world who come to connect with the lives and landscapes that produced these enduring works of literary genius.
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Annual Visitors (2019)
80,000
Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
Quietest: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Busiest: Saturday, Sunday
💡 Weekday mornings in spring or autumn for shorter queues and quieter moorland walks
💡 Visitor Tips
- Book tickets in advance during summer holidays and on weekends to avoid disappointment — the parsonage rooms have limited capacity
- Wear comfortable walking shoes: Haworth's Main Street is steeply cobbled and the moors walks involve uneven terrain
- Allow extra time to explore Haworth village itself — the cobbled street, independent shops, and local pubs are part of the Brontë experience
- The Keighley and Worth Valley Railway offers a charming heritage steam train journey from Keighley to Oxenhope, stopping at Haworth station — a memorable way to arrive
- Bring waterproofs and layers if planning moorland walks: Pennine weather changes rapidly and Top Withens walk (4 miles each way) is fully exposed
- Join the Brontë Society for free admission, member events, and the excellent Brontë Studies journal — an invaluable resource for serious enthusiasts
- Arrive early on busy days: the parsonage rooms are small and intimate, and crowding can detract from the atmosphere
- The museum shop stocks an excellent selection of Brontë editions, biographies, and scholarly works — ideal for continuing the experience at home
Highlights
The Dining Room
The heart of the Brontë home, the dining room is where Charlotte, Emily, and Anne gathered each evening to read their work aloud to one another and pace the floor as they composed. Remarkably preserved, the room contains original furnishings including the family table and chairs. A small sofa in the corner was where Emily lay during her final illness.
This intimate space, little changed from the 1840s, brings visitors as close as possible to the creative act that produced three of English literature's most beloved novels. Walking into the dining room is one of the most emotionally powerful experiences in any literary heritage site in Britain.
Charlotte's Manuscripts
The museum holds the world's largest collection of Brontë manuscripts, including original handwritten drafts of Jane Eyre, Shirley, and Villette in Charlotte's tiny, careful script.
Alongside the published novels are extraordinary juvenilia — the miniature books Charlotte and Branwell created as children, hand-stitched and written in script so small it requires a magnifying glass to read. These childhood works, set in the imaginary kingdoms of Angria and Gondal, reveal the extraordinary imaginative world the Brontë siblings built together.
Seeing Charlotte's handwriting in person creates an intimate connection across nearly two centuries to one of the world's most celebrated authors.
Emily Brontë's Writing Desk
Emily Brontë's portable writing desk, believed to have been used when composing Wuthering Heights and her poems, is among the most treasured objects in the collection. Small and plain, it speaks to the modest circumstances in which one of English literature's most powerful and unconventional novels was written.
Emily was largely reclusive and rarely left Haworth; the moors visible from the parsonage windows were her primary world.
Standing before her desk, visitors can reflect on how the wild landscape surrounding this village gave rise to the turbulent passion of Heathcliff and Catherine, a story that continues to captivate readers nearly 180 years after its publication.
Branwell Brontë's Portraits
Branwell Brontë, the only brother, was a talented painter despite his tragic later life, and the museum holds his celebrated group portrait of the three sisters — the most iconic image of the Brontës in existence, though Branwell painted himself out of it or was obscured by a pillar of paint. The museum also holds his self-portrait and other works.
The famous 'Gun Group' portrait, originally attributed to Branwell, shows the sisters in a rare surviving likeness.
Branwell's story — of brilliant promise squandered by addiction — provides a poignant counterpoint to his sisters' achievements and is explored in depth throughout the exhibition galleries.
Collections
The Brontë Parsonage Museum holds the world's most significant collection of Brontë-related material, comprising over 7,000 objects including original manuscripts, letters, personal belongings, artworks, and books. The collection ranges from the childhood miniature books created by Charlotte and Branwell to original handwritten drafts of the published novels, from Branwell's painted portraits of his sisters to Charlotte's wedding bonnet and personal effects.
The library holds a comprehensive research collection of published Brontë scholarship and primary sources.
Additional items are held on loan or deposit from private collections and other institutions.
The Brontës and their World
Comprehensive permanent exhibition tracing the Brontë family's lives, work, and enduring cultural legacy through original objects, manuscripts, portraits, and contextual interpretation
📍 Extension Gallery
The Parsonage Rooms
The restored family rooms of the parsonage, including the dining room, study, and bedrooms, furnished to reflect the 1850s period of Charlotte's fame
📍 Original Parsonage building
Themes
Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.