First, you are invited upstairs to a small area decorated with Jane Austen movie posters and newspaper articles about the center where you wait for entrance to a small presentation room. Here, a live guide gives a quick introduction to Jane Austen, her work, and how she ended up living for a while in Bath. Then you are let go to view the museum at your own pace.

Now, I would love to say that my 11-year-old son, his friend, and my husband were all clamoring to see this museum. But I would be lying through my teeth, dear reader, if I even implied such a thing. So we asked the girl up front how long it would take me to view the museum so that they could meet up with me afterwards, and she said 45 minutes. It took me an hour and a half, and I still could have taken a little more time. (I skipped tea upstairs and missed out on the view from the roof--this is something I would have loved to experience with "Mr. Darcy" if I'd given birth to a sweet daughter instead of a stinky son! If you have a girl in tow, this activity might be worth a few more minutes.) I can only imagine how a real Austen fan might want to linger! There's a small video to watch, plenty of things to read about Jane's life, and even a room that shows her brother's connection to Lord Nelson and explains Jane's sincere love (as reflected in many of her books) for all those men who choose real nobility by serving their country in the Navy. Of course, you might want to read an Austen novel before your visit. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion are both set in Bath.

If you don't want to visit the museum, you might still want to step inside the small gift shop. The Center closes at 5:30pm in the summer, 4:30pm in the winter.