In 1977 the William Herschel Society was set up to gather support for the rescue of the building.
It was purchased in 1981 with the aid of Doctors Leslie and Elizabeth Hilliard, saving it from demolition.
The main-belt asteroid 6395 Hilliard was later named in their honor.
The house was subsequently transferred as a donation to the Herschel House Trust.
The museum was opened on 13 March 1981, exactly 200 years after Herschel discovered Uranus.
The museum is governed by the Herschel House Trust, a registered charity.
The Bath Preservation Trust became the sole trustee of the Herschel House Trust in July 2015.
The patrons of the museum have been Patrick Moore (until 2012) and Brian May (from December 2013).
The museum is curated by Debbie James.

The museum offers audio tours.
A virtual tour of the museum is available for mobility-impaired visitors, and a book containing tactile images is available for blind or partially sighted visitors.
A disabled parking space is located outside of the building.
Replica objects in the museum, including a replica of Herschel's polishing machine, are designed to be handled.
The museum uses QR codes to provide translations of the display exhibit labels in 10 different languages, and illustrated trails are available from the shop.
The museum has a school programme and workshop.
In 1977 the William Herschel Society was set up to gather support for the rescue of the building. It was purchased in 1981 with the aid of Doctors Leslie and Elizabeth Hilliard, saving it from demolition. The main-belt asteroid 6395 Hilliard was later named in their honor. The house was subsequently transferred as a donation to the Herschel House Trust. The museum was opened on 13 March 1981, exactly 200 years after Herschel discovered Uranus. The museum is governed by the Herschel House Trust, a registered charity. The Bath Preservation Trust became the sole trustee of the Herschel House Trust in July 2015. The patrons of the museum have been Patrick Moore (until 2012) and Brian May (from December 2013). The museum is curated by Debbie James.
The museum offers audio tours. A virtual tour of the museum is available for mobility-impaired visitors, and a book containing tactile images is available for blind or partially sighted visitors. A disabled parking space is located outside of the building. Replica objects in the museum, including a replica of Herschel's polishing machine, are designed to be handled. The museum uses QR codes to provide translations of the display exhibit labels in 10 different languages, and illustrated trails are available from the shop. The museum has a school programme and workshop.
Herschel Museum of Astronomy