Learning is part of the human condition, it is intrinsic to our success as a species. As a result, Museums have always been important to society. We all yearn to learn, and it’s thanks to an insatiable appetite for knowledge that museums are so common no matter where you are.
Brighton is no exception, with plenty of remarkable museums to sate some of that unquenchable thirst for information. Here’s our Top 5 Museums in Brighton:
5. Brighton Museum & Art Gallery
Looking for a general overview of Brighton? Established in 1861, The Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is one of the best-known museums, offering a comprehensive history of Brighton, as far back as the early settlers of the Neolithic. Situated in the Royal Pavilion gardens, even the building itself is steeped in history!
Originally built in 1808 as a riding school for the Prince Regent, the Museum itself is every bit an exhibit as everything on display inside with the building’s architecture a testament to the grandeur of the Regency era. Its galleries are housed in a series of interconnected rooms that are adorned with intricate plasterwork and decorative features.
To say the museum hosts a large collection of exhibits would be doing it a disservice, with Brighton’s largest museum boasting over 700,000 items. Naturally, these items cover a massive range of topics from Brighton-based archaeology, art, royal history, post-war Brighton and exhibits that touch on recent history.
Its vast collection is one of the largest and most diverse collections in the southeast of England. Whether you prefer ancient artefacts or contemporary art, there’s plenty to spark intrigue and fascination.
Personally, I found the Images of Brighton exhibit to be my favourite, as it tells the story of the Brighton we know today, exploring its growth in the 19th century. Unveiling how Brighton changed and became integral to cultural movements, such as the mod movement, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the archaic sixties.
The gallery includes interactive displays, audio-visual presentations, and hands-on exhibits allowing visitors to engage with the information and become further invested in Brighton’s storied past.
Further topics including, the history of Brighton’s fishing industry, the development of the famous Brighton Pavilion, and the city’s role in World War II are all on display to explore.
If history is a little too objective and word-heavy, the attached Art Gallery features works by some of History’s most celebrated artists. Feast your eyes on paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts, with many depicting aspects of Brighton’s rich history. Some of the works on display here go back as early as the 17th century!
Price of Admission: £7:50 for non-residents, Free for residents( Need proof of residency)
Website: brightonmuseums.org.uk/brighton-museum-art-gallery/
Address: Royal Pavilion Gardens, Pavilion Parade, Brighton BN1 1EE
4. The Brighton Fishing Museum
The Brighton Fishing Museum gives us a glimpse into the history of its vital fishing industry. A great afternoon detour for keen anglers or even fellow ichthyophiles, here you’ll find an extensive collection of old gear, tales of legendary catches, evasive seas monsters and even the very boats used.
Located on the seafront you won’t find an establishment more dedicated to preserving a town or city’s maritime heritage. Bare witness to a celebration of the lives and achievements of the local fishing community.
Learn about the many challenges faced by local fishermen over the years, as they overcame treacherous conditions, and the many fishermen that fell before them. The museum also has a collection of fishing boats, with examples of a traditional Sussex beach boat and a motorised fishing vessel on display.
The museum’s collection of photographs and documents is also a highlight, providing a fascinating insight into the history of Brighton’s fishing industry. There’s a moving exhibit by the bow of the Sussex Maid on the heroism of the volunteers who helped evacuate Dunkirk, with many boat-owning civilians and fishermen playing a key role in saving the lives of thousands of soldiers.
Price of Admission: Free
Website: www.fishingquarter.co.uk/fishing-museum
Address: 201, Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 1NB
3. The Old Police Cells Museum
The Old Police Cells Museum is a particularly unique experience, offering a chance to explore the former police cells. The cells are still in their original condition, complete with metal beds and all original fittings, even featuring graffiti of some of the mods and rockers that enjoyed a stay within some of these walls. It’s the closest you can get to a prison cell without handcuffs on.
Offering insight into the history of policing in Brighton, this is perfect for any interested in crime, with multiple exhibits of murders, including the infamous Trunk Murders of the 1920s and 30s. It’s a subterranean location, nestling in the bowels of the Brighton Town Hall basement, with exhibits stretching back to the 1830’s, and rounding up to the present day.
With murder mystery and intrigue awaiting, it’s among the most memorable museums you’ll visit. Further exhibits include police uniforms through the last 150 years, including a range of equipment used by the boys in blue, throughout.
Learn about the various crimes and subsequent punishments that were commonplace during different periods of Brighton’s history. There may be many actions you take for granted and seem innocuous, that just a hundred or so years ago would land you in the slammer.
For true crime fans, you can check out the story of the notorious Brighton Trunk Murders. Hosting artefacts and exhibits related to the case, including newspaper clippings and police reports, you can play detective and uncover a brutal series of murders, in which women’s dismembered bodies were shoved into trunks.
Far more than just exploring the case, the museum details the impact the case had on Brighton and its surroundings. You’ll learn how the murderer was caught, their trial and the whole process of investigation. It’s a chance to peak into the life of a post-World War One detective!
Price of Admission: £5.00
Website: www.oldpolicecellsmuseum.com
Address: Town Hall, Brighton, BN1 1JA
2. Brighton Toy and Model Museum
Celebrating the joy of play and imagination, a perfect trip for kids and adults wanting a heavy dose of nostalgia. Home to a vast collection of toys, models, and games that span more than a century, you can point out how lucky your kids might be to have supercharged entertainment at the press of a button.
The museum’s collection includes an impressive array of vintage and rare toys. Model Planes? They got’em. Tin toys? Check. Creepy, almost certainly haunted antique dolls? Of course, what kind of toy museum would this be without them?
Learn about the history of every toy on display, including how they are made and why they make those dolls so scary. Seriously they have no right to be so uncanny.
For the model buffs, there’s a variety of intricate and detailed models of trains, tracks, and stations. Marvel at the miniature worlds these models reside in, the ingenuity of the creators to recreate real trains, planes and automobiles with remarkable attention to detail.
You can enjoy a crash course of plushie bears and dolls, ranging from the unspeakable horror of antique dolls, to the plastic icon that is Barbie.
For kids, many of the toys might just be far too removed from the modern luxury of Triple AAA video games, but they may find fascination in the museums’ selection of vintage amusements, perhaps the very first step to the rudimentary arcade games that would come many years later.
The museum’s shop also offers a chance to take home replica’s of vintage toys, their modern compatriots and a range of models. A chance to grab a nice memento of your visit, or maybe you just want something from your youth to play with, there’s no shame in a nostalgia trip!
Price of Admission: £7.00 (Adults) £4.00 (Children 4-15)
Website: www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/
Address: 52-55 Trafalgar St, Brighton BN1 4EB
1. Booth Museum of Natural History
The Booth Museum of Natural History is celebration of the diverse beauty of the natural world. Founded in 1874 by Edward Booth, a wealthy Victorian collector, the museum has been building a collection of Natures most fascinating specimens for just shy of 150 years!
Browse hundreds of bird specimens, all displayed to re-capture their natural form and habitat, allowing visitors to see them up close and appreciate their intricate plumage. Or how about a chance to see the creatures often too small or quick to truly appreciate?
You can find a host of butterflies, beetles, and other insects housed here; arranged in glass cases to create a stunning visual display and capture your attention for hours.
If you have kids who are at an age where quietly observing stationary things is not on their itinerary, then why not show them the wealth interactive displays, educational resources and hands-on activities? Watch them explore the natural world in a whole new way, it could be the start of a new fixation!
Speaking of fixations, the museum houses many fossils, a fascination many never grow out of, myself included. Cower at the skull of the Velociraptor, or more accurately known as the Deinonychus, made infamous by that intense scene in the first Jurassic Park.
A museum only bested by the huge London Natural History Museum, those with just the slightest interest in nature or Dinosaurs will love their time here. If you’re going alone, or with children, you’ll find plenty of enjoyment out of their wide collection. Perhaps you’ll even deepen your or your children’s understanding of the beauty and complexity of nature; past and present.
Price of Admission: Free
Website: brightonmuseums.org.uk/booth-museum-of-natural-history
Address: 194 Dyke Rd, Brighton BN1 5AA
