Can you believe museums have opened again? What ones will you head to first? My last visit was to this one in London, 500 days ago! I’m desperate to squeeze in as many visits as possible this summer in case we get locked down again.
If like me you are desperate for a culture fix, today, I’m sharing a list of the best museums in Brighton to visit on your next weekend at the seaside, the more unique the better.
9 museums in Brighton for an off-beat culture fix
1. Anna’s Museum
I’ve written about this mini natural history museum in a beautiful old shop window before, but it’s become a big part of my life! I often pass it dodging the shopping crowds on Western Road which runs parallel.
The display changes regularly – think taxidermy seagulls, bones, eggs, and even letters from fans! It belongs to a young Brightonian, Anna, who started collecting aged four. It’s also close to Seven Dials, one of Brighton’s nicest neighbourhoods which is a great place for a romantic walk. There’s also a great coffee shop close by.
Find Anna’s Museum at 44 Upper North Street, Brighton BN1 3FH, visit it virtually here and read more about it in my Secret Brighton guidebook.
2. brighton Fishing Museum
This is my go-to place if I’m entertaining visitors with children, mainly because it’s free and on the seafront. We went one boiling afternoon to escape the crowds for a bit, before a play on the carousel, grabbing ice cream and cooling off with a paddle in the sea.
It’s set inside two big seafront arches and is filled with seaside nostalgia – old signs, black and white photos, and relics – that tell the story of the Brighton. The centrepiece is a big boat, the Sussex Maid, and there are pieces of the old West Pier which burned down years ago, and more old boats outside kids love climbing inside.
Find Brighton Fishing Museum at 201 Kings Road Arches, Brighton BN1 1NB.
3. Brighton Toy and Model Museum
This hidden collection of 15,000 toys and models is packed into cabinets set in four arches underneath Brighton station. Walking inside, you feel transported and you browse around to the sound of nostalgic jazz playing quietly in the background.
I love taking my nephews to watch the model railways, which is a big deal as they only run twice a year. We go for pizza here after. You have to pay to get in. Prices and opening hours if you fancy it.
Find Brighton Toy and Model Museum at 52-55 Trafalgar Street, Brighton BN1 4EB.
4. Dog and Bone Gallery
Brighton’s smallest listed structures are home to the Dog and Bone Gallery, Brighton’s smallest art gallery! I’ll often walk past it on my way into town, for a nose. It hosts changing exhibitions by local artists and is run by Sam Toft.
They’re usually kept locked, so if you’re passing, you have to peer in at the exhibitions from outside. If you’re interested in buying anything, nip to her shop and they’ll be able to help.
Find the Dog and Bone Gallery at Powis Square, Brighton BN1 3HG, have a virtual browse here and read about it in my Secret Brighton guidebook.
5. West Blatchington Windmill
There are lots of windmills around Brighton, but this is the only one with a museum inside! It tells the story of the mill, and how it used to work. It’s a reason to snoop inside an actual windmill if you like that kind of thing. Fun facts: I read that it was once used as a polling station! There’s also a little café on the ground level.
Find the West Blatchington Windmill at Holmes Avenue, Hove BN3 7LH.
6. Booth Museum of Natural History
This was one of the first places in Brighton I wrote about when I started looking for off-the-beaten-path things to do. Honestly, I don’t know why it took me so long to visit. This is Brighton’s very own natural history museum and is incredible because it’s the first of its kind to display birds in their natural habitats.
It’s an idea since copied all over the world and perfected in New York’s American Museum of Natural History and The Smithsonian Institute in Washington. What I also love is that they occassionally host backstage tours of their secret collections.
Find the Booth Museum of Natural History at t 194 Dyke Road, Brighton BN1 5AA, take a virtual visit here and read about it in my Secret Brighton guidebook.
7. The Old Police Cells Museum
In the Town Hall basement, where the city’s first police station once stood, is this huge collection of memorabilia – it fills the parade room, offices and cells – telling the story of the Sussex police force. You book an appointment with a guide who shows you around and tells you lots of stories. You can even get married here!
Find the Old Police Cells Museum at Town Hall, Brighton BN1 1JA and read about it in my Secret Brighton guidebook.
8. Middle Street Synagogue
It’s not a museum in the traditional sense, rather a way of preserving Brighton’s social history. I walked past this building along Middle Street on my way to the seafront so many times, before I realised it wasn’t abandoned.
My jaw dropped when I saw inside, all the ornate details, and the view from the balcony is spectacular. Here is some information on the Jewish community in Brighton and upcoming open days if you’re intrigued to visit.
Find the Middle Street Synagogue at 66 Middle Street, Brighton BN1 1AL and read more about it in my Secret Brighton guidebook.
9. The Grange Museum and Art Gallery
This is an excuse to leave the buzzy city behind. When you get to breezy Rottingdean, the village neighbouring Brighton to the east, you feel the stress melt off! The Grange is one of those bizarre local museums I expected to be strange, but ended up learning lots of fascinating, random things.
For example, about Audrey Hepburn’s visit to Brighton and other parts of the Sussex coast in 1951. It’s also a winner with in-laws, aunts and grandparents, with its seasonal tea garden or proximity to chintzy Trellis tearoom on the High Street.
Find The Grange Museum and Art Gallery at The Green, Rottingdean, Brighton BN2 7HA.
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