List of museums in East Sussex facts for kids

Welcome to a super cool guide to the museums in East Sussex, England! This list will help you discover amazing places where you can explore history, art, science, and all sorts of interesting things. Museums are like treasure chests filled with objects that tell stories about the past, different cultures, and the natural world. Get ready to find your next adventure!

Awesome Places to Explore

Step Back in Time: Historic Houses and Castles

1066 Battle Of Hastings, Abbey & Battlefield

Imagine standing where one of the most famous battles in English history happened! At the 1066 Battle Of Hastings, Abbey & Battlefield in Battle, you can explore the ruins of the abbey and walk across the actual battlefield. It's run by English Heritage and helps you understand what life was like way back in 1066.

Alfriston Clergy House

This charming Alfriston Clergy House in Alfriston is a very old house from the 1300s. It has a special thatched roof and is looked after by the National Trust. It's a great example of how people lived centuries ago.

Anne of Cleves House

In Lewes, you can visit Anne of Cleves House, a 15th-century house that shows off local history. It has furniture and decorations from different time periods, giving you a peek into the past.

Bateman's

Bateman's in Burwash was once the home of the famous author Rudyard Kipling. This 17th-century house, managed by the National Trust, even has a working watermill! It's a fascinating place to see where a great writer lived and worked.

Bodiam Castle

Get ready for a real castle experience at Bodiam Castle near Robertsbridge! This amazing 14th-century castle is surrounded by a moat and is now in ruins, but you can still imagine knights and royalty living there. The National Trust sometimes even hosts living history events.

Charleston Farmhouse

Near Firle, Charleston Farmhouse was the country home of the Bloomsbury group, a famous group of artists and writers. The inside of the house is decorated with unique art by Duncan Grant and Vanessa Bell. It also has a gallery for art.

Firle Place

Firle Place in Firle is a grand 18th-century country estate. You can see beautiful fine art, old furniture, and lovely gardens. It's like stepping into a historical painting!

Glynde Place

Another stunning Elizabethan manor house, Glynde Place in Glynde, offers a glimpse into a rich past with its historic architecture and gardens.

Great Dixter

In Northiam, Great Dixter is a medieval timber-framed manor house with beautiful Arts and Crafts style gardens. It's a wonderful place to see old architecture and stunning plant designs.

Lamb House

Lamb House in Rye is an 18th-century house with strong connections to famous writers like Henry James and E. F. Benson. The National Trust looks after this literary landmark.

Lewes Castle

Explore Lewes Castle, an 11th-century castle with a motte and bailey design. It includes the Barbican House Museum, where you can learn about archaeology and medieval life. You can also see a model of the town of Lewes.

Michelham Priory

Michelham Priory in Upper Dicker is a medieval priory house with furniture from different periods. It also has a historic watermill, a rope-making museum, and a replica Iron Age roundhouse. It's an open-air museum with lots to see!

Monk's House

In Rodmell, Monk's House was the 18th-century cottage home of the famous author Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard Woolf. It also has connections to the Bloomsbury group. It's cared for by the National Trust.

Pevensey Court House Museum

The Pevensey Court House Museum in Pevensey is located in an old courthouse. You can see prison cells, an exercise yard, and even stocks! It shares stories of local history.

Preston Manor

Preston Manor, Brighton in Brighton is an Edwardian manor house from the early 1900s. It's set up to show what life was like in that period.

Regency Town House

In Hove, the Regency Town House is an 1820s townhouse. It focuses on the architecture and social history of Brighton & Hove from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s.

Royal Pavilion

The Royal Pavilion in Brighton is truly unique! This early 19th-century building was once a royal seaside retreat. It's built in an amazing Indian-style with super fancy decorations and chinoiserie (Chinese-inspired) furnishings.

Winchelsea Court Hall Museum

The Winchelsea Court Hall Museum in Winchelsea tells the local history of the area. You can see old maps, models, pictures, and items from daily life.

Trains, Cars, and Boats: Transport and Technology Museums

Bluebell Railway

All aboard! The Bluebell Railway near Fletching is a heritage railway where you can ride old steam trains. There are also museum displays at the Sheffield Park railway station to learn about railway history.

Brede Waterworks

At Brede Waterworks in Brede, you can see a former waterworks with working steam engines. It's a great place to learn about old technology and how water was supplied.

Brighton Fishing Museum

The Brighton Fishing Museum in Brighton celebrates the local fishing industry. You can see old boats and learn about the history of fishing in the area.

British Engineerium

The British Engineerium in Hove is a Victorian pumping station. It has huge beam engines and is planned to become a full museum. It's a fascinating look at industrial history.

Eastbourne RNLI Museum

In Eastbourne, the Eastbourne RNLI Museum tells the brave stories of lifeboat rescues in the area. It's run by the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Hastings Fishermen's Museum

The Hastings Fishermen's Museum in Hastings focuses on the local fishing industry and boats. You can learn about the history of fishing in the famous The Stade area.

Hastings Lifeboat Station

Also in Hastings, the Hastings Lifeboat Station has a visitor centre where you can watch a film and see the lifeboats up close. It's inspiring to learn about sea rescues.

Kent and East Sussex Railway

The Kent and East Sussex Railway is another heritage railway you can visit, with access at the Northiam railway station in Northiam. Enjoy a ride on a historic train!

Lavender Line

The Lavender Line in Isfield is a heritage railway with exhibits, including a model railway, at the Isfield railway station. It's a fun spot for train enthusiasts.

Shipwreck Museum

The Shipwreck Museum in Hastings displays amazing artifacts found from local shipwrecks. You can also learn about rocks, fossils, and how the coast has changed over time.

Volk's Electric Railway

In Brighton, the Volk's Electric Railway is a heritage railway that runs along the seafront. It's a unique way to see the coast!

Wonders of Nature and Science

Booth Museum of Natural History

The Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton is like a time capsule! It has Victorian-style displays of British birds in their natural settings, butterflies, British fossils, and animal bones.

Observatory Science Center

The Observatory Science Center in Herstmonceux is located at the Herstmonceux Castle estate. It's a fantastic place for hands-on science fun and learning about space!

Paradise Park

Paradise Park, Newhaven in Newhaven includes the Planet Earth Museum. Here you can discover dinosaurs, fossils, and geology, along with beautiful gardens and plant houses.

Art, Crafts, and Creativity

De La Warr Pavilion

The De La Warr Pavilion in Bexhill-on-Sea is a modern arts centre. It hosts contemporary art exhibitions and events in a stunning building right by the sea.

Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft

The Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft in Ditchling showcases local art, crafts, and applied art. It's a great place to see beautiful handmade items and learn about creative traditions.

Fabrica

Fabrica in Brighton is a contemporary visual arts space located in a former church. It hosts exciting art exhibitions.

Farley Farm House

Farley Farm House in Chiddingly was the home of photographer Lee Miller and Picasso's biographer, Roland Penrose. It features exhibits of Surrealist and Modern art.

Jerwood Gallery

The Jerwood Gallery in Hastings is a contemporary art gallery. It has a collection of British art from the 20th and 21st centuries.

Rye Art Gallery

Rye Art Gallery in Rye is a place to see various art exhibitions.

Towner

Towner in Eastbourne is a modern art museum and gallery, perfect for seeing new and exciting artworks.

Local Stories and Everyday Life

Battle Museum of Local History

The Battle Museum of Local History in Battle covers the history of the area from prehistoric times, through Roman and medieval periods, up to the 17th and 18th centuries. It also highlights local industries like iron, leather, and gunpowder.

Bexhill Museum

Bexhill Museum in Bexhill-on-Sea is a fantastic museum with lots of different things to see! It covers local history, natural history, fashion, dinosaurs, Stone Age life, Ancient Egyptians, military history, world cultures, and British motor racing.

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery

Brighton Museum & Art Gallery in Brighton is a large museum with art, decorative arts, natural history, puppets, fashion, artifacts from different world cultures, Egyptian artifacts, and local history. There's something for everyone here!

Brighton Toy and Model Museum

The Brighton Toy and Model Museum in Brighton is a dream for toy lovers! It has toys, dolls, model trains, puppets, and even old penny arcade games.

Eastbourne Heritage Centre

The Eastbourne Heritage Centre in Eastbourne is run by the Eastbourne Society and focuses on the local history of the town.

Flower Makers' Museum

In Hastings, the Flower Makers' Museum shows the original tools, machines, and fabrics used to make artificial flowers. It's a unique look at a special craft.

Grange Museum & Art Gallery

The Grange Museum & Art Gallery in Rottingdean combines local history with art.

Hastings History House

Hastings History House in Hastings is run by the Old Hastings Preservation Society and tells the story of local history.

Hastings Museum and Art Gallery

The Hastings Museum and Art Gallery in Hastings has a wide range of collections. You can see art, local history, artifacts from India, decorative arts, natural history, and Native American artifacts.

How We Lived Then

How We Lived Then in Eastbourne features authentic Victorian-era shops and room settings. It covers 100 years of shopping and social history, showing how people lived and bought things in the past.

Hove Museum and Art Gallery

Hove Museum and Art Gallery in Hove has art, modern crafts, local history, toys, and artifacts from early cinema. It's a diverse and interesting museum.

Mechanical Memories Museum

The Mechanical Memories Museum in Brighton is full of working vintage penny slot machines. It's a fun, interactive way to experience old arcade games!

Newhaven Museum

Newhaven Museum in Newhaven focuses on local history and maritime artifacts. It's run by the Newhaven Historical Society.

Old Police Cells Museum

The Old Police Cells Museum in Brighton is located in the basement of Brighton Town Hall. It tells the history of the Sussex Police force.

Rye Castle Museum

The Rye Castle Museum in Rye includes the Ypres Tower of the medieval castle and the East Street Site with local history exhibits.

Rye Heritage Centre

The Rye Heritage Centre in Rye uses a sound and light show to tell local history. It also has a working collection of old pier amusement machines.

Seaford Museum

Seaford Museum in Seaford is located in a Martello tower. It covers local history, military history, period stores and rooms, household items, a model railway, and maritime heritage.

Stanmer Rural Museum

The Stanmer Rural Museum in Stanmer displays artifacts from rural life, farm tools, equipment, wagons, a reconstructed blacksmith's forge, and household items. It's run by the Stanmer Preservation Society.

Windmills and Mills

Heritage Mill, North Chailey

The Heritage Mill, North Chailey in Chailey is an early 19th-century windmill. It's a great example of old milling technology.

Nutley Windmill

Nutley Windmill in Nutley is another early 19th-century windmill.

Ovenden's Mill

Ovenden's Mill in Polegate is an early 19th-century windmill.

Stone Cross Windmill

The Stone Cross Windmill in Stone Cross is a late 19th-century windmill.

West Blatchington Windmill

West Blatchington Windmill in West Blatchington is an early 19th-century windmill.

Windmill Hill Mill

Windmill Hill Mill in Herstmonceux is an early 19th-century windmill.

Military History

Newhaven Fort

Newhaven Fort in Newhaven is a fort from the time of Napoleon. It also has a Martello tower and displays military artifacts and memorabilia from the area, including exhibits on local military history, World War I, and World War II.

Redoubt Fortress & Military Museum

The Redoubt Fortress & Military Museum in Eastbourne is another Napoleonic-era fort. It has military artifacts and memorabilia, including collections from The Royal Sussex Regiment and Queen's Royal Irish Hussars, plus vehicles, weapons, and uniforms.

Museums That Are No Longer Open

Sometimes museums close down. For example, Yesterday's World in Battle closed in 2015. Also, the Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum is no longer operating.

See also

• Visitor attractions in East Sussex