Brighton Museums

Name: Brighton Museums
Address: Royal Pavilion, Brighton and Hove, BN11EE, GB
Telephone: +443000290900
Rating: 4.6

Brighton Museums The official page of Brighton & Hove Museums. We offer a range of exhibitions and family events, throughout the year.

The Royal Pavilion and Museums includes the famous regency palace of George IV, Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Hove Museum & Art Gallery, the Booth Museum of Natural History and Preston Manor. Our collections include natural history, world art, decorative art, fine art, local history and archaeology, fashion and textiles, and toys, film and media, with over a million objects in our collections. Yo

u can also see us at: www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk www.twitter.com/brightonmuseums Book exhibition tickets : http://ow.ly/2Z9zx call +44(0)3000 2909

29/04/2025

Looking for something fun this Bank Holiday weekend?

Join us this Sunday 4 May, 12–4pm at Hove Museum for a beary special day in the garden – it’s our Teddy Bears’ Picnic!

Bring your favourite teddy and enjoy:
• Free arts and crafts
• Teddy bear storytelling
• Traditional play day games
• Tasty treats from café Rust

Perfect for a relaxed family afternoon out.
Free entry | Drop-in | All ages welcome (under 13s must be with an adult)
Weather permitting – let’s hope for sunshine!

Here are a few bears from our collection which is your favourite?

https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/event/the-big-teddy-bears-picnic-at-hove-museum/

28/04/2025

🚌 Travel Smart, Travel Safe!

We’ve teamed up with Brighton & Hove Buses to help plan your journeys — travel safe, travel smart, and make every trip fun.

This fantastic programme helps Year 6 students gain the skills and confidence to travel independently and safely by bus as they move up to secondary school. As part of the collaboration, we’re delighted to welcome participating schools to Brighton Museum and the Royal Pavilion for free educational visits, supported by complimentary bus travel and an interactive travel workshop at the Travel Hub on North Street.

Together, we’re helping young people build independence, discover their city, and travel smart!

Let’s get moving: https://bit.ly/3EBkDQx

26/04/2025

You’ve seen Karen Hsu's stunning paper flower installation at the Royal Pavilion for the COLOUR Exhibition, now it’s YOUR turn to get creative! 🌷✨ Join Karen Hsu for a hands-on workshop where you'll craft a lifelike paper peony using luxurious Italian crepe paper.

Paper Peony Workshop with Karen Hsu from the Pom Pom Factory
🗓 When: Sat 24 May
🕚 Times: 11am-1:30pm & 3-5:30pm
📍 Where: Royal Pavilion, William IV Room
💸 Price: £65 | Members: £55

Discover the emotional power of colour and take home a gorgeous peony YOU made! Materials provided + templates to keep!

Pom Pom Factory, founded by Karen Hsu, transforms paper into lifelike flowers inspired by nature. The process of folding, cutting, and shaping paper is meditative, blending creativity with craftsmanship. From simple pom poms to large-scale installations, each piece embodies the fusion of natural beauty and artistic skill.

Limited spots — book now
https://bit.ly/3Er3qJz

24/04/2025

Have you discovered Preston Manor & Gardens yet? If not, why not?!

We've had an overwhelmingly positive response since we opened the great green doors of this fascinating Edwardian Manor at the start of April, with visitors enjoying discovering more about the house, its family, servants, dogs and spooky spirits.

These beautiful images were created by the amazing Christopher John Photography and really capture the beauty of this extraordinary house which overlooks Preston Park in Brighton. It may not have the size of Highclere Castle, but it definitely has all the Downton Abbey vibes.

Join us in 1912 and explore a day with the Thomas-Stanfords.

The Manor is open Fri-Sunday from 10am-4pm. Admission applies. Don't miss Cafe Rust for post manor refreshments!

https://bit.ly/4belcM4

23/04/2025

Time Travel Alert! Hands up if you remember Brighton in the 1960s and 70s? Can you recognise these locations?

Tomorrow (24 April), join us at Hove Museum for a captivating, FREE tour through time. Using 35mm slides from the Brighton Borough Surveyor collection, we’ll guide you through the streets of Brighton as they looked 50-60 years ago.

🕒 11:30 AM at Hove Museum - no booking, just turn up!

And for those wondering on locations:

1. Brighton seafront showing the “peacock” illumination in the daytime, c1968
2. Western Road at the junction with Cranbourne Street before the Churchill Square development, mid-1960s
3. Brighton seafront showing the illuminations including the “Rotosphere” (aka the “Sputnik”), c1968
4. The recently completed Brighton Square, c1966
5. Snowfall in Saltdean, December 1967

Has it whet your appetite? Don’t miss this rare opportunity to experience Brighton’s storied past.

https://bit.ly/3GnNEzJ

21/04/2025

🐣 Happy Easter Monday, folks🐰
We’ve just waved a slightly teary goodbye to our beloved Mechanical Circus, thanks for all the laughs, button-pushing, and pure joy. 🎪💛 You were weird, wonderful, and totally unforgettable.

But don’t worry, our Easter Bunny isn’t just here for chocolate. 🐇
BIG news incoming...🥁 Drumroll, please...
🎉 Our next exhibition is Beside the Sea: featuring iconic, hilarious, and oh-so-British seaside snaps by JJ Waller JJ.Waller Photographer & Publisher. and Martin Parr !

Think beach towels, ice creams, and a healthy dose of British eccentricity. ☀️📸
Coming very soon to Hove Museum!
📍 https://bit.ly/42sQOtm
📸
Martin Parr: Ice Cream
JJ Waller: Post box

20/04/2025

Happy Easter from all of us at Brighton & Hove Museums 🥚

All our sites are open as normal today, but there is one venue that will be open for the last time this year (apart from special events!). From today (at 5pm), Booth Museum of Natural History will be closed for 12 months as part of an exciting new project to improve the museum and protect its incredible collections for the future. While the museum is closed for regular visits, we’ll be working on:

🔹 Upgrading storage conditions for the museum’s 525,000 specimens
🔹 Enhancing building systems (alarms, fire safety, etc.)
🔹 Tackling collection management challenges
🔹 Restoring and conserving the iconic Victorian dioramas
🔹 Preparing for a new natural history collection bequest

However, Booth Museum will be open for special event days and behind-the-scenes access. Check out our What's On pages for more details.

Until then, enjoy some historic images of our beautiful Booth Museum ❤️

OPENING HOURS TODAY AT OUR VENUES:
Royal Pavilion - 9.30am - 5.45pm
Preston Manor & Gardens - 10am - 4pm
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery - 10am - 5pm
Hove Museum of Creativity - 10am - 5pm
Booth Museum of Natural History - 10am - 5pm

19/04/2025

Looking for something vibrant to do this long Easter weekend? Follow the rainbow road to the Royal Pavilion for a dazzling celebration of COLOUR!

Step inside and explore our bold, bright, and beautiful new exhibition perfect for all ages. Whether you’re visiting Brighton or enjoying a local day out, don’t miss this eyepopping experience 🌈

COLOUR is included in your normal Royal Pavilion admission. Also don't miss our programme of COLOUR-themed events throughout the summer including Pinot and Picasso at the Pavilion, Colour Conversations in the Old Courtroom and paper flower and bird workshops with esteemed artists.

https://bit.ly/3XGJt7L

YesColours

18/04/2025

🎉 All FIVE Brighton & Hove Museums venues are open this Easter Weekend!

For the first time in five years all FIVE of our museums will be open over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend! 🐣🎨

🏰 Royal Pavilion – Step into COLOUR, an explosion of art, installations, colour wheels and family interactives. Follow the rainbow road and don’t miss the new Botanist Coffee Co. for sweet Easter treats.

🏡 Preston Manor – Open for the first Easter in 5 years (Fri–Sun). Step back to 1912, then relax in the new Manor Tearoom by Café Rust.

🎭 Brighton Museum & Art Gallery – Open all weekend including Bank Holiday Monday! Discover our Brighton & Hove Albion: A Year in Europe exhibition and much more.

🦉 The Booth Museum – Open for the LAST time before essential maintenance. Don’t miss the Victorian taxidermy, skeletons, and more.

🎠 Hove Museum – Final weekend for the amazing Mechanical Circus exhibition, plus art, craft and family Drop-In & Play sessions.

🎨 Free Drop-In & Draw Days
📍 Friday 18 April: Hove Museum
📍 Sunday 20 April: The Booth Museum
🎲 Play Days: Sunday 20 April at Hove Museum Gardens

📅 Don’t miss this opportunity to visit them all!

https://bit.ly/4cDigZP

15/04/2025

Ever wanted to make your own magical bird out of paper? Join internationally acclaimed artist Zack McLaughlin for a whimsical, hands-on workshop at the Royal Pavilion, where fantasy takes flight. In this 2-hour session, you'll create a stunning paper bird inspired by the Pavilion’s famously flamboyant wallpapers. Using vibrant, high-quality papers and just a pair of scissors (plus Zack’s expert guidance), you'll learn how to cut, curl, and layer feathers to bring your bird to life. No experience? No problem. This is perfect for curious beginners, crafty pros, and anyone who loves a bit of beautiful mess. Fantasy Paper Bird Workshop with Zack McLaughlin Saturday 10 May 2025, 1.30–3.30pmWilliam IV Room, Royal Pavilion£35 / £30 Members // All materials provided – and yes, you’ll take your bird home!Zack’s work has wowed clients like Jo Malone, Fortnum & Mason, and even Sir David Attenborough (no pressure). Now’s your chance to learn from the paper wizard himself. Book now – this one's going to fly! https://brightonmuseums.org.uk/event/fantasybirdworkshop/

14/04/2025

LAST CHANCE TO SEE THE BOOTH MUSEUM FOR ONE YEAR!

This Easter Sunday (20 April), the Booth Museum will close its doors for twelve months as we begin our work to make improvements to this wonderful natural history treasure trove. So whatever you do this week, pop in to see our wonderful Brighton gem which is FREE to enter for the (temporary) last time to see:

1️⃣ Bird Dioramas – Hundreds of 19th-century taxidermy birds in dramatic natural scenes. Weirdly beautiful, oddly peaceful.

2️⃣ Skeleton Hall – Discover skeletons of creatures from kangaroos to dolphins, plus an elephant skull and striking preserved specimens like a towering taxidermy brown bear. Creepy? A little. Cool? Absolutely.

3️⃣ Butterfly Wall – Rainbow rows of butterflies from around the world. Delicate, detailed, and very Insta-worthy

4️⃣ Incredible Insects – Beetles, bugs, and a mind-blowing array of pinned specimens in classic Victorian style.

5️⃣ Booth’s Original Study – Step inside the actual office of Edward Booth himself. Crammed with field notes, sketches, and that perfect dose of Victorian eccentricity.

📍 Free entry | Family-friendly | Open Tuesday & Wednesday, 12pm-5pm and Saturday & Sunday, 10am-5pm.

Please note, we will be having special events at the Booth Museum during its closure, visit our website what's on pages for more information. We also have a Storytelling and Art Club on 15 April as part of Easter Holiday fun! Just drop in!

13/04/2025

🎪 One week left🎪
We're not crying, you are.😢 After months of pure joy, Mechanical Circus is rolling out of Hove Museum on 21 April.

This free exhibition has been a total blast, little ones, grown-ups, and museum staff have all been mesmerised by the magical automata from the brilliant minds at Cabaret Mechanical Theatre . We loved working with them (please come back? 🥹).

We also launched our new café: shoutout to Cafe Rust 🧁, and let’s be honest, those cakes made the memories even sweeter.

Push-buttons, circus fun, build-your-own automata, and mechanical madness… all for free.

If you’d love to see a new Cabaret Mechanical Theatre show with fresh automata, smash that ❤️- we’re taking notes!

📅 Ends 21 April
📍 Hove Museum of Creativity
🎟️ Free!

11/04/2025

We’ve shrunk history & dipped it in YesColours

We’ve joined the mini action figure trend but these teeny-tiny creations are based on actual objects from our new exhibition at the Royal Pavilion - COLOUR. No AI fever dreams here, just good old-fashioned museum mischief.

🏰 First up, the Royal Pavilion, now pocket-sized and positively glowing in Electric Orange & mini George IV, looking fabulous in Electric Blue, and frankly, loving the attention.

🦸‍♂️ But the real hero here? It’s COLOUR.

Sure, it doesn’t wear a cape, but it does come with its own exhibition.
And yes, we even tried to turn it into an action figure (because, why not?).

🖼️ Included with your Pavilion general ticket: no extra fees, just extra fabulousness.
📍At the Royal Pavilion

📸 Come have a giggle, get inspired, and tag us in your mini moments, use
https://bit.ly/3RbHxAB

09/04/2025

Think Black British history began in 1948? Think again.
Join pioneering historian Professor Hakim Adi for a powerful, illustrated talk revealing the untold stories of African and Caribbean people in Britain—from Roman soldiers on Hadrian’s Wall to Black Tudors in royal courts. Based on his acclaimed book, this is history like you’ve never heard it.
Set in the stunning Music Room of the Royal Pavilion, this is your chance to explore centuries of hidden heritage in one unforgettable evening.
Part of the Brighton Festival programme 2025
https://bit.ly/4jiD5ff

Address

Royal Pavilion
Brighton And Hove
BN11EE

Telephone

+443000290900

Website

http://brightonmuseums.org.uk/

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