This is a small, local museum in the centre of the historic fishing town of Shoreham-by-Sea…read more Although Shoreham can feel these days more like a suburb of Brighton, it was by far the more important town for most of recorded history, being an important port from Saxon times, and probably before. Marlipins Museum is housed in a charming old building, dating from the 12th ans 13th centuries. It's one of the oldest secular buildings in Sussex, with a facade decorated with an attractive chequerboard design of Caen stone and flints. Oddly, the Museum's strange name isn't explained anywhere. The museum traces Shoreham's history as a trading town and fishing port from the 11th century onwards, and much of the small collection focuses on ships and shipping, with a fine series of watercolour and oil paintings of the harbour and various ships, and various bits of shipping paraphernalia. But the museum records much else besides: Shoreham was the departure point from which the future Charles II escaped after the English Civil War, and it played a key role in the defences of the South Coast until recent times - the remains of a 19th fort are still visible on the shoreline, as are the more scant remains of the World War II anti-aircraft radar station situated here. Shoreham was also - incredibly - a major centre of the early British film industry, and over a dozen films were made in Shoreham studios in the silent film era. This attracted a suitably bohemian set of actors and hangers on, who established the 'bungalow town' on Shoreham beach. And, of course, Shoreham's famous and beautiful art deco airport was the UK's first licensed airport, still in regular use. But the strangest story belongs to the building itself: recent excavations found an unexplained pit under the oldest part of the building, in which was buried the skeleton of a cat. Further digging uncovered the remain of a another three cats. Theories for these strange burials range from the ancient practice of burying cats to bring good luck, to the more prosaic idea that in mediaeval times the building housed a furrier manufacturer. One of the skeletons makes for a grisly display. The museum is small enough to keep the attention of children as you go around, and is fully accessible for wheelchairs, thanks to the lift in a small modern extension.

Marlipins Museum, on the Shoreham High Street (right next to the Marlipins Pub) is a brilliant…read morecombination of old and new, with one of the oldest lay buildings in Sussex linked to a modern two-storey building in a really tasteful manner. The displays are permanently running and mainly concentrate on Shoreham's maritime history and that of the River Adur. Also, which is a little known fact, Shoreham was once the hub for the UK's silent movie industry! They offer a popular Monday coffee morning so its the perfect place to head after a nice walk around Shoreham to find out some of the area's fascinating history.

The location of this museum couldn't be more appropriate...as you enter the little door way from…read moreunder the the railway bridge, you feel as if you've opened a children's toy chest and walked right in! Whether toys are your thing or not, you won't be able to resist a pang of nostalgia as you look back at a hundred years of toy-making history. If you're too young to get excited by memories of toy train sets and wooden puppets, this is probably a perfect place to take your parents! And even if you don't remember the toys on display yourself, some of them are just plain amazing to look at- toy theatres and old-fashioned arcade games are among my favourite items on display. I'm no toy fanatic, but I like this place...it's really interesting to see how toy-making practices have evolved over the years. The central location and smaller size of the museum makes it a great place to pop into for a mini history lesson, when you've got a spare 10 minutes or an idle afternoon of wandering the Lanes. It also means you wont get museum fatigue!

Tucked away in one of the arches under Brighton's splendid Victorian railway station is this small,…read morebut perfectly formed, museum, housing the UK's foremost collection of toys and models. Centrepiece of the more than 10,000 items in its catalogue is a rare 'O' guage model railway layout, which runs at selected times (see web-site). But there are also substantial displays of puppets, dolls, tin-plate boats and buses, and dioramas of toy farms and military re-enactments. Many of the items are very rare, and the museum acts as a centre of expertise on such toys for the likes of Christie's auctioneers. The museum has a substantial education programme for children, and hosts visits by schools as well as individuals and families. As you'd expect, it's an excellent place to bring children, and the museum's web-site focuses very much on their needs. There's also a small shop to provide temptation afterwards! The museum also lays on events from time to time - see web-site for details. The museum can be a little difficult to find: emerging from the station, leave the entrance portico on the right hand side (by Marks & Spencer's), and Trafalgar Street is the road which descends steeply under the station's forecourt - the museum is actually underneath. Public transport (train and bus) is excellent, but car parking is a bit more tricky: however, there's an NCP car park a few blocks away.

This is a small museum and art gallery. It has displays that are very boring. I hate places that…read morethink they can just shove something in a glass case and then label it. There is no interaction with the history on display here. It is an old style museum that hopefully will disappear soon. The art gallery has some interesting pieces on display. But, it is on such a small scale that it really is not worth the effort! The library is on the ground floor.

The Tunbridge Wells museum on Mount Pleasant Road is quite a cool museum. Not as exciting as the…read moretypes of museum's found in London or other major cities across the UK but it is home to some rather interesting artefacts and exhibitions. It's free so you can't complain to much and it's worth checking it our for something to do because even if you're not keen on it, you won't have wasted any money. Although I have to say that the dolls and toys section was really cool! There is also a collection of natural history and some great textiles and costumes available to view. It's not at all bad and I really recommend it because, as I said before, IT'S FREEEE!!

This quaint little museum is a great place to head to for some local Sussex history and a taste of…read morethe attractive little town of Steyning. Its open all year round and there are permanent exhibits as well as temporary ones to look at. You need to phone ahead to book a visit but its ideal for a school group or if you are planning a nice country walk afterwards. There's a cute little shop there too if you want to buy some souvenirs!

The Steyning museum is a little room in a small town run by diminutive grandmamas containing an…read moreabundance of historical information. Everything that's happened in Steyning since prehistoric times is documented here, and brought to life in displays based on archaeological digs, donated artefacts and ancient maps. Its unpromising facade actually gives way to a surprisingly interesting hour or so of your time, even if you have no particular interest in local history for its own sake. Steyning was once situated on a navigable estuary of the Adur, and the small port town was home to all the shenanigans that port towns are susceptible to, such as smuggling, water-borne fighting and seedy public houses of ill repute. There is plenty of archaeological interest, and various anecdotes of local characters past and very nearly present, including Mr Potter and his bizarre collection of taxidermy, which was on display until just a few years ago. It isn't all macabre, however, and there are plenty of interactive exhibits and activities for children. The museum welcomes group visits, and there is even a little shop if you want to pick up some mementoes of your trip. If you find yourself at a loose end in Steyning, this is well worth a visit to absorb a couple of hours productively.

Hove Museum and Art Gallery on Church road is easily accessible on many bus routes and well worth a…read morevisit. They have an interesting wooden oriental gate in the grounds, quite pretty gardens and an interesting selection of exhibits. For those interested in the history of Brighton and Hove there is plenty to amuse and they have also got lots of exhibits and a toy collection that will be of interest to kids and the young at heart. Lots of the exhibits have special interactive features to keep the kids interested.

Great for children and adults alike. I came here as a child and have now brought my own children…read morehere a number of times. This is a great resource for local archaeology and history, which makes it all the more exciting! Lots of interesting displays and exhibits There is a small shop selling museum souvenirs There are also small quizzes the children can carry out while touring the museum I believe entry is free/ donation

This is a great place to take the kids on a rainy day, it teachs you about the local area and is…read moregreat for history on where we live. The kids are entertained and the adults are equally entertained. The gift shop is small but adequate for reminders of your day. A good day out for the whole family!

We'd been here before when the boys were small. I wanted to bring them back because of the…read moreexcellent Electricity and Communications exhibits. Not to mention the hilarious walk through vintage TV and Radio sets. Try explaining cassettes and black and white TV to a 7yr old! The rest of the museum is pleasant; bit quiet and some of the working exhibits were closed which is a bit disappointing on a bank holiday weekend. On the whole a nice 4hrs.

I had to drag some of the other families along here, but I think they were pleasantly surprised! A…read moremuseum of local industry on an old chalk pit does sound dull but there is lots of interactive elements and a wide range of exhibits. For kids the narrow gauge railway is fun and they got a lot of fun and learnign out of the interactive aspects of the electricity and telecom exhibitions. I liked the old bus collection. Its worth tryign to ensure you go here on a day when their will be lots of the volunteers working the various old machinery as this brings it to life. There was printing and pottery and a couple of other 'machines in action' when we were there. A full day out.

I LOVED the Brighton Museum. I was beyond pleasantly surprised…read more The museum is in a lovely building right beside the Royal Pavilion, so there is no reason why you cannot pay it a visit. The collections were rather hodgepodge, and sometimes it was difficult to figure out the connecting theme of what I was looking at, but everything was interesting - from the little alcove about Ancient Egypt to the Main Hall to the exhibits on Clothing as well as Modern Art (and I don't even care for modern art.) This museum also had a quality that escapes most others - it was great for both adults and children. I can easily say that, of all the sights I saw during my day in Brighton, this was definitely my favourite.

I always enjoy a visit to a museum, what's not to love about learning for free?…read moreSet in the heart of Brighton's Royal Pavillion gardens, you can really feel the culture when you visit the area. If you're stuck for ideas on what to do in Brighton when the weather is less than ideal, you could do much worse than making the trip here. Although small, the museum houses some interesting collections. My personal highlights are the Egyptology section and the history of Brighton room. Seeing the old photos of the west pier in all its glory and how the Pavillion looked over the years is fascinating.