Mudpie Fridays >> Brighton >> The Booth Museum in Brighton

The Booth Museum in Brighton

The Booth Museum in Brighton reminds me of my own childhood. I can remember visiting when I was a little girl with my parents. So I was delighted when we found ourselves in Brighton the other weekend with a couple of hours to spare. We decided to use our free time to visit Brighton’s Natural History Museum and introduce the boys to the array of animals on show there. If you are looking for free things to do in the city of Brighton with kids then this should be on your list.

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Where is The Booth Museum of Natural History in Brighton?

The Booth Museum is located on Dyke Road which is on the outskirts of the compact city. If you are located in the centre of Brighton it is about a mile and a half. Just aim for the clock tower and then walk towards the station. The museum is about a fifteen-minute walk from the train station. If you are driving then there is on-road car parking directly opposite the museum. In front of the park. This is pay by phone or ticket machine.

If all the spaces are gone which can happen when the kids are playing football. Take the next left just after the Tesco Petrol Station and there is more on-street parking. You can also catch a bus from central Brighton. Both bus numbers 27 and 77 stop on Dyke Road close to the museum entrance. The address of The Booth Museum is – 194 Dyke Road, Brighton, East Sussex, BN1 5AA.

Tickets and entry to the Booth Museum

Unlike so many other attractions in the city. The Booth Museum is free to enter. Run by a charitable trust after the museum was gifted by Edward Booth to the city. With the express wish, his collection of taxidermy birds displayed in dioramas should not be altered. Today the museum’s collection is based around his desire to collect examples of every bird species.

Opening hours vary depending on whether it is a school holiday or not. The museum is open on Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. During term time it is also open on Wednesday afternoons from 2 pm to 5 pm. Although during the holidays this extended to 10 am to 5 pm. The museum is closed on Thursdays and Fridays.

What will you see at the Booth Natural History Museum?

There is a lot to see at the Brighton Natural History Museum which started with the Victorian taxidermy collection of Edward Booth. The building was originally built by Edward Thomas Booth in his back garden. Today there are floor-to-ceiling displays of British birds in their natural settings. Pioneering a new way of displaying his stuffed birds in their natural habitat in glass cases known as a diorama. Many museums around the world today still use his techniques which were developed in the 1870s.

As well as the taxidermy there is also a wide range of animal species bones. This collection of birds, reptiles and mammals was the private collection of a local doctor Frederick William Lucas. He donated the collection on his death after the first world war. Charlie in particular was fascinated by many of the skulls. They have some more unusual skeletons such as dolphins and a kangaroo. There is also a small geology section.

My favourite are the displays of beautifully coloured butterflies. In shimmering greens and blues. The insect collection is one of the largest outside of the national museums. With lots of educational material explaining the butterfly lifecycle designed to hold the kid’s interest.

Since I was a child the museum has also added a Victorian Parlour in the middle of the building. This shows what a Victorian’s gentlemen parlour may have looked like. Complete with furniture, foreign animals and hunting equipment. It was quite common for a gentleman to have collections of shells, pebbles and curiosities. This a reminder of how our values have changed since the Victorian era. Where we have gone from collecting trophies to enabling the conservation and protection of wildlife.

What age is it suitable for?

The boys were six and ten when we visited. Harry was a little perturbed by all the stuffed birds. But he found the Discovery Lab really interesting. Children under the age of 14 need to be accompanied by a parent. I would suggest that the museum is suitable for children of all ages although older children will get more out of the exhibits. Saying that the museum has put a lot of effort into creating a learning and fun environment for younger children too.

What is there to do for kids?

Museums of any kind are always a great learning experience for children. However, the discovery lab at the Booth Museum in Brighton offers so many children’s activities that you can easily go back several times and have a different experience.

Harry really enjoyed being able to push buttons and see pictures appear. Although actually being able to touch dinosaur bones, fossils and arrowheads was probably the favourite. That was before he found the magnifying glasses. There are various activity cards and a book nook to enjoy as well. Through into the insect area tables are set up down the centre with family games. To encourage you to sit and play for a while. Making a trip to the Booth Museum is a really great rainy-day activity.

There are also a couple of trails you can pick up when you come in. We were given a clipboard and sent off to find exhibits that began with the letters in Edward Booth’s name. But I also saw both a bird and animal trail. Trail leaflets are free. The gallery hosts Museum Explorers events each Friday morning during term time for preschool children to get creative with natural history. Plus a number of special events.

How long do you need?

We spent an hour and a half at the fascinating museum. Although we could have spent longer getting involved in more of the activities and exploring the extensive collection. For a first visit, there is a lot to take in. You can easily visit several times and do something different each time. If we had not needed to be elsewhere I think we could have spent another half an hour before the boy’s attention spans waned. Definitely factor in an hour and a half to two hours in your Brighton itinerary. And don’t forget to have a nose in the small gift shop which is full of beautiful sustainable souvenirs.

What else is there nearby?

If you are visiting with children then there is Dyke Road Park directly opposite the museum. It is a lovely park with lots of exploratory play equipment. Ideal for younger children it is very popular. There is a small cafe where you can pick up a hot drink and snack.

If you are visiting without children then walk back down towards the centre of Brighton and you will come across seven dials. Which is a roundabout with seven roads leading off of it. Hence the name. Here there are more cafes, delis and artisan shops. The perfect place to stop for a bite to eat or a hot drink away from the hustle and bustle of the centre of the city.

Have you visited the Booth Museum in Brighton? I would love to hear about your experience n the comments below.