Photo: Benutzer:9mal Kluger (CC BY-SA 2.0 de), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in Eastbourne
The best holidays are planned around great days out. Here's what's on the doorstep in Eastbourne, from big-ticket attractions to rainy-day savers.
Showing museums, aquariums and attractions with indoor areas — the ones that work whatever the forecast.
🎟️ This weekend near Eastbourne
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 23:00
Aura Weekends
Aura Nightclub Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells · 24.9 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 00:00
Sea Life Brighton Anytime Entry
Sea Life Centre, Brighton · 18.9 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 16:30
DIY Basics
Doityourself, Lewes · 14.4 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 18:30
30 Years of Volks Presents - AFU-RA - Body of the life force
The Volks Nightclub, Brighton · 18.8 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
14.7 mi from Eastbourne
Blue Reef Aquarium
Blue Reef is a national chain of public aquariums in England owned by Aspro Parks. — Wikipedia
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18.9 mi from Eastbourne
Brighton Aquarium
SEA LIFE Brighton is the world's oldest continually operating aquarium, opened in 1872 and originally designed by Eugenius Birch. Inside you'll find more than 5,000 marine creature...
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18.9 mi from Eastbourne
Sea Life Centre
SEA LIFE Brighton is the world's oldest continually operating aquarium, opened in 1872 and designed by Eugenius Birch, the architect behind the West Pier. Inside, you'll find more...
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Museums & Galleries
4.1 mi from Eastbourne
Pevensey Courthouse Museum
Pevensey Court House, formerly known as Pevensey Town Hall, is a municipal building in the High Street, Pevensey, East Sussex, England. The structure, which currently accommodates... — Wikipedia
8.1 mi from Eastbourne
Seaford Museum (Martello Tower 74)
The Seaford Museum and Heritage Society is a local history museum located at the Martello Tower in East Sussex, England. It was established in 1979 and contains objects, archives a... — Wikipedia
9.1 mi from Eastbourne
Bexhill Museum
Bexhill Museum is a volunteer-run town museum housed in a building that mixes modern and Edwardian styles across four galleries. Inside you'll find dinosaur footprints, local fossi...
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9.2 mi from Eastbourne
Charleston House
Charleston, in East Sussex, is a property associated with the Bloomsbury group, that is open to the public. It was the country home of Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant and is an examp... — Wikipedia
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9.9 mi from Eastbourne
Farleys Barn Gallery
Farleys House & Gallery was the home of Surrealist artists Lee Miller and Roland Penrose, who lived there for 35 years and filled it with contemporary art treasures, hosting many k...
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10.4 mi from Eastbourne
Newhaven Fort
Newhaven Fort is a museum and heritage attraction telling the story of Sussex from pre-history to the present, including the fort's construction and its role in two world wars. You...
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13.3 mi from Eastbourne
Battle Abbey
Battle Abbey marks the site of the 1066 Battle of Hastings, where William the Conqueror's Norman army met King Harold's English forces. You can explore interactive displays in the...
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13.3 mi from Eastbourne
Battle Museum of Local History
Battle Museum of Local History brings together the story of Battle, East Sussex, from prehistoric times through to the modern day, with collections that began life as a 1951 Festiv...
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13.3 mi from Eastbourne
Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum
The Bentley Wildfowl and Motor Museum was a visitor attraction near Halland, East Sussex, England. As of October 2018, it is closed to the public. — Wikipedia
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13.7 mi from Eastbourne
Hastings Museum and Art Gallery
Hastings Museum & Art Gallery is a community-focused museum bringing together art, natural history, local history, archaeology and world cultures collections. You can explore the r...
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13.8 mi from Eastbourne
The True CRIME Museum
The True CRIME Museum in Hastings offers a chilling look into the world of serial killers, forensics, gangsters, prisoners and poisoners. You'll see genuine artefacts such as a let...
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14.3 mi from Eastbourne
Anne of Cleves' House
Anne of Cleves' House is a timber-framed medieval building dating from the 15th century, once given to Anne of Cleves after her marriage to Henry VIII ended, though she never actua...
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14.3 mi from Eastbourne
The Tom Paine Printing Press & Press Gallery
The Tom Paine Printing Press & Press Gallery is a working 18th century style wooden Common Press, set up in Lewes by artist Peter Chasseaud and operational since July 2009. You can...
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14.3 mi from Eastbourne
Barbican House Museum
House museum next to Lewes castle, East Sussex, England, UK
14.6 mi from Eastbourne
Hastings Fishermen's Museum
Hastings Fishermen's Museum is a museum dedicated to the fishing industry and maritime history of Hastings, a seaside town in East Sussex, England. It is housed in a former church,... — Wikipedia
14.7 mi from Eastbourne
Shipwreck Museum
The Shipwreck Museum is an independent charitable museum in the historic Old Town of Hastings, UK. The museum has artefacts from many ships wrecked in the English Channel from the... — Wikipedia
Theme Parks
0.8 mi from Eastbourne
Treasure Island & Adventure Golf
Treasure Island Adventure Park is a pirate-themed attraction in Eastbourne, East Sussex, combining indoor and outdoor fun for a day out whatever the weather. Inside, Buccaneers off...
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7 mi from Eastbourne
Knockhatch Adventure Park
Knockhatch Adventure Park is a family theme park in Arlington, Wealden, bringing together rides, animals and play areas for a full day out whatever the weather. You can explore the...
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11.4 mi from Eastbourne
Blackberry Farm Park
Blackberry Farm Park is a family run farm park set in the East Sussex countryside, offering a fun filled family day out. You can enjoy pony rides for ages 2 and up, feed our animal...
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Zoos & Wildlife
6.7 mi from Eastbourne
Drusillas Park
Drusillas Park is a family-run zoo in Alfriston, East Sussex, combining hundreds of exotic animals with play and rides for children. Alongside the animal habitats, you'll find SPAR...
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Where to stay near Eastbourne
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around Eastbourne
Haunted Britain
Eastbourne is an easy base for a few days out: a seafront town on the East Sussex coast with big chalk cliffs on one side and a run of small, characterful museums scattered along the coast and inland. You don't need to plan it to the minute — but it helps to know which bits sit well together, and which are best saved for a wet afternoon.
The outdoors: cliffs and coastline
The Seven Sisters Cliffs are the obvious headline, and they earn it. This is proper walking country — open grassland, sea air and a coastline that changes character with the weather. Take boots rather than trainers, because the grass holds water long after the rain has stopped, and check the forecast for wind as well as rain; the exposed clifftop sections feel very different on a blustery day.
Pair the walk with The Beachy Head Story, which gives the landscape some context and makes a sensible stop if legs are tired or the sky turns. If you'd rather swim than walk, Saltdean Lido over towards Brighton is an outdoor pool with genuine period charm — worth checking seasonal opening before you set off, as with any lido.
Heritage and history
In Eastbourne itself, the Redoubt Fortress is the standout heritage site: a substantial coastal fortification and an easy one to fold into a seafront morning. Further along the coast, Rye Castle Museum at Ypres Tower and Rye Castle Museum cover the older defensive history of the area, while Tonbridge Castle Gatehouse is a good option if you're heading inland. Charleston House is a different proposition altogether — an artistic, domestic sort of heritage that suits a slower, quieter day.
Rainy days and museums
This region is unusually well stocked with small museums, which makes a wet forecast far less of a problem. Depending on where you're heading:
- Brighton Toy and Model Museum — detailed, nostalgic and good for mixed-age groups.
- Hove Museum and Rottingdean Museum — local collections that fill an hour or two comfortably.
- The True CRIME Museum in Hastings — grim in places, so use your judgement with younger visitors.
- Hastings Fishermen's Museum — a proper working-coast collection.
- Bexhill Museum — a solid, varied local museum.
- Stanmer Craft Museum and the Doll's House Museum over in West Sussex — both small, both rewarding if you like detail.
With children
Anything with engines tends to work. SteamWorks! and the Bluebell Railway Museum both appeal to children who want to see things move rather than read labels, and the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway makes a genuine day out in its own right if you're prepared to travel over towards Canterbury. Closer to home, the Brighton Toy and Model Museum is reliable in any weather, and Saltdean Lido is the one to hold back for a hot spell. Woodchurch Museum in Kent is another quiet option for a day when you want less noise and fewer crowds.
Grouping it into a sensible day
Two patterns work well. The cliffs-and-coast day: a morning on the Seven Sisters Cliffs, lunch, then the Redoubt Fortress or The Beachy Head Story in the afternoon, keeping the indoor stop as your rain insurance. The museum-hopping day: pick one town and stack two or three small museums rather than driving between them — Hastings works for this, with Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Bexhill Museum and The True CRIME Museum all in reach of one another.
Resist doing a cliff walk and a long drive on the same day. One big thing plus one small thing is the realistic ceiling.
Where to eat
For a proper sit-down meal, The Rodmill and First In Last Out are both pubs with 5-star hygiene ratings, which is a reasonable shortcut when you're choosing somewhere unfamiliar. For coffee and something lighter, Trading Post Coffee Roasters and The Espresso Room both fit the gap between a walk and a museum. Bexhill Gelateria is the one to remember on a warm afternoon.
Making it a short break
Three nights is the sweet spot: one coastal walking day, one museum day, one slow day with a single booking and no driving. There are 93 places to stay on BritStays in the region, so it's worth being specific about what matters to you — parking, a drying space for wet coats, somewhere you can eat in after a long day out.
Book Charleston House and any railway journeys ahead of time, check seasonal opening for anything outdoors, and keep one indoor option unbooked in reserve so a wet morning doesn't cost you the day.
Frequently asked questions
What's the main outdoor attraction near Eastbourne?
The Seven Sisters Cliffs are the standout coast and beach landmark in the region. It's open clifftop walking, so take waterproofs and proper footwear, and check the wind as well as the rain forecast before you go.
What is there to do in Eastbourne itself on a rainy day?
The Beachy Head Story is an indoor museum in Eastbourne that gives useful context to the surrounding coastline, and the Redoubt Fortress is the town's main castle and heritage site. Both work well as a fallback if a clifftop walk is rained off.
Which attractions work best with children?
SteamWorks! and the Bluebell Railway Museum suit children who like engines, and the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway near Canterbury is a full day out on its own. The Brighton Toy and Model Museum is a dependable indoor choice, and Saltdean Lido is the one to save for warm weather.
Can I visit several museums in one day?
Yes, if you stay in one town rather than driving between them. Hastings is the easiest for this, with Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Bexhill Museum, The True CRIME Museum and the Rye Castle Museum at Ypres Tower all within the same area.
Where can I eat with a 5-star hygiene rating?
The Rodmill and First In Last Out are both pubs and inns with 5-star hygiene ratings. For lighter stops there's The Espresso Room and Trading Post Coffee Roasters, and Bexhill Gelateria for ice cream.
How many nights should I book, and how many places are there to stay?
Three nights works well: one day on the cliffs, one museum day and one slower day without driving. There are 93 places to stay on BritStays in the Eastbourne region, so check for parking and somewhere to dry wet coats when you compare them.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in Eastbourne.