Photo: Qmin (CC BY-SA 3.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in East Sussex
Wondering what to do in East Sussex? This guide lists the area's attractions — zoos, museums, theme parks and more — with distances, so you can plan every day of your trip.
🎟️ This weekend near East Sussex
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 23:00
Aura Weekends
Aura Nightclub Tunbridge Wells, Tunbridge Wells · 15.8 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 00:00
Sea Life Brighton Anytime Entry
Sea Life Centre, Brighton · 17.7 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 16:30
DIY Basics
Doityourself, Lewes · 10.6 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 · 17.6 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
15.4 mi from East Sussex
Blue Reef Aquarium
Blue Reef is a national chain of public aquariums in England owned by Aspro Parks. — Wikipedia
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17.7 mi from East Sussex
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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17.7 mi from East Sussex
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
2.3 mi from East Sussex
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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6.2 mi from East Sussex
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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6.7 mi from East Sussex
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
7.1 mi from East Sussex
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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10.2 mi from East Sussex
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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10.3 mi from East Sussex
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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10.4 mi from East Sussex
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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10.7 mi from East Sussex
Barbican House Museum
House museum next to Lewes castle, East Sussex, England, UK
10.8 mi from East Sussex
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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10.9 mi from East Sussex
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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11.2 mi from East Sussex
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
11.8 mi from East Sussex
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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12.8 mi from East Sussex
Bluebell Railway Museum
Bluebell Railway Museum, in Chailey near Lewes, East Sussex, brings together the railway's archive and museum material. Its Photographic and Document Archive has moved to its own w...
14.3 mi from East Sussex
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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14.5 mi from East Sussex
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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15.2 mi from East Sussex
The Pooh’seum
The Pooh'seum sits within Pooh Corner in Hartfield, on the edge of the Ashdown Forest, and is a free museum covering the life of A.A. Milne, E.H. Shepard and Christopher Robin, wit...
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Theme Parks
2.7 mi from East Sussex
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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3.9 mi from East Sussex
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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8.9 mi from East Sussex
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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14.6 mi from East Sussex
Go Ape Bedgebury
Go Ape Bedgebury sits within Bedgebury National Pinetum, offering high ropes courses, zip lines and a dual Tarzan Swing among the treetops, plus graded forest biking trails for tho...
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22.9 mi from East Sussex
Go Ape Crawley
Go Ape Crawley sits in Tilgate Park, just outside the city, offering high ropes adventures among the treetops. You can climb 11 metre platforms, swing on the legendary Tarzan Swing...
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29.4 mi from East Sussex
Go Ape Leeds Castle
Go Ape Leeds Castle brings high ropes and zip line adventure to the grounds of Leeds Castle in Kent, with obstacles set among the treetops and a castle backdrop. The main Treetop C...
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Water Parks
14.4 mi from East Sussex
Saltdean Lido
Saltdean Lido at Saltdean Park Road, Saltdean, in the city of Brighton and Hove, in the ceremonial county of East Sussex, England, is an Art Deco lido designed by architect R.W.H.... — Wikipedia
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Zoos & Wildlife
6.5 mi from East Sussex
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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22.9 mi from East Sussex
British Wildlife Centre
The British Wildlife Centre in Horne, Tandridge, is a wildlife park showcasing over forty species of native British animals, from tiny harvest mice to red deer. Visits include half...
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25.4 mi from East Sussex
The Big Cat Sanctuary
The Big Cat Sanctuary is a conservation centre in Smarden, near Ashford, dedicated to protecting and rescuing wild cats from around the world. You can meet more than 30 cats across...
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Where to stay near East Sussex
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around East Sussex
Haunted Britain
East Sussex packs a lot into a small stretch of coast and downland: piers and lidos, cliff tops, Bloomsbury farmhouses and abbey ruins, with Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings acting as three very different bases. There are 547 places to stay on BritStays across the region, so it's easy to pick a town, settle in for a few nights and let the days out come to you rather than driving back and forth.
Days out with children
Start with the things that hold small attention spans. The Brighton Toy and Model Museum is a reliable winner, and SteamWorks! and the Bluebell Railway Museum keep anyone with a fondness for engines happy. Saltdean Lido is the obvious summer fixture on the Brighton side of the coast — pack towels and plan a slow afternoon rather than a quick dip.
In Hastings, the Hastings Fishermen's Museum gives children something tangible to look at after a wander on the beach, and it pairs naturally with an ice cream stop later. Older teenagers often gravitate towards The True CRIME Museum, which is best judged on your own family's tastes before you commit.
Rainy day options
The region copes well with weather, because so much of what's good is indoors anyway.
- Hove Museum and the Brighton Toy and Model Museum, if you're basing yourself in Brighton
- Rottingdean Museum for something smaller and quieter along the coast
- The Beachy Head Story in Eastbourne, which works well when the cliffs themselves are wrapped in cloud
- Rye Castle Museum and Rye Castle Museum at Ypres Tower, which between them fill a damp morning in the Hastings area
- Charleston House, where the interiors are the whole point
Outdoors and the coast
The Seven Sisters Cliffs are the landscape most people come for, and they reward an unhurried walk with proper boots and a wind-proof layer — the chalk is exposed and the weather changes faster than it looks from the car park. Pair the cliffs with The Beachy Head Story if you want context for what you're walking over. Great Dixter is the counterpoint: gardens to move slowly through, and a good choice when you want fresh air without a hike.
Heritage and historic houses
Battle Abbey is the heavyweight, and it's worth giving it most of a day rather than squeezing it in. Lewes Castle is easier to slot into a half-day, and the Redoubt Fortress in Eastbourne is a solid seafront-adjacent stop. For stately homes, Penshurst Place has the scale, while Tonbridge Castle Gatehouse is the more compact option and doubles as a museum visit.
Three National Trust properties give the region its literary and domestic side: Monk's House, Lamb House and Alfriston Clergy House. All three are small, so it's sensible to combine one with something larger in the same day — Monk's House with Lewes Castle, say, or Lamb House with the two Rye Castle Museum sites.
How to group a sensible day
The trick is to pick one town and one landscape, not three towns.
- Brighton day: Hove Museum in the morning, lunch, then Saltdean Lido in summer or the Brighton Toy and Model Museum if it's wet. Rottingdean Museum if you want a third, gentler stop.
- Eastbourne day: Seven Sisters Cliffs first while you've got energy, then The Beachy Head Story, then the Redoubt Fortress.
- Hastings day: Hastings Fishermen's Museum, lunch, then Rye Castle Museum at Ypres Tower and Lamb House.
- Heritage day: Battle Abbey in the morning, Great Dixter in the afternoon.
Where to eat
All of these hold 5-star hygiene ratings. The Rodmill is a straightforward pub lunch stop, and First In Last Out suits a Hastings day when you want a proper sit-down after a morning on the shingle. For coffee and something lighter, Trading Post Coffee Roasters and The Espresso Room both do the job before an early start. Bexhill Gelateria is the one to keep in reserve for a warm afternoon on the coast.
Turning it into a short break
Three nights is the sweet spot: one coastal day, one heritage day, one flexible day held back for whatever the forecast allows. Base yourself in Brighton for nightlife and museums, Eastbourne for the cliffs, or Hastings for the old town and easy access to Rye Castle Museum and Lamb House.
Practical points: book Charleston House, Great Dixter and Penshurst Place ahead where you can, as small-house capacity fills quickly in peak weeks. Check seasonal closures before travelling, particularly for Saltdean Lido and garden-led sites. Carry cash for smaller museums such as Rottingdean Museum and the Hastings Fishermen's Museum. And if you're walking the Seven Sisters Cliffs, check the forecast that morning, not the night before.
Frequently asked questions
Which towns make the best base for exploring East Sussex?
Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings are the three main bases. Brighton suits museum-led days including Hove Museum and the Brighton Toy and Model Museum, Eastbourne works best for the Seven Sisters Cliffs and The Beachy Head Story, and Hastings is handy for the Hastings Fishermen's Museum, Rye Castle Museum at Ypres Tower and Lamb House. There are 547 places to stay on BritStays across the region.
What are the best rainy day attractions in East Sussex?
Good wet-weather options include Hove Museum, the Brighton Toy and Model Museum, Rottingdean Museum, The Beachy Head Story in Eastbourne, Rye Castle Museum and Rye Castle Museum at Ypres Tower near Hastings, and Charleston House, where the interiors are the main attraction.
Which National Trust properties are in this region?
Three National Trust properties feature here: Monk's House, Lamb House and Alfriston Clergy House. All three are small, so it's worth pairing one with a larger site such as Lewes Castle or one of the Rye Castle Museum sites to fill a full day.
What should we do with children on a day out?
The Brighton Toy and Model Museum, SteamWorks! and the Bluebell Railway Museum all work well with children. Saltdean Lido is the summer choice in Brighton, and the Hastings Fishermen's Museum gives younger visitors something to look at after time on the beach. The True CRIME Museum in Hastings tends to suit older teenagers, so check it against your own family's tastes first.
How should we plan a day around the Seven Sisters Cliffs?
Walk the cliffs first while you have energy, then follow with The Beachy Head Story for context and the Redoubt Fortress in Eastbourne if you want a third stop. Wear proper boots and a wind-proof layer, and check the forecast on the morning itself rather than the night before, as conditions on the exposed chalk change quickly.
Where can we eat that has a 5-star hygiene rating?
The Rodmill and First In Last Out are both pubs and suit a sit-down lunch, Trading Post Coffee Roasters and The Espresso Room are tea room options for coffee and something lighter, and Bexhill Gelateria is a good ice cream stop on a warm afternoon.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in East Sussex.