Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is located in the Royal Pavilion garden, at the heart of the city’s cultural quarter. Its diverse collections bring together the arts and history to tell stories about the city and the world we live in.
Brighton Museum is located in the city centre within the Royal Pavilion Estate. It is on level ground, close to the Lanes and North Laine and only 5 minutes walk from the sea.
Visitors must pay an admission charge to enter Brighton Museum, although residents of Brighton & Hove are entitled to free entry with proof of address. Disabled visitors receive discounts on admission prices and companions can enter free. Additional charges may apply for temporary exhibitions and events.
All areas of the Museum are accessible for wheelchair users and for people with limited mobility. There is a passenger lift and accessible toilets.
Visitor Services Officers are positioned around the building should you require any assistance and are happy to answer any queries.
BSL interpreted group tours are available for the hard of hearing. All group tours must be booked in advance.
Brighton Museum & Art Gallery has recently become a member of the Visitor Attraction Quality Assurance scheme.
Pre-Arrival
- For full details and maps of how to reach us please see the How to get heresection of our website. Alternatively you can plan your journey by car or public transport using www.traveline.info; simply enter your postcode and ours, which is BN1 1EE to get directions.
- The nearest railway station is Brighton, which is a 15-20 minute walk. Taxis are available at the station. If you require an accessible taxi you can book this in advance.
- See contact information section for details for taxi companies in Brighton & Hove.
- The Fed Centre for Independent Living also provides helpful information on the various Wheelchair Accessible Taxis on the road to help you find the taxi that’s right for you. www.thefedonline.org.uk Montague House, Montague Place Brighton BN2 1JE 01273 296747 info@thefedonline.org.uk
- Buses stop at either North Street or the Old Steine. See contact information section for more details of bus services.
- Access to Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is through the garden via level paths.
- Public toilets are situated in the garden, including an accessible toilet.
- Visitors using mobility scooters are asked to leave them in the foyer and transfer to one of our manual wheelchairs. If you do this, please bring along a companion to push the wheelchair or if you need a member of staff to assist you phone 03000 290900 or email visitor.services@brighton-hove.gov.uk in advance to book someone to help.
- There is a concessionary price for disabled visitors to paying exhibitions and a companion can enter free.
Blue Badge disabled bays
- Church Street, BN1 1UF which is near St. Giles Language School, has 4 disabled bays and there is no time limit for these bays. There is also an NCP Car Park with Disabled Bays which is located on the ground floor these are not free.
- New Road, BN1 1UF has 3 bays and three hour limit.
- Jubilee Street, BN1 1GE has a set of bays and three hour time limit.
- In Brighton & Hove, providing the badge and time disc are displayed correctly, you can park in a disabled bay, a pay & display bay and a shared use bay but not in ‘resident permit only’ bays.
- Additionally Blue Badge holders with a clock are allowed to park on yellow lines for up to 3 hours provided they are not causing an obstruction and there are no loading restrictions.
- Visitors can be dropped off in Church Street near the William IV gate. The entrance to the Museum is slightly sloped but even, and the main entrance has double doors 1450cm wide which are power assisted operated by a button on the left wall.
Main Entrance, Reception and Ticketing Area
- The Museum foyer is on the ground floor, and has step free, level access throughout. Power assisted doors are available throughout the building.
- There are some chairs with arms in this area.
- The area is evenly well lit with overhead lighting.
- The Information desk is low and has an induction loop.
- Pen and paper are available on request.
- A magnifying glass is available on request.
- Within the foyer there is a tactile/braille map of the Museum, and printed maps are available for visitors to take.
- Wheelchair and Walker loan is available, free of charge, on request.
- There is a wheelchair accessible passenger lift between the ground and first floor galleries, with a mirror at the rear, and a visual indication of floor level, although no voice announcement as it travels one floor only.
- RNIB PenFriends are available here for use in the galleries.
Attraction
- There are wide routes between areas throughout the galleries.
- Flooring is even, varnished wood or mosaic throughout the building.
- Interpretation panels and signage throughout the Museum are of a reasonable size with clear font and contrast.
- Seating is available throughout the Museum, and there are folding stools available for visitors to use throughout the building.
- Light levels vary in the Museum. Some galleries, such as the Costume and Prints galleries have low light levels for conservation reasons.
- The ground floor contains seven galleries, Education Rooms and toilet and baby changing facilities.
- The World Stories gallery has large print transcripts, QR codes, BSL and subtitles on the audio visual presentations, hearing loops, tactile exhibits and a PC with a trackball and screen reading software. A large print guide to using the technology is also available. RNIB PenFriends are available from the Information desk to be used by visitors with visual impairment to access audio information about the displays.
- The Egypt gallery has a gently sloped floor.
- The first floor is accessible via the lift or stairs of 12+10+9 steps, and contains permanent galleries and temporary exhibition spaces.
- The Costume gallery has a gently sloped ramp with a 1:17 gradient and handrails.
Public Toilets
- Public toilets are available on the ground floor, with level access from the main Museum. There are also further toilets in the basement accessed via 5+12 steps.
- Accessible toilets are located on both the ground floor and the first floor. Both have level access, and non-slip flooring. They are well lit and have grab rails, lever taps and an emergency pull cord.
- The accessible toilet on the ground floor has a door 90cm wide, with a clear transfer space to the left of the toilet. The toilet height is 45cm, the fixtures are white and there is a colour contrast band of navy tiles around the room at 75cm high. It also includes baby changing facilities.
- The accessible toilet on the first floor has a door 90cm wide, with a toilet 45 cm high and transfer space to the right of the toilet, but no colour contrast.
Shop
- The shop is situated in the entrance foyer area with a wide range of gifts, and has a level floor throughout.
- There is limited space between the units. Most shelving is at a low height, but some units have higher shelving.
- The counter has an induction loop,.
- Staff are available to give assistance if required.
Grounds and Gardens
- Brighton Museum & Art Gallery is situated within the Royal Pavilion garden.
- There are wide tarmac paths through the garden with gradual inclines.
- The lawns are mostly flat, but there are some small inclines.
- Some benches are placed along the paths.
Additional Information
- All of the staff have undertaken disability awareness training.
- We have a set of evacuation procedures and should you require it someone will assist you with evacuation either out of the building or to a refuge. We have evac. chairs to assist.
- All information brochures are produced in a minimum of 12 point font, and some are available in large print.
- Assistance dogs are welcome in the building.
- The World Stories Gallery has a number of replica objects to touch, try on and handle.
- If you require a quiet space, please talk to the Bookings Office in advance to book a room. There are also quieter seating areas in some of the galleries.
