Brighton Toy and Model Museum: what to expect

Brighton Toy and Model Museum is tucked beneath Brighton railway station, in four early Victorian arches at 52–55 Trafalgar Street, Brighton, BN1 4EB. It is a charity museum founded in 1991 by Christopher Littledale, with a collection of more than 12,000 toys and models covering the period before 1900 through to around 1960. The setting is compact and unusual rather than polished and modern, and the displays make good use of the former railway arches. Most areas have step-free access via a ramp or lift, there is an accessible toilet, and guide dogs are welcome. The museum is mainly staffed by volunteers, with guided tours available by arrangement.

The collection includes vintage model trains, working railways, die-cast vehicles, Victorian dolls, dollhouses, soft toys and early building bricks. Among the more distinctive items are George, a 100-year-old Steiff bear; a 1930s large-scale 0 railway layout; two button-operated 00 layouts; radio-controlled aircraft; coin-operated arcade machines; and the Hilary Page Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Brick, an early predecessor of Lego. A pre-war Dinky collection of more than 400 rare models was unveiled in July 2026. There is also a small gift and toy shop, second-hand books, and access to the museum’s online Brighton Toy and Model Index, which contains thousands of pages and images.

The current exhibition, “Sixty Years of Star Trek”, began on 23 May 2026 and includes more than 120 spaceship models. Upcoming dates include “Tea, Teddies and Trains!” on 29 September 2026, from 14:00 to 16:00, and “A Great Vintage Model Railway Show: Parcels by Rail: The Christmas Rush” on 5 December 2026, from 10:30 to 17:00. The museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Saturday from 11:00 to 17:00; it is closed on Sundays and Mondays, with last admission at 16:30. From 1 March 2026, adult entry is £10, children aged 5–18 pay £6, and a family ticket for up to two adults and two children costs £20. Under-fives enter free with an accompanying adult. Being directly under Brighton station makes it straightforward to reach by train, and the museum’s address is easy to find from the station entrance.