Booth Museum in Brighton gives update after long closure

Brighton's Booth Museum of Natural History has been closed since April 2025 for refurbishment works.

Located on Dyke Road, the Booth Museum is home to one of Britain's most important natural history collections, particularly famous for its Victorian bird displays and wildlife specimens.

After the prolonged closure, some had questioned when, and even if, the beloved museum would open its doors again.

The museum is famous for its bird dioramas (Image: Wikimedia)

Now Brighton and Hove Museums has confirmed that the attraction will reopen in February 2027.

A spokesperson said the museum closure has lasted longer than originally expected because it secured funding from the government's Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, allowing it to undertake additional redevelopment work.

The funding will be used to transform the museum's central gallery spaces into what it describes as a hub for climate, habitat and biodiversity education, while also enabling more items from its collections to be displayed permanently.

The museum also highlighted that 2026 marks 150 years since founder Edward Thomas Booth first displayed his famous bird dioramas to the public at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.

A horse skeleton on display at the museum (Image: Les Chatfield)

In a statement, Hedley Swain, chief executive of Brighton and Hove Museums, sought to reassure concerned residents about the future of the attraction.

He said: "We know how much the Booth Museum is loved by local residents, so we want to reassure everyone that it is very much reopening.

"Thanks to the support from the Wolfson Museums and Galleries Improvement Fund, we've been given a fantastic opportunity to transform our central gallery spaces into an engaging hub for climate, habitat, and biodiversity education.

"This extra work has meant staying closed a little longer than originally anticipated, but it will allow us to showcase even more of our remarkable collections.

"We can't wait to welcome everyone back in February 2027."

The museum has been closed since April 2025 (Image: The Voice of Hassocks)

Before the full reopening, the museum will host a series of special behind-the-scenes tours in October.

The exclusive Booth Diorama and Stores Tours will give visitors the chance to explore collections housed in the museum's stores and see some of the changes being made ahead of the reopening.

Tours will take place on October 29 from 10am to noon and 3pm to 5pm, and on October 30 from 10am to noon, 3pm to 5pm and 6pm to 8pm.

Tickets cost £15 per person, with discounts available for members and group bookings. The tours are open to visitors aged 12 and over.