Eastbourne Heritage Centre

The Eastbourne Heritage Centre is housed in an attractive Grade II Listed Victorian building at 2 Carlisle Road Eastbourne, that was fomerly the residence of the Devonshire Park and Baths Manager. The building was saved from the threat of demolition by the Eastbourne Society restored and converted by Richard Crook RIBA, and a team of volunteers with a grant from the Carnegie UK Trust.

Today the Centre provides the town with exhibitions celebrating our iconic seaside built heritage as well as providing a home for the Society too. Exhibitions and the cinema were fully refurbished in 2011 and new displays and films about Eastbourne are shown each season.

Exhibition

Discover Eastbourne.. the story of how the town developed into a fashionable, stylish, well-planned Victorian seaside resort. See how it grew and expanded over the years to include a marina today.

Exhibits include original maps, architectural details, artefacts, photographs and scale models of the Bandstand, Winter Garden, Railway Station and Sovereign Harbour.

New Display of Eastbourne Souvenirs

See a selection of souvenirs of the town from albums of Eastbourne photographs and engravings, mauchline ware and novelty china, traditional sticks of rock, to giftware and more. From 19th century to current day many a seaside memento of happy times spent beside the sea feature: the Pier, Bandstand, Beachy Head Lighthouse and scenic Carpet Gardens and seafront promenades showing the enduring popularity of our seaside heritage.

Souvenir displays include the Centre's collection of Eastbourne colour picture postcards reproduced from the watercolour views of local artist James Owen in the early 20th century they depict the town and seafront at its most idyllic..

Shop

The shop offers gifts, postcards, stylish souvenirs and a wide range of books about Eastbourne's heritage.

Cinema

Cinema showing short films about Eastbourne, please check for daily programme:-

- Eastbourne, Suntrap of the South 1966
Families on holidays enjoying the delights of the seaside and local
Sussex beauty spots

- Eastbourne, Suntrap and Showplace of the South 1975
Promoting the town's holiday activities and entertainments

- Image Eastbourne 2013
Short film of Eastbourne Society's photographic competition with
images and poem about the town

- Marching to Music 2012
Recreating the dramatic 1890s riots by Eastbournians protesting
against the Salvation Army
marching to music on Sundays

- Beachy Head and Eastbourne Downland
Iconic scenery of the coast and countryside at the gateway to the
South Downs Way

- Coastal Ways: Eastbourne
Handsome buildings, splendid promenades and beaches are the backdrop
to the Eastbourne story

- Coastal Ways: Pevensey
Capturing the scenery and character of the coastline and discovering
the people who live, work and play there

Tickets are valid for 7 days allowing the purchaser re-entry during afternoon opening hours. Please retain your ticket should you wish to make use of this and visit us within 7 days to see the film programme or to re-visit the exhibition.