This city on England’s southern coast has a long history of being a family-friendly destination. As Brighton’s importance as a center of fishing declined in the 18th century, it began to draw visitors interested in a then emerging trend: sea bathing. At first popular with aristocrats and royals, new railroad lines in the 19th century brought less affluent visitors who also wanted to enjoy a day at the beach.
The city’s transition from a fishing village to England’s most famous seaside resort is traced at that Brighton Fishing Museum. One of the city’s most famous landmarks, the Brighton Palace Pier amusement park, dates from 1899 and is especially appealing on sunny days.
Facing the Palace Pier, Sea Life Brighton is the world’s oldest operating aquarium (it opened in 1872). The 5,500 creatures there—rays, sharks, turtles, and more—will be fascinating to every budding ichthyologist. Transition from underwater to high in the air with a visit to Brighton i360, a 531-foot-tall observation tower also on the seafront west of the Palace Pier.
Much of Brighton’s modern history is tied to the royals who helped assure its popularity. The future George IV first started visiting Brighton in the 1780s and later constructed the Royal Pavilion, a fantastic Indian-inspired palace. The Brighton Museum & Art Gallery provides an introduction to the city’s history and its cultural scene while the Hove Museum of Creativity has an eclectic collection focused on crafts, artifacts related to early cinema, and, especially popular with kids, the Wizard’s Attic which is filled with dolls, teddy bears, rocking horses, and other toys. There are more toys on display at the Brighton Toy Museum with more than 10,000 items by British and European toymakers.
Another survivor from Victorian England, the Volks Electric Railway is one of the oldest electric railways in Europe. It opened in 1883 and it continues to transport families along the Brighton waterfront. While the sea is the main attraction in Brighton, the city and surrounding area also boasts a number of parks and lakes including the beautiful Leonardslee Lakes & Gardens (40 minutes north of Brighton), Preston Park, Queen’s Park, and Blakers Park.
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