Eastbourne Museum

About the museum

Eastbourne Museum tells the story of nearly 200 years of lifeboating in the town. The museum is part of the old Eastbourne lifeboat house, built in 1898 in memory of William Terriss, an actor who was murdered on the steps of London's Adelphi Theatre the previous year.

Our exhibits cover daring, award-winning rescues, the lifeboat's involvement with the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk during the Second World War, and the development of search and rescue technology throughout Eastbourne's proud history.

The museum shares the William Terriss Memorial Boathouse with an RNLI shop – don’t forget to stop by and pick up a souvenir!