Wide view of the Historic Dress gallery at Worthing Museum, featuring elegant period garments displayed in illuminated glass cases. A richly embroidered 18th-century-style gown takes centre stage, surrounded by historic dresses, accessories and textiles from different eras. Decorative archways frame the exhibition, while interpretive panels explain the history of dressmaking, Worthing's textile heritage, and the Pavilion Theatre's centenary. The spacious gallery has polished wooden flooring, soft lighting, and a calm, contemporary museum setting.

What's On At The Museum

About our events

Exhibitions

OPEN26

Until Sat 5 Sept
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Burpham Big Dig

Sat 4 Jul - Sat 17 Oct
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Walking With The Crow

Sat 31 Oct - Sat 30 Jan
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Oil painting of four stylised women’s faces with glossy black hairstyles, yellow eye make-up and red lips, arranged symmetrically against a blue background.

Cathy Lomax, Reflexion: enchantment, self-identity and film

Sat 26 Sep - Sat 13 Feb
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Lectures, Talks & Workshops

List of Events

  1. Walks

    Summer Walks 2026 - Highdown Hill

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Join Worthing Museum archaeologist James Sainsbury for an evening walk exploring the archaeology, history and landscape…
    More info
  2. Close-up of decorative stitched fabrics, showing geometric embroidery patterns in white, red, and yellow thread on dark blue and warm-toned cloth pieces.
    Workshops

    Sashiko with Jayne Eagle

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Workshop aim - to learn how to create sashiko style stitching - a Japanese form of hand sewing. Also, an introduction…
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  3. Walks

    Summer Walks 2026 - Cissbury Ring

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Join Worthing Museum archaeologist James Sainsbury for a guided walk exploring the remarkable 6,000-year history of…
    More info
  4. Medieval-style illustration of a veiled woman, representing Hildegard of Bingen, looking upward with a contemplative expression. She holds a stylus over a tablet or manuscript, as golden light or divine rays arc around her against a textured gold and dark background, suggesting inspiration or vision.
    Talks

    Remarkable Women in the History of Art: Hildegard Von Bingen

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Mystic, composer and visionary of the Middle AgesJoin Monika Lind, retired university lecturer in Culture and…
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  5. Abstract artwork made from painted paper, featuring cut-out shapes in pink, yellow, and green layered over a dark painted background with white dots and flowing lines.
    Workshops

    Painted Paper Collage with Ellie Bond

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Come and unwind in this relaxing and creative workshop, designed especially for adults looking to explore their…
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  6. Talks

    Autumn Lectures: The Story of Cissbury Ring

    Richmond Room
    Cissbury Ring is one of the most important archaeological sites in Britain, with a palimpsest of human activity…
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  7. Illustrated portrait of Emmeline Pankhurst wearing a large decorative hat with feathers, long textured hair falling over her shoulders, and a patterned Victorian-style dress with puffed sleeves, set against a plain beige background.
    Talks

    Talks Revisited: Emmeline Pankhurst with Monika Lind

    Museum & Art Gallery
    The leader who transformed women’s rights in BritainJoin Monika Lind, retired university lecturer in Culture and…
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  8. Walks

    Summer Walks 2026 - Firle Beacon

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Take in some of the most spectacular views in Sussex while uncovering thousands of years of history on this guided walk…
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  9. Workshops

    Willow Lantern Sculpture Workshop

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Create your own illuminated willow lantern in this inspiring two-day workshop for young people aged 13–17, inspired by…
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  10. Walks

    Summer Walks 2026 - Kithurst Hill

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Join archaeologist James Sainsbury for a morning walk along the crest of the South Downs, exploring a landscape rich in…
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  11. Talks

    Autumn Lectures: The Story of Chanctonbury Ring

    Richmond Room
    Chanctonbury Ring has long been associated with the Devil and other spooky goings-on, but what is the true tale behind…
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  12. Close-up of an ancient gold Roman coin featuring the profile of a woman wearing an elaborate hairstyle, surrounded by Latin lettering.
    Talks

    Britain's Last Roman Hoards with Professor Ellen Swift & Dr Kelly Clarke-Neish

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Some they hid in the earth…and some they carried away’.This entry in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle tells the story of what…
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  13. A section of the Bayeux Tapestry depicting the Battle of Hastings, showing Norman cavalry charging on horseback while English soldiers defend with shields and spears. Fallen warriors lie beneath the horses, arrows fly across the scene, and decorative borders above and below feature birds, animals and mythical creatures embroidered in the tapestry's distinctive medieval style.
    Talks

    Museum Talk | The Bayeux Tapestry with Monika Lind

    Museum & Art Gallery
    The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the world's most famous medieval artworks, best known for telling the story of the Norman…
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  14. Talks

    Autumn Lectures: The Story of Highdown Hill

    Richmond Room
    Join us for a lecture revealing the fascinating history of Highdown Hill. From Bronze Age enclosure to Iron Age hill…
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  15. Colourful painted portrait of a young woman with short, wavy brown hair looking down, set against an expressive yellow and green floral background.
    Talks

    Getting Inside the Pictures - Free Art History Festival 2026 Event

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Explore the new fine art galleries at Worthing Museum with curator Emma Walder and co-curators from Figment Arts. This…
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  16. Close-up of a handmade patchwork quilt made from colourful fabric pieces stitched together with visible decorative embroidery. Floral prints in green, blue, yellow and pink sit alongside bold abstract patterns and polka dots, highlighting the quilt's handcrafted detail and vibrant mix of vintage-style fabrics.
    Talks

    Dress in Detail: Homemade, altered and mended

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Take a closer look at the stories stitched into Worthing Museum's historic dress collection in this fascinating talk…
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  17. A young woman in 17th-century dress, wearing a white lace ruff and bonnet, sits smiling as she paints at an easel. She holds a paintbrush poised mid-stroke, turning to look at the viewer. On the canvas beside her is a lively scene of two figures, suggesting a genre painting in progress. The background is softly lit, focusing attention on the artist’s face and hands.
    Talks

    Remarkable Women In The History of Art: Women of the Dutch Golden Age

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Rediscovering female artists of 17th-century NetherlandsJoin Monika Lind, retired university lecturer in Culture and…
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  18. Two oval mixed-media artworks are shown side by side, each featuring the same imaginative design. The left artwork is a black-and-white line drawing, while the right is partially coloured with blue sky, an orange sun, green plants and pink ground. Both depict a cloud containing a single eye above a landscape with a crescent moon, dark circle, stylised sun, trees, plants and a crocodile-like creature, demonstrating the progression from sketch to finished artwork.
    Workshops

    Tetra Pak Printing with Gary Goodman

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Turn everyday recycling into original works of art in this creative Tetra Pak printmaking workshop with Gary…
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  19. Hands holding a piece of flint and an antler tool, demonstrating traditional flint knapping outdoors.
    Workshops

    Stone Age Weekender - Flint Knapping

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Enjoy a two-day festival of Flint with WTM's Stone Age Weekend!You'll knap your own tools in a practical workshop and…
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  20. Talks

    Autumn Lectures: Sussex & the Norman Conquest

    Richmond Room
    We all know that William the Conqueror beat King Harold at Hastings - but what happened in Sussex afterwards? This talk…
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  21. Black-and-white linocut print of a bird standing in profile, rendered with bold, simplified shapes and strong contrast. White carved lines define the bird's eye, wing and tail feathers against a solid black silhouette, creating a striking, graphic composition.
    Workshops

    Black & White Lino-Cut Printmaking with Gary Goodman

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Discover the creative process of linocut printmaking in this practical workshop, where you'll design, carve and print…
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  22. Workshops

    Kids Workshop: Lantern Making with Twigs and Tissue

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Create your own glowing lantern in this fun and creative hands-on workshop. Using willow rods, twigs and colourful…
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  23. Children & Family

    Kids Workshop: Autumn Crafts

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Celebrate the colours of the season in this fun autumn-inspired craft workshop for children. Using leaves, pine cones,…
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  24. Workshops

    Kids Workshop: Spooky Crafts

    Museum & Art Gallery
    Get ready for a frightfully fun creative workshop this Halloween. Make spooky pumpkins, witches, bats and cats using a…
    More info