Anna's Museum

Just a short walk from the bustling town center and Churchill Square shopping area sits a wonderful and free insight into the collecting history of one young Brighton local.

The delightful display is the work of a young woman named Anna. She had been collecting items throughout her childhood, and with the help of her parents, began setting up her assortment of natural history treasures in the window.

Though technically it’s a private collection, passersby are welcome to look through the glass to catch a glimpse of Anna’s unusual items. Bizarre doesn’t even begin to explain the thinking behind this collection, but it just works. You can lose a few hours just pouring over the strange arrangement.

In the window of this former shop, you’ll see a wide array of natural and obscure artifacts ranging from taxidermy beasts and driftwood puppets to animal skulls and horns. All the items are labeled by the young woman’s own hand.

Keep an eye out for “Squirrel Nutkins,” a stuffed rodent wearing a vest. Or, look to see another item that stands out and perhaps prompts the most questions: a scale model of the Reverend Harry Powell’s church from the film Night of the Hunter. 

You’d be forgiven for passing by this unique exhibition, or for writing it off as another hip window display for a hairdresser, tattoo parlor, or antique store, many of which line the rest of the street.