Have you heard about the Southend Pier Museum? Located on the seafront underneath the shore-end station of Southend Pier, this unique and independent museum is also a registered charitable company.
Discover the World’s Longest Pleasure Pier
Southend Pier is a true marvel, stretching 1.3 miles and holding the title of the longest pleasure pier in the world. It was originally built nearly two centuries ago to allow visitors arriving by the new steamships to reach Southend without trudging through the mud at low tide. In 1890, the pier was rebuilt as an iron structure with a groundbreaking feature: the world’s first electric train on a pier.
Explore the Museum’s Fascinating Exhibits
The Southend Pier Museum brings to life the pier’s two-hundred-year history and its surroundings. The museum showcases:
- Three old pier railway carriages
- A working signal box
- Five different DVD displays
- Working penny arcade machines
- A vast collection of art, pictures, articles, and historic artifacts
In addition, we offer a wide selection of local history books and DVDs for sale.
Visiting Information
The Museum is open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays, and Bank Holidays from 11 am to 5 pm, from Easter through December. While entry is free, the Museum relies on visitor donations to cover its expenses. We also welcome private group visits, including school groups, for guided tours.
Join Our Team of Volunteers
Our small team of unpaid volunteers runs the Museum, and we are currently seeking more volunteers to help us open on additional days. As we approach the Pier’s 200th anniversary in 2029, we aim to make the museum more accessible to the people of Southend and the tourists who visit us.
Would you like to be part of our team?
If so, please contact us for more information:
Call: 01702 611 214
Email: chairman@southendpiermuseum.co.uk