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Rye Heritage Centre

The Old Sail Loft, Strand Quay, Rye, East Sussex, TN31 7AY

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating - 414 reviews414 reviews
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Call direct on:

Tel01797 331066

Add Rye Heritage Centre to your Itinerary

From £3.00
Model village

About

Housed in a converted 19th century sail loft, Rye Heritage Centre houses the Rye Town Model ‘Story of Rye’ Sound and Light Show, a vintage, hand built 1:100 scale model of Victorian Rye that uses dramatic sound and light effects to bring to life 700 years of Rye’s rich history and folklore. 

We also host The Old Pier Penny Arcade, in a new ground floor setting, with a collection of working early 20th Century amusement arcade machines such as The Laughing Sailor and What the Butler saw.

Our gift and souvenir shop stocks a range of locally produced art and gifts as well as books from local authors, guidebooks for walks in Rye, and locally produced pottery.

Book Tickets

Guide Prices

Ticket TypeTicket Tariff
Free admission to the centre and Old Pier Penny Arcade*Free
Town Model show Adults (16 and over)£4.50 per ticket
Town Model show Children (5-15)£3.00 per ticket
Under 5sFree

*Old pennies for the arcade machines can be purchased at 7 pennies for £1.

Discount rates available for groups of 10 or more, please enquire directly.

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

4.5 of 5 stars
    • Excellent
      245
    • Very Good
      130
    • Average
      27
    • Poor
      6
    • Terrible
      6

    Recent Reviews:

    • Haymaster78
      Kent, United Kingdom
      Trip Type:
      Couples
      Couples walk
      5 of 5 stars
      Saturday, 21st January 2023
      Lovely walk around a lot of heritage finished with a lovely pub lunch near the harbour. Great walk with the wife and a visit to the little antique shops highly recommended. Read full review
    • Excursion33238953128
      Rye
      5 of 5 stars
      Friday, 15th September 2023
      Rye is very nice the castle and lamb House are well worth a visit lunch in the cobbles tea room excelant Read full review
    • W9042PNalisonb
      New Ross, Ireland
      Trip Type:
      Couples
      Worth a visit, friendly welcome awaits.
      4 of 5 stars
      Friday, 1st March 2024
      Excellent friendly people on the front desk, full of helpful advice about the history of Rye and recommended nearby sights. Read full review

    Map & Directions

    Facilities

    Accessibility

    • Guide Dogs Permitted
    • Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
    • Ramp/Level Access

    Establishment Features

    • Audio Commentary in Foreign Languages - Town Model Only - French, German, Spanish
    • Printed Material in Foreign Languages
    • Toilets - opposite building

    Opening Times

    Open (23 Mar 2023 - 30 Sept 2023)
    DayTimes
    Monday - TuesdayClosed
    Wednesday10:30 - 16:00
    Thursday - FridayClosed
    Saturday10:30 - 16:00
    SundayClosed

    Events

    Wednesday, 27th March 2024 - Wednesday, 27th March 2024

    poster for The Pirate Devils of Winchelsea and RyeThe Pirate Devils of Rye and WinchelseaHear about the careers of Rye and Winchelsea's most famous pirates.
    more info

    Saturday, 30th March 2024 - Saturday, 30th March 2024

    Tea, Coffee and Cake with Noel VarleyLearn about Rye's history with historical images and articles.
    more info

    What's Nearby

    1. National Trust's Lamb House is a portal into a world of literary connections.

      0.14 miles away
    2. Rye's delightful cinema, café-bar and function venue in renovated Victorian buildings.

      0.2 miles away
    3. Sometimes called the "cathedral of East Sussex", the Parish Church of Rye, dedicated to…

      0.2 miles away
    1. The East Street Museum was originally a bottling factory but it now houses exhibitions…

      0.24 miles away
    2. Many displays on smuggling, military, police, coastal and maritime history and with…

      0.28 miles away
    3. Rye Bay E-bikes is a small, family run electric bike company currently based just south…

      1.03 miles away
    4. Camber Castle was one link in the chain of forts built along the south coast by Henry…

      1.11 miles away
    5. Rye Harbour Nature Reserve is an important wildlife site set in an exceptional coastal…

      1.42 miles away
    6. Join Full Throttle Boat Charters from Rye Harbour and head out to sea for an exhilarating…

      1.66 miles away
    7. Cycle the nature reserve at Rye Harbour.

      1.69 miles away
    8. This stunning stretch of sandy beach is home to the only sand dune system in East Sussex.…

      1.8 miles away
    9.   Winchelsea Court Hall Musuem illustrates the rich history of the ancient town of…

      1.96 miles away
    10. A family-run wine estate at Winchelsea in East Sussex.

      2.74 miles away
    11. Try a new sport on the awesome beaches of Camber Sands.

      3.42 miles away
    12. Explore mile after mile of scenic off-road cycle path from the stunning Camber Sands.

      3.42 miles away
    13. Learn to kitesurf, kitebuggy and stand up paddleboard with the UK’s leading kite and…

      3.96 miles away
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