What's on in Brighton

Royal Pavilion

Daily

Cost: £8.50; concessions £6.50; under 16s £5.10

Hours: Oct-Mar 10am-5.15pm (last tickets 4.30pm); Apr-Sep 9.30am-5.45pm (last tickets 5pm)

Just behind Brighton's seafront, the Royal Pavilion rises like a mirage of Eastern exoticism. It is set in lush gardens, and the ornate interior features gilded dragons, carved palm trees and imitation bamboo staircases.

It was the Prince Regent (George IV) who commissioned John Nash to adapt a standard structure into this splendid folly (1815-1823) inspired by India's Mughal architecture. Highlights include the Music Room, decorated by the king's interior decorator Frederick Crace; the domed Banqueting Room where the long wooden table is laid ready for a feast; the Royal Apartments with sturdy four posters; and Queen Adelaide's tearooms, boasting sweeping views over the Pavilion gardens.

A new permanent exhibit in the North West Gallery outlines the development of the Pavilion from 1787 to the present day. The display shows some of the innovative methods used to transform a modest farmhouse into the spectacular royal palace it is now.

The Royal Pavilion