A real underground connection
The museum records a tunnel from the Pavilion to the former Royal Stables, now the Dome, built in early 1822.
Source: Brighton & Hove Museums: 2025 conservation note (opens in a new tab) ↗Hidden passages · The Royal Pavilion Estate
The Brighton story beneath your feet.
Royal Pavilion & its tunnels
Beneath the palace-and-garden setting lies a documented passage to the royal stable complex. It is one of Brighton’s most intriguing connections between buildings we use very differently today.
Discover the facts ↓
LOOK A LITTLE CLOSER
Three things worth knowing.
The stables are still here
Today’s Dome Concert Hall was the stable building; the adjacent Corn Exchange was the riding house.
Source: Brighton Dome: Royal Stables and Riding House (opens in a new tab) ↗A palace became a hospital
The Pavilion treated wounded Indian soldiers during 1914–1916, then British amputees from 1916–1920.
Source: Brighton & Hove Museums: the First World War hospital (opens in a new tab) ↗Where did the tunnel go?
Brighton & Hove Museums’ 2025 conservation note dates the tunnel to early 1822 and identifies its destination as the Royal Stables, now Brighton Dome. It provided an underground connection across the estate. This is a recorded part of the buildings’ history, rather than simply a story about a secret passage somewhere in the city.
Brighton & Hove Museums: 2025 conservation note (opens in a new tab) ↗
THE CONNECTION EXPLAINED
The palace, the passage and the horses.
The Royal Pavilion
The palace at one end of the underground connection.
The former royal stables
Now Brighton Dome Concert Hall, with the former riding house now the Corn Exchange.
The museum’s records identify the underground link to the old stable complex. The buildings survive; their functions have changed. This is an explanation of the historical connection, not a map of a public walking route.
Museum record of the tunnel (opens in a new tab) ↗ · Read the Dome and stables story →
Check official Basement & Tunnel Tours (opens in a new tab) ↗
Make it part of your Brighton.
The underground areas are not a freely accessible public shortcut. Use the museum’s official Basement & Tunnel Tour information to check availability and booking. The museum notes low ceilings, steep stairs, uneven floors and dim lighting, so read its access conditions before booking.
The former stables are today’s Dome Concert Hall, with its entrance on Church Street. The former riding house is the Corn Exchange, whose current entrance is on New Road. Check the venue’s current entrances and directions ↗.
Sources & further reading
- Brighton & Hove Museums: 2025 conservation note (opens in a new tab) ↗
- Brighton Dome: Royal Stables and Riding House (opens in a new tab) ↗
- Brighton & Hove Museums: the First World War hospital (opens in a new tab) ↗
- Brighton & Hove Museums: Basement & Tunnel Tours (opens in a new tab) ↗
Researched using venue, museum and local visitor information. Historical claims are linked to their sources. Visitor conditions and availability can change; check directly. Last checked 21 October 2026. Photographs retain their individual licences and show the stated capture dates.