An underrated UK seaside town has become a dark tourism hotspot, thanks to one museum. The True Crime Museum in Hastings is a step back in time, stuffed full of artefacts from the country’s grisliest cases.
It houses everything from the acid barrels that serial killer John George Haigh used to dissolve his victims to Rose West’s underwear. The museum’s curator, Joel Griggs, said: “It’s reality, part of history. I don’t think you can wrap someone in cotton wool and pretend none of this stuff happens. There are bad people out there.” Joel said he doesn’t want to make light of their crimes and said they tried to present exhibits in a tasteful way.”
Speaking to Metro,he added: “When I look at crime magazines in shops, they seem to be by the soap magazines and celebrity magazines, so they are seen as a form of entertainment in a similar way.”
Inside, visitors can see the bath used by contract killer John Childs to dismember his victims, the skull of murderer and rapist Louis Lefevre, and nooses from which criminals were hanged.
Elsewhere, they can see a genuine lethal injection deathbed and read about the victims and suspects linked to Jack the Ripper from 1878 to 1898.
The museum is also home to boxing gloves signed by Ronald and Reginald Kray, also known as the Kray twins, who ran organised crime in London’s East End during the ‘50s and ‘60s.
There are also personal and intimate letters sent to British author Ricki Thomas by US serial killer Richard Ramirez, who was convicted of 13 murders, a series of home invasions, mutilations, and rapes.
Most of the artefacts have either been donated to the museum or bought by Joel at auction. Adult tickets to the museum are £10.50.