More than £600,000 was invested in West Street, which included new signage and furniture and a curvy pavement design capturing Horsham’s rich heritage of horses.
A series of events followed the high street’s official opening, including horse-drawn carriage rides along the Causeway and a special Horsham Museum exhibition and historical walking tours in West Street.
Plaques showcasing Horsham’s history spread over the high street peaked the interest of many visitors.
Revellers met characters from Horsham’s past, from William Albery to Marilyn Monroe, and learned about their connections with West Street and the town.
Poems by Horsham primary school children were used on the new benches.
County councillor Brad Watson and Horsham District Council’s deputy leader Helena Croft carried out the formalities.
Gill Buchanan, centre manager for Swan Walk Shopping Centre, said: “I’m confident that this will lead to more investment in Horsham.”
Anne Mellor, teacher at St Mary’s School, said: “I’m very proud of all the children’s contributions.”
Mrs Croft (Con, Roffey North), said: “I’m really optimistic we are going to see a further snowballing effect – much more investment in the coming months.”
Horsham Museum curator Jeremy Knight entertained residents by sharing some of the more adult historical details to the plaques.
The project was made possible by funding from the county council’s Kick Start programme.
HDC praised the businesses who took the opportunity to take part in the event. These included: Chewton Rose, Pret-A-Manger, Dixeys Opticians, Mr Simms and more.