Important Announcement
The lift in the Museum is currently out of action.
We hope to resolve this very soon and apologies for the inconvenience.
Things to see
Amazing archaeology
Sweep through around 500,000 years of people’s history, from the Palaeolithic to the present day, on Dorset’s key themes of land, sea and community.
People's DorsetDeadly dinosaurs
See 250 million years of natural history come alive as Natural Dorset reveals the secrets of the county’s geology, landscapes, habitats and wildlife.
Natural DorsetThomas Hardy
Discover the life and work of Dorset’s famous novelist and poet Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) and dive into key themes of his personal and professional life.
Inspiring WritersElisabeth Frink
Enjoy a beautiful gallery full of the Museum’s superb collections of paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, textiles, and fine and decorative art.
Dorset ArtistsExhibitions
Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2024
19 July – 3 November 2024
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world-famous exhibition from the Natural History Museum, is returning to Dorset Museum & Art Gallery.
Find out more
Fashioning Our World
4 July – 6 September 2024
A showcase display exploring sustainable fashion and the stories that clothes from the past tell, based on the Fashioning Our World collaborative community project.
Find out moreSensing The Past
10 July – 26 September 2024
A sensory and interactive display based on fossils from the Jurassic Coast as part of a collaborative project involving the Dorset Blind Association, Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, and Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.
Find out more