Heritage Open Day
Dorchester Heritage Open Day
18 September 2022
Each year, places across the country throw open their doors and give people the chance to see hidden places and try new experiences for free.
This year’s theme is ‘Astounding Inventions’. This provides a great opportunity to explore the many innovations inspired by local people.
The event coincides with the 400th anniversary of the Dorchester Brewhouse set up in September 1622 to provide a welfare system via a tax on beer and Dorchester’s 21st-century Brewhouse & Kitchen has created a special “Heritage” beer to mark the occasion.
Visit St Peter’s church to find out about Rev John White, the “Patriarch of Dorchester”, who set up the Brewhouse and the Massachusetts Bay Company to settle America, and William Barnes, local polymath and dialect poet. Visit the Shire Hall Museum to hear about the Tolpuddle Martyrs who inspired the trade union movement and Keep Military Museum to explore innovation through military history and enjoy displays from Nothe Fort Garrison.
Demonstrations of flint knapping, pottery, tin casting, and jewellery-making can be seen at the Roman Town House, where the Portable Antiquities Scheme will be encouraging people to bring in their finds and artefacts.
Visit the Corn Exchange to see “Galpin’s Folly” and find out about Martha Brown at Dorchester Prison.
Where did Sir Frederick Treves, developer of the appendectomy live? Who invented the first composting toilet? Answers can be found at Dorset Museum, on the guided tours of the town, or from the living history displays in Nappers Mite. Visit KeeP 106 at the town pump to send morse code messages, pick up an activity sheet and decipher the naval flags on display around the town.
FREE EVENT – Something for all the family
-
Opening hours:
Daily: 9.00am - 4.30pm
Sunday: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Bank Holidays: 10.00am - 4.00pm -
Admissions:
10% discount for Adult and Young Person Unlimited Ticket booked online using discount code DM01
BOOK ONLINE SAVE 10% -
-
Heritage Open Day
4 August – 29 December 2023
The Askerswell Hoard
Discover a rare Roman coin hoard recently acquired by Dorset Museum, and find out about the work going on to preserve, research and catalogue it, in this special showcase display outside the Collections Discovery Centre.
Find out more2 December 2023 - 21 April 2024
Awakened by Frink
Awakened by Frink is a community exhibition of artwork by members of the Deaf community created during a series of workshops at Dorset Museum and Art Gallery.
Find out more2 December 2023 - 21 April 2024
Elisabeth Frink: A View from Within
Experience the inner world of famous sculptor Dame Elisabeth Frink (1930-1993) in a major new exhibition exploring her artistic and personal life in Dorset. Showcasing over 80 sculptures, drawings and prints, this exhibition will explore her artistic process, personal life, and the influences that shaped her work.
Find out more10 December 2023, 11:30am - 12:30pm | 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Elf Workshop
The Elves need your help in the workshop. Join them and lend a hand! You're invited to embark on a magical journey filled with Christmas crafts, fun activities, and the chance to learn all the secrets of the elves
Find out more14 December 2023, 10:00am- 10:30am
Storytime at the Museum
Come and join us for Storytime in our Community Space at the Museum. Hear fabulous tales about dinosaurs and animals.
Find out more14 December 2023, 7:00pm - 8:30pm
What’s new in the British and Irish Neolithic? | Dr Alison Sheridan
While the past doesn’t change, our knowledge and understanding of it are being transformed by new discoveries and new research – and this is especially the case with the Neolithic period, the time of the first farming communities from the late 5th millennium to around 2500 BCE. This lecture offers some highlights from the past decade or so.
Find out more17 December 2023, 11:30am - 12:30pm | 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Elf Workshop
The Elves need your help in the workshop. Join them and lend a hand! You're invited to embark on a magical journey filled with Christmas crafts, fun activities, and the chance to learn all the secrets of the elves
Find out more20 December 2023, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Collections Discovery Centre Tour
Join our Collections Team for an opportunity to explore behind the scenes in the Museum’s Collections Discovery Centre.
Find out more21 December 2023, 11:30am - 12:30pm | 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Elf Workshop
The Elves need your help in the workshop. Join them and lend a hand! You're invited to embark on a magical journey filled with Christmas crafts, fun activities, and the chance to learn all the secrets of the elves
Find out more