Plan Your Visit
Visitors are central to all that we do at Dorset Museum.
The museum prides itself on the quality of our customer service and our commitment to offering access to all.
We believe that, given the richness of our collection, the size of the Museum and the quality of visitor experience we provide, our admission prices represent great value for money.
Annual Pass
Includes unlimited access to the Museum and Library. Our Annual Passes now include a copy of our Guidebook, with Family Annual Passes including copies of our Children’s Activity Trails.
| Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £25 |
| Child* | £10 |
| Family - 1 adult + 3 children | £40 |
| Family - 2 adults + 3 children | £50 |
| DNHAS Members | FREE |
Day Entry
| Type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | £12 |
| Child* | £6 |
*Children 5-16 years, under 5’s FREE
Book Tickets NowProof is required for all those listed below and for this reason free tickets can not be booked online.
- Members of Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society for more details of rates and benefits of membership.
- Wessex Museums Partnership – The Salisbury Museum, Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society and Poole Museum.
- Museum Association Card, Art Fund Pass.
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Opening hours:
Daily: 9.00am - 4.30pm
Sunday: 10.00am - 4.00pm
Bank Holidays: 10.00am - 4.00pm -
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You could help us even more – at no extra cost
As a charitable organisation, we rely on the generosity of our Annual Pass Holders, Members and visitors to maintain our collections and continue our programme of exhibitions.
How Gift Aid works
The government’s Gift Aid scheme allows us to reclaim 25p for every £1 of your Annual Pass. All we need is your consent – no extra payments! Simply make your declaration to support the Museum even more!
For more information
Although legal restrictions have been lifted we will continue to ensure that our visitors, volunteers and staff remain safe:
✔ We may control numbers in galleries to ensure they do not become overcrowded.
✔ Our volunteers and staff may still be wearing face-coverings in the Museum shop and galleries and you may wish to do the same.
✔ We would ask that visitors, volunteers and staff do not come to the Museum if they have tested positive for Covid, or have any
Covid symptoms.
✔ We continue to monitor and follow the latest government guidance and our website will be updated if there are any
major changes.
Museum Map
Please note that paper copies of the map are available at the Museum shop and also to download.
Discover
Galleries
Let us take you on a journey spanning 250 million years, and explore Dorset’s natural world, archaeology, history, art and culture along the way.
Library
Spend some quiet time in our stunning, light-filled Library with its magnificent Victorian oriel window, coats of arms, carved arches and fireplace.
Victorian Hall
Dating from 1883, the arches of fine cast ironwork are offset by the simple elegance of a single rose window pouring soft light down onto the exhibits below
Getting here
By Car
The Museum has a set-down point, but no car park. The nearest car park of substantial size is the Top o’ Town, just beyond the roundabout at the top of High West Street. It has six accessible spaces in total. The museum is a five-minute walk (500 metres) along High West Street on an even tarmac surface. The route is slightly downhill and is a short, smooth walk to the Museum. There is one road to cross on the way, using a Zebra Crossing.
Parking in Dorchester
| Carpark | Walking time | Spaces | Accessible | Postcode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top o’ Town Long stay | 5 mins | 153 | 3 | DT1 1XT |
| Top o’ Town Short stay | 5 mins | 60 | 3 | DT1 1XT |
| Acland Road | 10 mins | 266 | 12 | DT1 1EE |
| Woolaston Field | 10 mins | 155 | 4 | DT1 1EQ |
| Fairfield Long stay | 12 mins | 418 | 5 | DT1 1QW |
| Fairfield Short stay | 12 mins | 140 | 4 | DT1 1QW |
| Colliton Park | 5 mins | 54 | 1 | DT1 1XJ |
| Durngate Street | 5 mins | 48 | 0 | DT1 1NA |
| Old Market | 10 mins | 60 | 5 | DT1 1EE |
| Trinity Street | 8 mins | 200 | 0 | DT1 1AG |
For more information about these car parks.
Find out moreBy Train
Dorchester South Station – 12 mins walk
Find out moreDorchester West Station – 12 mins walk
Find out moreThere is no step-free platform access at either Dorchester station.
Find more information on using these stations, including accessibility, on their websites.
By Bike
Dorchester is on two National Cycle Networks.
Route 2 links Dover in Kent with St Austell Cornwall
More informationRoute 26 runs from Portishead on the Somerset coast to the Isle of Portland
Find out moreSecure cycle parking
Find out more
Parking Voucher Scheme
Any visitor parking in any of the Dorset Council Pay and Display car parks in Dorchester, will find the pay and display machine gives them a two-part ticket. Part one stays in the car, part two has the Dorchester BID either ‘Max £1 refund voucher’ or ‘Dorchester BID voucher’ printed on the lower part of the ticket.
This voucher can be redeemed against an Adult or Family full price entry ticket to the value of £1.
This cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
By Bus
These buses stop outside the Museum entrance. Services can change, so please check with the bus companies before travelling. Their contact details are below.
| Number | Route | Company |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dorchester > Poundbury > Dorchester | Damory Coaches |
| 2 | Dorchester > Fordington > Manor Park > Dorchester | Damory Coaches |
| 5 | Dorchester > Broadmayne > Crossways > Preston > Weymouth | Damory Coaches |
| 6 | Dorchester South Station > Dorset County Hospital > Poundbury (Queen Mother Square) | Dorset County Council |
| 10 / 10A | Weymouth > Dorchester (passengers on 10 can exit at Trinity Street for the Museum, or go around Poundbury then exit at the Museum) | First Wessex* |
| 187 | Bere Regis > Winterborne Kingston > Blandford | Damory Coaches |
| 701 | Portland > Weymouth > Dorchester > Kingston Maurward | Morebus |
| X11 | Yeovil > Sherborne > Dorchester via Cerne Abbas > Charminster | South West Coaches |
| X12 | Weymouth > Dorchester > Puddletown > Blandford Forum | Damory Coaches |
| X51 | Jurassic Coaster Axminster > Lyme Regis > Charmouth > Bridport > Dorchester | First Wessex* |
*All First Wessex Dorset buses have disabled access with a ramp or hydraulic system to lower the bus to kerb level
Bus Services
First Wessex
Tel: 0333 014 3490
South West Coaches
Tel: 01935 475872
Damory Coaches
Tel: 01202 338420
Dorset Council
Tel: 01305 224537
Morebus
Tel: 01202 338420
Public Transport info
Traveline
Tel: 0871 200 2233
Accessibility
Call to action here
Everyone is welcome at Dorset Museum. Our teams are here to offer support and resources, and help you make the most of your visit.
What's On
28 May – 30 October 2022
Take a fresh look at the Victorian novelist and poet, Thomas Hardy, in the stunning Wessex landscapes that shaped his view of the world. His story will be retold in exciting new ways by our museum collections, from period costumes to personal letters, art to archaeology.
Find out more17 June - 11 July 2022, 10:00am - 1:00pm
Hardy’s Wessex: Drawing on the ancient past
This six-week course led by artist Helen Garrett will take you on a creative journey through Thomas Hardy’s work, inspirations and Dorset Museum’s collections.
Find out more20 June – 16 September 2022
Plastics are not Fantastic
In this exhibition students from Weymouth College express their thoughts about the environment through posters, pledges and artwork.
Find out more9 July 2022, 10:30am - 12:00noon
Roman Town House Tours
A guided tour of one of the best examples of a Roman Town House in England.
Find out more10 July 2022, 10:30am – 12:30pm
Sunday ArtyFacts
Have fun with stencils and create your own printed fabric based on flowers and natural forms in our Dorset artist and Natural Dorset galleries.
Find out more20 July 2022, 7:30pm
Victoria Sayles and Kirsty Barry
A visit from two musicians with strong local connections. Violinist, Victoria (Dorchester born and bred) now enjoys an international career having recently been appointed leader of the Royal Swedish Opera Orchestra while Pianist, Kirsty will be remembered as a former member of staff at Thomas Hardye School.
Find out more21 July 2022, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Museum after hours
The Home of Hillforts and Henges event to celebrate our local heritage landscape will launch at Dorset Museum with a special open evening: Museum after hours.
Find out more21 July 2022, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Ridgeway Vikings: New research and findings | Heather Tamminen
Using modern digital technology, the sharp force of trauma on these individuals has been reappraised to see what new information can be learned.
Find out more22 July 2022, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
The Extraordinary Prehistoric Landscape Under Your Feet And Up The Hills | Steve Wallis
In this talk Steve Wallis is to explore the prehistoric landscape of the Dorchester area, covering the changes over time and the different types of monuments and remains.
Find out moreTASTE Café
Food and Drink
Our new café is welcoming and inviting with freshly prepared food from Taste*.