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

Type	Price
Adult	£15
Child*	£8
Family - 1 adult + 3 children	£29
Family - 2 adults + 3 children	£42
DNHAS Members	FREE

*Children 5-16 years, under 5’s FREE

Book Tickets Now

Proof 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.

Join today

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
Admissions:

Annual Pass
Book now
Dorset Museum
High West Street
Dorchester DT1 1XA

View Map
01305 262735

Google Map

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

We’re Good To Go

We have gained the Visit England ‘We’re Good To Go’ kitemark confirming we’re following national COVID 19 guidelines for managing visits to our site.

✔ Face masks must still be worn to keep you, our staff and our volunteers safe unless you are exempt!

✔ You must still check-in via the Track and Trace app.

✔ Sanitisation stations will still be in place and we encourage you to use them.

✔ Social distancing will remain.

✔ Regular cleaning of our interactive exhibits will still take place.

This guidance will stay in place until further notice.

For more information

Museum Map

Please note that paper copies of the map are available at the Museum shop and also to download.

Download Map

Library

Spend some quiet time in our stunning, light-filled Library with its magnificent Victorian oriel window, coats of arms, carved arches and fireplace.

Explore the Library

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.

Explore the galleries

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

Explore the Victorian Hall

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.

More information

By Train

Dorchester South Station – 12 mins walk

More information

Dorchester West Station – 12 mins walk

More information

There 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 information

Route 26 runs from Portishead on the Somerset coast to the Isle of Portland

More information

Secure cycle parking

More information

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

Food and Drink

Our new café is welcoming and inviting with freshly prepared food from Taste*.

Find out more

Plan Your Visit