Plan Your Visit
Visitors are central to all that we do at Dorset Museum.
We pride ourselves on the quality of our customer service and our commitment to offering access to all.
Given the richness of our collection, the size of the Museum, and the quality of the visitor experience we offer, our admission prices represent great value for money.
Pay once and visit for a whole year FREE of charge.
Dorset Museum offers an Unlimited Ticket valid for a whole year from the date of purchase. The Ticket is great value, allowing for repeat visits throughout the year to view our permanent galleries and special exhibitions, as well as free entry to a selection of daytime events including talks, tours and family activities.
🎫 Dorset Museum Unlimited Ticket
Book online in advance and save 10%. Just use code DM01 when checking out.
| Type | Online | On the door |
|---|---|---|
| Adult 26+ | £12.60 | £14 |
| Young Person 16-25 | £9.90 | £11 |
| Child 0-15 | FREE | FREE |
| DNHAS Members | FREE | FREE |
| Carer Ticket | FREE | FREE |
You can help support the Museum even more – at no extra cost!
Dorset Museum is a charity and receives no public funding. We rely on the generosity of our Members and visitors to maintain our collections and continue our programme of exhibitions.
If you are a UK taxpayer we can claim Gift Aid on your admission, worth more than £3.50 extra from the Government on top of every adult ticket sold, at no additional cost to you.
This means as well as having a great day out you will also be supporting the important work of the Museum.
How Gift Aid Works
The government’s Gift Aid scheme allows us to reclaim 25p for every £1 of your Unlimited Ticket. All we need is your consent – no extra payments! We will ask you to make a simple declaration at the time of purchase.
For more information-
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Opening hours:
Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
Daily: 10.00am - 5.00pm
TASTE Café
Daily: 9.00am - 4.00pm
Sunday: 10:00am - 4:00pm
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Museum Map
You can also purchase a copy of our map which features in our Guidebook.
Download MapAccess Guide
For accessibility information check out our Detailed Access Guide on the AccessAble website.
Accessibility
Everyone is welcome at Dorset Museum. Our teams are here to offer support and resources and help you make the most of your visit.
Find out moreVisual Story
Download our visual story with pictures of the Museum and information about what to expect.
Download Story
Discounts and Offers
KIDS GO FREE!
We are delighted to announce that children under 16 can enjoy free admission to the Museum when accompanied by a paying adult aged 18 or over.
10% Discount if you book online
Visitors do not have to book in advance, but buying online is cheaper than purchasing on arrival. A 10% discount is offered for Annual Pass or Day Entry booked online using discount code DM01
Dorchester Museums Passport
Pick up a museums passport from Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, Shire Hall Museum, The Keep Military Museum, The Tutankhamun Exhibition, Dinosaur Museum, The Teddy Bear Museum or Terracotta Warriors Museum and get 10% on your entry this Summer!
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.
Get Around for £2 by bus
The UK Government has announced an extension of the £2 Fare Cap scheme from 01 April 2023 to 31 December 2024 which will see single tickets on most bus routes across England continue to cost no more than £2. This scheme is aimed at allowing millions of people to access affordable bus travel as part of the Government’s wider measures to support households with cost-of-living pressures.
So visitors will not pay more than £4 for a return if they are to travel to the museum.
Athelhampton / Dorset Museum & Art Gallery Discount
Athelhampton visitors with a ticket purchased on or after 1 April 2024 can get 25% off a Dorset Museum & Art Gallery entry ticket when they present their Athelhampton ticket to the Front Desk. Dorset Museum & Art Gallery ticket holders can also redeem this offer at Athelhampton with valid proof of purchase of a Museum ticket (bought on or after 1 April 2024) or membership (membership must be valid for intended date of visit).
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.
Find car parksBy Train
Dorchester has two railway stations, both of which are less than 12 minutes’ walk from Dorset Museum.There is no step-free platform access at either Dorchester station. Find more information on using these stations, including accessibility, on their websites.
Dorchester SouthDorchester West
By Bus
These buses stop outside the Museum entrance. Services can change, so please check with the bus companies before travelling. All First Wessex Dorset buses have disabled access with a ramp or hydraulic system to lower the bus to the kerb level
Find BusesDiscover
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
What's On
4 July – 23 September 2024
Fashioning our World
This exhibition special display showcases a project with local young people working alongside Dorset Museum & Art Gallery team as part of Fashioning our World with Salisbury Museum.
Find out more10 July - 23 October 2024.
Sensing the Past
"Sensing the Past" was a collaborative and co-produced project involving The Dorset Blind Association, Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, and Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.
Find out more19 July - 3 November 2024
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Wildlife Photographer of the Year, the world-famous exhibition from the Natural History Museum, is returning to Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
Find out more23 September 2024, 12:00noon - 1:00pm
Nature Heals | Trevor Parsons
Trevor Parsons is a local photographer with an amazing story to tell about the healing power of photography and nature.
Find out more25 September 2024, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Store Tour
Join our Collections Team for an opportunity to explore behind the scenes in the Museum’s Collections Discovery Centre.
Find out more26 September 2024, 10:00am - 10:30am
Storytime at the Museum
Come and join us for fun-filled Storytime where you can listen to some amazing tales in our Community Space at the Museum.
Find out more28 September 2024, 9:30am - 5pm
Cerne Giant and other Wessex Hill Figures
The Cerne Abbas Giant is one of the most recognisable and talked about hill figures in the UK. This special conference draws upon recent excavations and new research by the National Trust, led by Martin Papworth, and offers the opportunity to explore the giant in relationship to other significant hill figures in the region.
Find out moreWednesday 2nd October 2024, 18:30-21:00
Culture Club – Wildlife Photography: A Look at Dorset Naturally
Join us for an evening of Dorset Nature Photography. We'll have a talk from professional nature and landscape photographer Mike Read, in which he will take us through "A Look at Dorset Naturally", and an exclusive opportunity to explore the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition after hours.
Find out more10 October 2024, 10:00am - 10:30am
Storytime at the Museum
Come and join us for fun-filled Storytime where you can listen to some amazing tales in our Community Space at the Museum.
Find out moreTASTE Café
Food and Drink
Our new café is welcoming and inviting with freshly prepared food from Taste*.