Dorset Museum & Art Gallery

Up to 5% discount with promo code DAYSOUT

Book Dorset Museum & Art Gallery tickets for one of the best museums in Dorset

Dorset is a place of historical significance that dates back 250 million years! Visit Dorset Museum and Art Gallery and get up-close to one of the largest, best-preserved dinosaur skulls, dating back 155 million years or discover the history of Dorset's most notable names.

Dorset: Museum & Art Gallery near the Jurassic Coast

  • Children under 16 can enter for free with a paying adult!
  • Age Restrictions: Suitable for all ages!
  • Opening Times: Open daily from 10am - 5pm
  • Meeting Point: Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, High W St, Dorchester DT1 1XA
  • All tickets include free return visits for the whole year!

What's On at Dorset Museum and Art Gallery?

Divided into four main archive collections, each covering a different aspect of Dorset's history, you will really get a taste for the unquestioned historical significance of one of the south coast's finest counties. 

  • Experience 250 million years of history at the Natural Dorset Archives
  • See artefacts from as far back as the Jurassic Coast
  • See the Weymouth Bay Pliosaur, a 155 million years old Pliosaur skull that's one of the largest and best-preserved of its kind
  • Discover the beginning of humankind in the People's Dorset Archives
  • Explore the Bronze Age, the Roman Age, inventions and discoveries
  • Learn how humanity has shaped Dorset's history
  • Admire a range of beautiful galleries and artwork from Dorset's most notable names in the Artists' Dorset Archives
  • See works from Elisabeth Frink, Thomas Gainsborough, Alfred Stevens, Chaldon Herring, Sylvia Townsend and Warner and Valentine Ackard
  • Discover the life and work of one of Dorset's most famous names, Thomas Hardy
  • Uncover stories behind the classic novels and poems
  • Learn how Dorset helped shaped the work he would go on to create

The Dorset Museum is one of the very best ways to gain an understanding on what the county means to the past, present and future of those who've lived in it, or will go on to live there. By visiting the Dorset Museum, you will truly find out why Dorset is such a significant part of the country. 

See additional information for accessibility.

Location

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery

High W St,
Dorchester,
DT1 1XA
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How to get there

Address: Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, High W St, Dorchester DT1 1XA

What3Words: snug.eggs.mats

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.

By train:

Dorchester South Station – 12 mins walk

Dorchester West Station – 12 mins walk

There is no step-free platform access at either Dorchester station.
Find more information on using these stations, including accessibility, on their websites.

By bus:

These buses stop outside the Museum entrance. Services can change, so please check with the bus companies before travelling. 

  • Bus 1
  • Bus 2
  • Bus 5
  • Bus 6
  • Bus 10/10A
  • Bus 187
  • Bus 701
  • Bus X11
  • Bus X12
  • Bus X51
Facilities
  • Toilets
  • Café
More Info

Accessibility

Here is some access information to help you plan. If you need other information or assistance at the Museum, please get in touch before you visit.

Assistance animals are welcome

If they need a water bowl, just ask the Dorset Museum Welcome Team.

Mobility scooters are welcome

If you need to store or charge your scooter during your visit, please ask our Welcome Team. There is storage and recharging for up to two mobility scooters or other mobility equipment. Please be aware spaces are limited.

Getting around the museum

• Step-free access to all areas apart from the mezzanine floor of the Victorian Hall.
• One 13 person passenger lift to all areas apart from the Library – internal dimensions 1100 x 2100mm.
• Platform lift to the Library, with space for one wheelchair 1100 x 1400mm.
• Stairs to all areas have handrails on both sides of the staircase.
• Seating in each gallery, some with armrests and backrests.
• Floor surfaces are firm and level.
• There are lower light levels in some galleries to protect light-sensitive objects.

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