Guide to Museums in Dorset

Discover Dorset's rich past and culture through its many museums and galleries. Whether you want to explore military history at Nothe Fort and the Tank Museum, or the onset of trade unions brought by the Tolpuddle Martyrs, there is an abundance of fascinating history to be found in Dorset's museums.

Find out more about the largest collection of tanks in the world - Bovington's Tank Museum. With over 300 vehicles on exhibition from 26 countries, the six halls of the museum are filled with fasinating insights into the history of the tank. Through a combination of interactive displays and real life exhibits, follow the tank's past from WW1 to present day. Make sure you don't miss WW2's Tiger I - the only operational Tiger tank in existence.

Address: R A C Tank Museum, Linsay Rd, Bovington, Wareham BH20 6JG

Contact: 01929 405096

Tickets: Adult - £19.00, Child - £10.50

Opening Times: 10am to 5pm

Nothe Fort - initially built to protect from French Invasion in the 1800s, and then used in both world wars - is now a fascinating museum filled with the secrets of Weymouth's military past. Explore the maze of underground tunnels, discover the nuclear bunker, even sit on the WW2 gun on the ramparts! On second and forth Sundays of the month, you can also watch the uniformed artillery take part in firing drills and musketry. Plus, you can finish the day with delectable sandwiches, scones and refreshments in the on-site Fort View Cafe. 

Address: Barrack Rd, Weymouth DT4 8UF

Contact: 01305 766626

Tickets: Adult - £9.95, Child (5-16) - £4.50

Find out more about Kingston Lacy - a vast 1600s family home with spectacular artworks, 8,500 acres of estate (including Badbury Rings and part of an old Roman road), gorgeous gardens, and the largest egyptology collection in the UK. The country manor and its founding family are steeped in history - they gained much of their wealth through involvement in the Atlantic slave trade, and the house as seen today was remodelled whilst explorer William John Bankes was exiled in Venice for homosexuality. Be sure to check out facilities like the second hand bookshop, plant shop, and cafe. All in all, visiting Kingston Lacy is a fascinating and beautiful estate with a rich past and stunning views well worth visiting for a fun family day out.

Address: Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 4EA

Contact: 01202 883402

Tickets: Adult - £18.00, Child - £9.00

The Russell Cotes Art Gallery & Museum is a Victorian house filled with artefacts and artworks from Australasia, America, India, the Near East, Egypt, the Pacific Islands and Japan. Roam the galleries and garden admiring the vast collection that was first brought to the house in 1884 by Sir Merton Russell-Cotes.

Address: Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum, East Cliff Promenade, Bournemouth, BH1 3AA

Contact: +44 01202 128000

Tickets: Adult - £8.50, Child - £4.50

Opening Times: 10am – 5pm

Discover the interactive Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum that tells the story of the farm workers in 1830s Dorset that were arrested and transported to Australia for forming a trade union. After the sentence was pronounced, the working class rose up in support of the Martyrs. A massive demonstration marched through London and an 800,000-strong petition was delivered to Parliament protesting about their sentence. Learn more about this crucial event that led to the foundation of modern day trade unionism at the engaging Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum. Admission is free.

Address: Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum, Dorchester Road, Tolpuddle, Dorset, DT2 7EH

Contact: +44 (0) 1305 848 237

Marvel at the interactive WW2 exhibits at Castletown D-Day Centre that tell the story of the port of Portland's involvement during the allied invasion of occupied France. Handle the weapons, climb in the vehicles, dress in authentic uniforms and step into the recreation of the 1944 wartime dockyard as part of the unparalleled experience the museum offers.

Address: Admiralty Buildings, Castletown, Portland, Dorset, DT5 1BD

Contact: 01305 443 444

Tickets: Adult - £10.00, Teenager (12-17) - £7.50, Child (Under 12) - £6.00

Discover a fossil collection with over 16,000 specimens, built in the spot of Mary Anning's local church. It is a perfect demonstration of the fossil hunting history of Lyme Regis and tells the tale of evolution, geology and scientific discovery.

Address: Coombe Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset, DT7 3PY

Contact: 01297 443541

Tickets: Adult - £6.00, Child (5-12) - £5.00

Opening Times: 10am-4pm on weekends

Once the home and fossil shop of Mary Anning, this fascinating museum leads visitors through 200 million years of history. Plus, it's not just fossils - you can also wonder at the literary collections (particuarly Jane Austen, who set part of Persuasion in Lyme Regis!) and observe artefacts relating to a local history of civil war and rebellion.

Address: Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge Street, Lyme Regis, Dorset DT7 3QA

Contact: 01297 443370

Tickets: Adults - £7.20, Child - £4.50

Opening Times: Tue–Sun 10am–4pm

Walk through 250 million years of Dorset history, archeology, art and culture. With over 4 million artefacts pertaining to the county's history, covering a broad variety of areas, there's nowhere better to get a full overview of Dorset's past.

Address: High West Street, Dorchester DT1 1XA

Contact: 01305 262735

Tickets: Adult - £14.00, Child - £0.00

Built in 1879, The Keep was originally Dorchester’s Victorian barracks, and was once the gatehouse for the Depot Barracks of the Dorsetshire Regiment. It now houses extrordinary artefacts and insights into Dorset's military history.

Address: The Keep Military Museum, Bridport Road, DORCHESTER, Dorset DT1 1RN

Contact: 07586161872

Tickets: Adult - £7.50, Child - £3.00

Opening Times: 10.00am-4:30pm

Shire Hall Historic Courthouse Museum uncovers moving and important stories of everyday people’s interactions with the justice system since the late 18th century. It offers interactive galleries and an immersive courtroom, painting a portrait of Dorset's history with justice.

Address: Shire Hall Museum, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset, DT1 1UY

Contact: 01305 261849

Tickets: Adult - £9.50, Child (5-18) - £5.00

Opening Times: Monday-Saturday 10-4pm

The Museum of East Dorset, located at 23-27 High Street, Wimborne Minster, Dorset, BH21 1HR, is an award-winning cultural museum housed in a historic Grade II* listed townhouse dating from the late 16th or early 17th century, formerly known as the Priest’s House Museum.

Situated opposite the Minster church of St Cuthburga, it is a 20-minute drive from Poole, 30 minutes from Bournemouth and 40 minutes from Weymouth, accessible via the A31 (B3078 from the west, B3073 from the east, or A341 from Poole/Bournemouth).

Public car parks, including disabled spaces, are available on High Street and King Street, with details on Dorset Council’s website.

The museum explores the history of Wimborne Minster and rural East Dorset through 11 themed galleries, covering topics like landscape, travel, communication, life, death, and working life. Exhibits include stunning Roman wall paintings, ancient archaeological artefacts, a unique collection of Victorian Valentines, and a preserved Victorian kitchen with a working Beetonette range. Interactive displays, such as a recreated ironmonger’s counter and a hands-on Victorian schoolroom, engage visitors, while reconstructions of local businesses like Mr Low’s Victorian stationery shop and Coles’ Ironmongers add historical depth. A vibrant learning programme offers workshops on over 2000 years of British history, including Stone Age, Roman, Victorian, and World War topics, with hands-on “Dig It!” archaeological sessions designed by Julian Richards. Family-friendly activities include free craft sessions, dressing-up, and seasonal trails, with events like a Festive Friends Clay Workshop on 23 December 2024 and a free folk dancing workshop tied to the Wimborne Folk Festival in May 2025.

The tranquil walled garden, spanning one-third of an acre, features colourful herbaceous borders, heritage fruit trees (quince, medlar, walnut, black mulberry), a vegetable patch, and a mill stream, maintained by volunteers. The Tea Room, formerly a 1920s boathouse by the River Allen, serves light refreshments overlooking the garden, which hosts evening lectures in 2025, such as those on Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens (9 May) and Knoll Gardens (11 July). The Information Centre, integrated since 1990, provides free local guides and maps, staffed by knowledgeable volunteers. A gift shop offers locally sourced items, and a Georgian book room sells second-hand books.

Reopened in late 2020 after a £1.8 million National Lottery-funded refurbishment, the museum is accessible, with ramped access, a first-floor lift, sensory maps, a pop-up sensory tent, and free admission for carers accompanying disabled visitors. It operates daily from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM (4:00 PM November–March), with quieter times on Thursday afternoons during term time or Mondays/Fridays during holidays. Admission is £17.50 for a family (two adults, up to three children), granting unlimited entry for a year, sharable with others. Payment in the garden is cash-only. The museum, run by an independent charitable trust, relies on admission income, supported by East Dorset District Council.

Tripadvisor reviews (4.5 stars) praise its interactive exhibits, friendly volunteers, and serene garden, calling it a “little gem” for families, though some note the entry fee’s cost. A 2009 fire in adjacent buildings nearly damaged the site, but it remains a vibrant heritage centre.

For bookings, event details, or accessibility queries, contact 01202 882533 or museum@priest-house.co.uk, or visit museumofeastdorset.co.uk.