Dorchester Accommodation
Dorchester is home to Dorset County Museum
The Tutankhamun Exhibition is an unexpected surprise in Dorchester
The Keep Military Museum is both impressive where it's housed & its collections
The Teddy Bear and Dinsosaur museums are good for family holidays
Dorchester Museums & Attractions
For a relatively small town Dorchester to choc full of museums. Being the county town it's no surprise to find Dorset County Museum in the town. It's a fantastically well stocked museum with collections on all aspects of Dorset history. It's centrepiece collection is the Thomas Hardy collection, the largest in the world!
There are also interesting re-creation exhibitions, The Tutankhamun Exhibition and The Terracotta Warriors Museum. Here you can see accurate replicas of artefacts from both sites. For families The Dinosaur Museum gives a different perspective on Dorset's Jurassic Coast by showing off life-sized dinosaurs that may once have roamed the area. The Teddy Bear Museum is always a favourite for children and adults alike. Finally there's The Keep Military Museum in an imposing castellated building will be a must for those wanting to find out more about Dorset military history.
Featured Dorset Accommodation
The Sherborne Hotel - Sherborne
Dorset Hotel in Sherborne. Extensive grounds, superior suites available. Restaurant & licensed bar. Weddings venue, conference & meeting rooms available
£20 to £35 Per person B&B (2 sharing)
Dorset County Museum in Dorchester
Dorset County Museum is a big draw as it has a reconstruction of Thomas Hardy's desk as it was at Max Gate. They also hold the largest Thomas Hardy collection in the world. Many of his manuscripts, books, diaries, photographs, notebooks and paintings were bequeathed to the museum by Hardy s second wife and secretary, Florence Hardy.
Other exhibits cover archaeology, farming history, Dorset wildlife and the Dorchester Gallery that tells the town's story from prehistoric times to the present day. Just outside the museum is a memorial to Dorset dialect poet, William Barnes.
The museum is open from Mon-Sat 10am-5pm Oct-Jun and Mon-Sun 10am-5pm Jul-Sept.
The Dorset County Museum High West Street Dorchester Dorset DT1 1XA. Tel: 01305 262735. Fax: 01305 257180. Email: enquiries@dorsetcountymuseum.org
The Tutankhamun Exhibition
The Tutankhamun Exhibition recreates Tutankhamun's tomb and some of the treasures that were found there. The exhibition gives you a chance to see what the artefacts looked like as many of the originals are kept in Egypt and are not likely to be seen outside that country for fear of damage. Exhibits have been faithfully copied from the originals, so much so that some have been used in television programmes around the world.
The museum is open all year round except around Christmas day from 9.30am-5.30pm. It closes at 5pm during Nov-Mar.
The Tutankhamun Exhibition, High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1UW. Tel: 01305 269571. Fax: 01305 268885.
The Terracotta Warriors Museum
The Terracotta Warriors Museum is just down the road at 25 High West Street, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1UW. Tel: 01305 269741. Fax: 01305 268885.
The exhibition recreates the Terracotta soldiers created by China's first Emperor who also built China's Great Wall. Exhibits also include the costumes and armour the soldiers would have worn.
The museum is open all year round except Sundays and 24-26 December.
The Dinosaur Museum
The Dinosaur Museum takes a different look at the legacy of Dorset's Jurassic Coast. It is totally dedicated to dinosaurs and explains their lives through fossils, computer imaging and life-size reconstructions as well as a complete dinosaur skeleton.
The Dinsosaur Museum is open daily all year round, including Sundays 9.30am-5.30pm (10am-4.30pm from November-March). Closed 24-26 December inclusive.
The Dinosaur Museum Icen Way, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1EW. Tel: 01305 269880. Fax: 01305 268885.
The Teddy Bear Museum
For something a bit more cuddly, try The Teddy Bear Museum. Here you can see a collection of all sorts of teddy bears including antique bears, people sized bears and you can visit the shop for Steiff bears, Winnie the Pooh and Paddington.
The museum is open every day all year round except Christmas day and Boxing day.
You can find the Teddy Bear Museum on Eastgate, corner of High East Street & Salisbury Street, Dorchester, Dorset. DT1 1JU. Tel: 01305 266040.
The Keep Military Museum
Just up the road from the main High Street in Dorchester is the impressive castellated Keep Military Museum. It was built from Portland stone in 1879 and was designed to resemble a Norman castle. Its purpose was originally as a gatehouse for the Depot Barracks of the Dorsetshire Regiment as well as the county armoury.
The Keep Military Museum today presents a three hundred year history of the regiments of Devon and Dorset. The exhibits are arranged over three floors containing artefacts, weapons, uniforms, medals and the stories of soldiers and their families. Computer and digital presentations and representations of battle grounds present stories of courage and sacrifice that soldiers have demonstrated in fighting for their country over hundreds of years.
The museum is open: April-Sept Mon-Sat: 9.30am-5pm. October-March Tues-Sat: 9:30am-5pm. Closed Sundays. Check their very comprehensive website right for more information.
The Keep Military Museum, Bridport Road, Dorchester, Dorset DT1 1RN. Tel: 01305 264066. Fax: 01305 250373. Email: info@keepmilitarymuseum.org
Featured Dorset Accommodation
The Sherborne Hotel - Sherborne
Dorset Hotel in Sherborne. Extensive grounds, superior suites available. Restaurant & licensed bar. Weddings venue, conference & meeting rooms available
£20 to £35 Per person B&B (2 sharing)
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