Address: High W St, Dorchester, DT1 1XA, United Kingdom
Phone: +441305262735
Rating: 4.5
based on 170 reviews.
Accessibility
Pros:
"Situated over 4 floors there are lifts to all areas or spacious stairs."
"Now fully accessible including a changing places toilet."
"The museum is now completely wheelchair accessible with lifts, no step entry, disabled and Changing Places toilets."
"First visit since the renovation works, what a change! The new galleries are very interesting and it's now very family and disability friendly."
Cons:
"The new museum, wouldn't of bothered wasting so much money on it. My kids said was better before!"
"It was so loud it made trying to read the exhibits ourselves impossible."
"A lovely bright museum which has clearly had a lot of money spent on it but lacking a bit for kids to interact with."
Staff and Service
Pros:
"During our visit we spoke to several other members of staff who couldn’t have been kinder or nicer."
"Really impressed by the variety of galleries and the extremely helpful welcoming staff."
"Very friendly and helpful staff showcasing an interesting and eclectic mix of artefacts and art."
"The staff are always lovely and the Roman Townhouse tour is a nice reminder of Dorchester's history."
"The staff are friendly and knowledgeable and there is a delightful cafe on site."
"Staff are very friendly and attentive pointing you in the right direction when needed."
"The staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgeable."
Cons:
"The lady took a look at me and said there is a 10 minute wait or I can go somewhere else."
"The only thing that let this experience down was the cafe that was very expensive and poorly staffed meaning service was slow."
"The cafe was expensive and I chose to go to a local bakery for lunch instead."
Value for Money
Pros:
"£12 entry fee seems a bit steep, although there is an option for an annual pass for £20."
"£14 for unlimited entry for a year. Amazing."
"The price is reflected in that you get a years entry for your ticket price which you don't get anywhere else locally."
"Great value because the family ticket gives you an annual pass!"
"Very interesting and good value for money."
"Museum is keen to sell £15 annual pass tickets (no senior reduction) but they also have an unadvertised £10 day ticket."
Cons:
"At £14.50 per adult and being The Museum of Dorset I was expecting so much more. Took us about an hour to go round the whole place."
"1 star missing due to £25 total entrance for 1 adult, 1 pensioner and 1 child."
"Not sure if the tea itself was a cheap brand or if the flavour was tainted by the coating on the cups, but it wasn't nice and I couldn't finish mine."
"Museum itself quite interesting but at £6:50 it is a bit pricey."
"Very disappointed! I paid full price for tickets, not to see Dippy, which was free, but to see all the other exhibits."
"what is left is not worth the half price admission."
Facilities and Exhibits
Pros:
"Worth going to see the dinosaur bones, roman mosaics, archaeology collection or the Thomas Hardy collection."
"The museum also boasts an incredible Victorian Gallery which opens up in the middle of the museum to great effect."
"Roman exhibition is brilliant, lots of fascinating local history as Dorchester was a Roman outpost from the first century."
"Large, light filled spaces and interesting exhibits with artefacts from Prehistoric Dorset, Maiden Castle, Viking burials!, Roman Dorchester, through to industrial ages."
"Some wonderful displays, it's recently clearly had a large amount of investment placed into the whole infrastructure and displays and is vast with a smaller frontage on the high street which is TARDIS like when you get inside."
"The display galleries are now very impressive with excellent use of video and interactive exhibits."
"What a phenomenal museum. There is so much to see. The geological section is wonderful, with some excellent hands-on exhibits."
Cons:
"We looked at a few rooms of exhibits which were interesting and then asked directions to the rest of the museum only to be told that that was all there was as everything else had been packed away in order to display Dippy."
"Sadly most of the collection has been taken away before the upper gallery is refurbished."
"Pretty Dry! Went for the Dinosaurs after seeing an advert, kids got very bored quickly - not much for them to do."
"The rest of the museum was OK but didn't captivate their imagination - very agricultural and old fashioned."
Cafe and Refreshments
Pros:
"The Coffey shop needs a mention as it is so good. There sandwiches are not to be missed."
"Cafe has a good range of quality food, with attentive staff."
"Excellent cafe at the newly refurbished Dorset Museum. Varied vegetarian / vegan options outnumbering meat dishes."
"Also a very nice coffee shop with reasonably priced drinks and cake."
"Plus a cracking cafe that you can visit without having to pay for the museum as well."
Cons:
"The cafe shocking, ages for service."
"Expensive one child got sprite for 2.50 they put it in warm glass, the other smoothie which was half froth."
"The only thing that let this experience down was the cafe that was very expensive and poorly staffed meaning service was slow."
"The cafe was expensive and I chose to go to a local bakery for lunch instead."
"Not sure if the tea itself was a cheap brand or if the flavour was tainted by the coating on the cups, but it wasn't nice and I couldn't finish mine."