We recommend you contact the museums individually to confirm admission prices, opening times and events before you plan your visit.

• Allhallows Museum, Honiton

  Allhallows Museum houses one of the most comprehensive collections of Honiton lace in the world. The displays feature some of the finest collection of 16th to early 20th century lace; the Honiton hippo, Honiton Pottery; Victorian doll's house and wartime artefacts.

• Beaminster Museum

  The history of the town from medieval to modern times is displayed in the old Congregational chapel that is home to the museum.

• Blandford Museum

  Blandford Town Museum is the centre for collections relating to all aspects of life in the Blandford Forum area. Exhibits cover prehistoric and historic periods with exhibits on archaeology, Roman occupation, Georgian and Victorian life and Blandford during the war years.

• Bridport Museum

  The museum has permanent displays and a programme of temporary exhibitions. It also has a Local and Family History Centre across the street in Gundry Lane with a wide range of materials for people researching their local or family history with access to online family history resources.

• Blandford Fashion Museum

  Founded by the late Mrs Betty Penny, the museum is housed in a fine Georgian building. The growing costume collection covers 250 years. New exhibits are regularly displayed. Returning visitors will always find the experience friendly and enjoyable. There is also a pretty tea-room and shop.

• Castleton Waterwheel Museum

  Castleton Waterwheel Museum is a run by local volunteers, who have rescued and restored the unique Nineteenth century Castleton waterwheel and its house

• Corfe Castle Museum

  The museum has images and artefacts taken from Corfe's past, with information on the clay, stone and Purbeck Marble industries and snapshots of why and how the village became what it is today. The museum is housed on the ground floor of the smallest Town Hall in England, and it is small too, but well worth a visit.

• Dorset County Museum

  This is, in effect, the Museum of Dorset. It features displays covering the Jurassic Coast, Thomas Hardy's study, and great galleries on archaeology, wildlife, geology and local history.

• Exmouth Museum

  A museum of social history, celebrating 25 years this year. Displays include maritime, railways, our local famous ladies, a Victorian kitchen, a 1930s dining room, WWll, schools, beach, antique lace, stationary steam engine, as well as a changing variety of displays.

• Fairlynch Museum and Arts Centre

  Fairlynch, a thatched cottage orné built c.1811, has been a museum since 1967. Displays feature the geology, archaeology, railway and natural history of the immediate area, with extensive local history volumes and a reference library for research. It is also home to costume and lace collections.

• Gillingham Museum

  This museum features the history of Gillingham and surrounding villages from prehistoric times, through Roman and medieval occupation to the Victorian rebuilding, a 1790 manual fire engine, a John Constable display, and an interactive quiz and photographic presentation. Parking and toilets in adjoining public car park.

• Gold Hill Museum

  The museum is closed for the whole of 2010 for renovation and development. The refurbished museum will be able to display a much broader selection of the many precious artefacts in its collection than hitherto; because of the lack of space, many have not been able to be shown.

• Langton Matravers Museum

  Enjoy the heritage of Purbeck stone with an audio-visual introduction, displays of fossils, geology, worked stone, tools, photographs and a reconstruction of a section of quarry mine and its capstan. There are also special temporary exhibitions from the parish's extensive social history collection.

• Lyme Regis Museum

  Here you'll find the story of Lyme in its landscape, housed in a beautiful building overlooking the Cobb and the sea. See its award-winning displays of the history of Lyme Regis and the Cobb, its geology, fossils, literary connections and notable people.

• Military Museum of Devon and Dorset

  The museum is regarded as one of the top five provincial military museums in the country. The collection is impressive, as is the method of presentation and interpretation employed. The collection presents the two counties' military heritage relating to over 300 years of service.

• Museum of Electricity

  Set in a genuine Edwardian power station in Christchurch, Dorset, the museum is dedicated to the history of electricity. There's fun and nostalgia for the whole family. We provide support for the schools science curriculum, and visits by schools are free.

• Plastic Museum

  Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP)

• Poole Museum

  With its stunning new entrance and atrium, the museum's new public facilities include a terrace and visitor lounge with magnificent views over Poole Harbour and Old Town. The original fabric of the 18th century harbour warehouse which houses the main displays has been carefully revealed to provide the perfect setting for the story of Poole and its people to be told.

• Portland Museum

  A small museum in the heart of the island, featuring the many aspects of Portland history: its geology, archaeology, industry, social history, maritime history and much more.

• Priest's House museum and garden

  The Priest's House Museum & Garden is set in an historic town house where a series of period rooms takes the visitor back through the centuries. From the 17th century hall to the Georgian parlour and working Victorian kitchen, our rooms show what life and work was like for people in the past.

• Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum

  Purbeck Mineral & Mining Museum is a Heritage Museum dedicated to the extraction of the world's finest clay - Purbeck Ball Clay. The museum is under construction to recreate a clay mine for all to experience. In the meantime there is a free display in the 1920s foreman's office.

• Red House Museum and Gardens

  Plenty of variety and interesting objects - local history, costume, geology, natural history and archaeology. Temporary exhibitions change every few weeks. Formal garden with culinary/medicinal herbs; secluded informal garden with old fashioned roses and less common shrubs and trees.

• Russell-Cotes Art Gallery and Museum

  Discover Bournemouth's beautiful, award-winning museum and art gallery. Gifted to the public by Victorian collectors and travel enthusiasts Merton and Annie Russell-Cotes, the art gallery and museum hold fascinating collections from their travels around the world.

• Shaftesbury Abbey museum and garden

  Founded by King Alfred the Great, Shaftesbury Abbey was once the most important Benedictine community for women in the country. This award winning museum vividly brings to life the story of the Abbey and its inhabitants. The remains of the Abbey are set in a peaceful walled garden

• Sherborne Museum

  Founded in 1968 at the historic Abbey Gate House, once part of Sherborne Monastery, the museum houses a wide-based collection, from geology & pre-history to recent times, reflecting the history of the town and surrounding villages

• Sidmouth Museum

  'Something for everyone of all ages and all interests'. Sidmouth Museum celebrates 240 million years of history with its interpretation of the World Heritage Coast and local history. Geology, Regency splendour, Victorian visitors, railways, lace making and famous past residents are among the fascinating attractions in this Tardis-like Museum. Free guided strolls start from the museum.

• Sturminster Newton Museum and Mill

  The museum is housed in an historic and attractive thatched building of 16th century origin in the town centre. Displays celebrate the past history of Sturminster, the principal town of the Blackmore Vale, and the surrounding area.

• Swanage Museum and Heritage Centre

  Learn about the history of 'Old London by the Sea'. This small Museum is run entirely by volunteers. As well as our main site we have a Local Studies Centre based at Marine Villas on the Pier. We specialise in local and family history.

• Swanage Railway Museum, Corfe Castle

  Take a trip on a steam or diesel train through six miles of beautiful Dorset countryside and visit the Railway's museum.

• Tank Museum

  The museum houses the world's most comprehensive and important collection of armoured fighting vehicles, including a unique collection of WWI tanks and a recently restored German Tiger tank.

• Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum

  A frightened squire's trumped-up charges triggered one of the most celebrated stories in the history of human rights. Packed with illustrative displays, the exhibition tells the Tolpuddle Martyrs' story and their struggle for survival after transportation to Australia.

• Tudor House

  One of Weymouth's few remaining Tudor buildings and furnished as the home of an early 17th century middle class family. Guided tours explain aspects of the life of the times.

• Wareham Town Museum

  The museum tells the story of the Wareham area from prehistoric times to the present day. There are also displays on geology (including the Jurassic Coast) and TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), who lived nearby.

• Water Supply Museum

  The museum is housed in a pumping station, which still supplies water to Weymouth. A medieval dam and 1857 turbine pump (SAM), together with other machinery and displays, help to interpret the social history of water through the ages. Excellent educational facilities are available.

• Weymouth Museum

  Collections of local and social history, costumes, prints and paintings, including the Bussell Collection, and Borough Archives. Regular exhibitions during the year.