The Dorset Museum, formerly known as the Dorset County Museum, has now reopened after its £16.4m transformation.
The museum in Dorchester which is thought to be around 140 years old, has been refurbished and extended with a new wing and large storage areas for its collections. The now reopened museum now includes four new galleries, an exhibition space, a restaurant a shop and a library. The old library in the original building now houses a 50 seat restaurant while the old café is now a classroom and the former Jurassic Coast room is now the new member’s library. This along with the extended exhibition spaces creates an exciting opportunity for the museum’s team, as well as future visitors.
The museum’s new spaces are climate controlled, which will enable them to host important new collections including sculptures by Elisabeth Frink and exhibits on fossils from the Jurassic Coast and local author, Thomas Hardy, including his handwritten manuscript for the Woodlanders. The Elisabeth Frink pieces were donated by the artist’s family and were created at her former home in the county.
The museum closed back in 2018 and was due to reopen last year, but the work was delayed by the pandemic. It is now open inline with the latest government guidelines.
