At the Museum of East Dorset, we welcome everyone. We have a range of services, facilities and resources we provide to support your visit and help make our museum enjoyable, engaging and accessible for all.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for or would like to talk to us about how we can make your visit better, we’d love to hear from you. You can contact us by phone on 01202 882533 (please note that we accept Relay UK calls – https://www.relayuk.bt.com – if you prefer to use this service) or email us at [email protected]

This page and our website have been designed with accessibility features which support the use of screen readers. If you encounter any problems or would like to suggest improvements, please let us know.

Preparing for your Visit

Here’s some useful information to help you get ready for your visit.

• Our visual story takes you on a journey around the site and introduces you to our services and facilities.
• We have a 360 degree tour which gives you an idea of what the museum looks like and the galleries you will see.
• If you use a wheelchair or scooter, you may like to look at our Wheelchair User Guide, which provides information on the maximum size of Wheelchair Mobility Aids which can be used in the museum, level access points and door widths across site.
• We also have a range of maps to help you plan your visit. These are a standard Visitor Map, Large Print Visitor Map (size 18 font) and Sensory Map. You can also pick these up when you visit.

Opening times

We are open:

1 April – 31 October: Monday to Saturday, 10am – 4.30pm

1 November – 31 March: Monday to Saturday, 10am – 4.00pm

Prices

Our admission prices are: 

All of our tickets give free entry for 12 months, giving you the opportunity to come back as often as you’d like.

We offer FREE admission for Carers and Essential Companions when accompanying a paying disabled visitor. We don’t ask for any proof of this as we appreciate not all carers have formal identification.

You can buy your tickets when you visit or pre-book them here.

Quieter times

There are generally fewer people at the museum on a Thursday afternoon during school term time. Mondays and Fridays are quieter during school holidays. Saturdays are often busy but tend to be quieter in January and February.

Sunflower scheme

We welcome and support visitors who choose to wear a Sunflower item as part of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme. Please note that we are currently unable to provide Sunflower items. Find out more about the scheme on the Hidden Disabilities website: https://hdsunflower.com/uk/

Families

You’re welcome to visit us with buggies and pushchairs. There is ramped access throughout the museum and garden. Single width buggies and pushchairs can access the museum, Tea Room and garden. Wider buggies and pushchairs will not fit through many of our doorways. If you’d like to park your buggy or pushchair whilst you explore, we have a buggy park next to the lift and HippyChicks hip seats for children aged 6 months to 3 years. Families are welcome to bring their own food to eat in the garden.

Our baby change facilities are in our accessible toilet.

 We are a member of the Dorset Breastfeeding Friendly scheme and welcome breastfeeding visitors on site. We do have a space off the visitor route that can be used for breastfeeding (if preferred) with the nearest designated private breastfeeding space available at the Allendale Centre, which is a four minute walk from the museum and can be accessed for free.

Toilets

• Visit this page to see the toilets section of the visual story
• The accessible toilet is located next to the Tea Room. Our accessible toilet is Part M compliant. The toilet door opens to the left and does not require a radar key to access it. The toilet is right-hand transfer. There is a red cord alarm and this is checked regularly to ensure it is working and that the cord hangs clear to the floor.
• Baby change facilities are also available in the accessible toilet.
• The men’s toilet includes a male incontinence bin for the discreet and safe disposal of incontinence products.
• We have one all-gender toilet on the ground floor of the museum building, next to the Lift and Buggy Park.
• In partnership with Wimborne Food Bank we offer free period products in the all-gender toilet, ladies’ toilet and accessible toilet near the Tea Room.

There is no Changing Places toilet in Wimborne. The closest Changing Places toilets are at:

• Tricuro Parkstone Connect, Croft Road, Poole, BH12 3LD, which is a 25 minute drive from central Wimborne. They have 3 full Changing Places bathrooms and are inclusive and open to all, regardless of age or disability. It is open to the public.
• Alternatively, Kinson Library in Kinson Hub, Wimborne Road, Bournemouth, BH11 9AW is a 20 minute drive from central Wimborne. They have a Changing Places toilet with hoist and bed but have noted their information on the Changing Places website may be out of date. It is open to the public.
• Find more information on the Changing Places website: https://www.changing-places.org/find

Assistance animals

Assistance dogs

We welcome working guide and assistance dogs. We ask that these are appropriately trained, supervised and kept with you.  Ideally, they will wear the appropriate tabards or harness. Where possible, please bring your Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) identification book. A water bowl is always available outside our Tea Room.

Local facilities for Assistance Dogs include nearby Crown Mead Park. This is a short 2-minute walk from the museum and is a grassy area with bench seating, where dogs can exercise on leads. For off lead, Bytheway Field is a 37 acre grassy, tree lined space on the edge of Wimborne, which you and your dog can enjoy for free. There’s a small car park and you can explore a variety of paths which are suitable for pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters. For hot days, there is a short woodland walk nearby. More information and directions are available here:  https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/-/leigh-common-and-bytheway-field

Other assistance animals

If you plan to visit with an assistance animal other than an assistance dog, please get in touch with us in advance so we can let our Front of House team know.

Dogs

We welcome well-behaved dogs in our information centre, gift and book shop and garden, including our Tea Room’s outdoor terraces. Unfortunately, dogs can’t access the museum’s historic rooms and galleries, due to the small size of these spaces.

Getting here

The museum is easily accessible by bike, car, bus and coach.

By bike

There are no cycle routes in Wimborne town centre. There are cycle racks next to the museum at Wimborne Library and at Church House next to Wimborne Minster.

By car

Wimborne town centre has a one way road system Our museum is located at 23-29 High Street, BH21 1HR.

There are 3 on-road parking spaces for disabled people outside the museum.

There is also a loading bay just past the museum entrance which you can use to drop-off and pick-up disabled visitors. However, please don’t park here.

There is also free on-street parking opposite the museum. This is restricted to 30 minutes, between 8am – 6pm, with no return within 1 hour.

There are lots of pay and display car parks in Wimborne. The nearest council public car parks are Crowns Mead and Kings Street.

Crown Mead: There are 4 designated disabled spaces at the end of the car park nearest to the Co Op supermarket. There are paved level paths from the car park to the museum.

Kings Street: There are 3 designated disabled spaces at the end of the car park nearest to the Minster and High Street access. There are paved paths with gentle gradients from the car park to the museum and dropped kerbs to cross the High Street.

More information on Wimborne’s car parks can be found on Dorset Council’s website [link: https://www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/parking/find-a-carpark/find-a-car-park]

By bus

There are regular bus services to and from Wimborne. The nearest bus stop is Wimborne Square. There are paved level paths from the bus stop to the museum with dropped kerbs and a blister surface pedestrian crossing point across High Street.

Please see below to find out more.

MoreBus: latest routes and timetables (look for bus routes 3, 4, 6, 13 and 13A): https://www.morebus.co.uk/services

Coach: There are several drop off points for coaches a short distance from the museum on West Borough and King Street. Coach parking is available at Allenview Car Park.

For directions within Wimborne, see our Getting Here visual story.

Your visit

 Here’s information about the practical accessibility facilities and resources we offer. We’ve split this into our 3 main spaces. These are our:

• Museum
• Tea Room
• Garden

Our museum, including the information centre, gift and bookshop, historic rooms and galleries

General resources:

• Next to our till at the Front Desk we have a magnifying glass, paper and pens available for anyone who needs to use them.
• There is a seat with arms next to the Front Desk
• The Front Desk Counter has a lowered section
• We have a range of accessible items which can be borrowed from access resources in the Entrance Gallery. This includes:
  • Ear defenders
  • LED magnifiers
  • Torches
  • Fidgets designed for people with dementia
  • Selection of general fidgets
• Accessible art and craft supplies are always available on our children’s craft table in the museum and for art and craft events. These include easy grip pencils and colouring pencils, chunky markers and self-opening scissors.
• Due to a large step which is 200mm high, we are unable to provide a ramp to the second hand book shop, so it is not accessible to all visitors. If you are interested in browsing some of the books but are unable to use the step, please contact us in advance of your visit and our Book Volunteers will be happy to put together a selection for you to look at in the main shop area. This could be by author, genre (eg. romance novels) or themes e.g. books on art, Spain travel guides.

Lift
For pictures, see our visual story.
We have a level access platform lift on the ground floor, which is marked on all our visitor maps.

The interior of the lift measures 900mm wide x 1430mm long. The maximum weight limit is: 410kg. There is space for one wheelchair user and one other visitor at a time.

The lift doors open manually, as we were unable to fit button operated doors due to our historic building and lack of space for the mechanisms. The ground floor door is full height and opens to the right from the outside. The first-floor door is half size and opens to the left from the inside. The lift offers ‘drive in, drive out’ access as the doors alternate sides.

The lift control panel is a lowered horizontal bar and has tactile and Braille buttons. The button for the lift needs to be pressed and held whilst the lift is operating. If you need any assistance with operating the lift, just let our team at the front desk know.

Mobility Aids

We have a selection of mobility aids which can be borrowed for free during your visit. This is on a first come, first served basis but can be booked in advance by getting in touch with us.

• Manual wheelchair
• Three wheeled rollator
• Walking frame
• Walking stick
• Folding walking stick seats

Seating
For pictures of the seating, see our visual story.
There are benches throughout the museum, chairs with arms and some perching stools. We also have walking sticks which fold out into seats which you can borrow.

Visually impaired resources

• We have recently created a Large Print Guide (size 18), with guidance kindly provided from Dorset Blind Association and Wimborne Macular Degeneration Society. There are copies to borrow in the museum Entrance Gallery and First Floor Lift Lobby.
• There are high contrast yellow stickers which highlight where drawers can be opened, buttons to press for videos and interactive touch screens.
• There are many items on display in the museum which can be touched. This includes a wooden 3D model of the building, the original Ironmonger’s counter and items on display in the Victorian Kitchen.
• The Activity Box in the Travel and Communication Gallery has tactile and Braille alphabet tiles with a suggested activity, and a braille book, On the Move. The Working Life Gallery activity box has a braille book, LEGO DUPLO Farm, and the Growing Up Gallery has the braille book, It Can’t Be True!

Hearing Loops

There is a fixed Hearing Loop at the museum/shop front desk. The Loop is regularly tested, serviced and maintained.

We also have a portable radio frequency system, which we use for tours. Our tour guide wears the transmitter, and we have 2 receivers for visitors. You can choose a neck loop which will connect to a hearing aid, or headphones to amplify the sound. If you’re visiting on a group tour and would like to use the system, please let us know in advance.

Please note that we accept Relay UK calls (https://www.relayuk.bt.com) if you want to discuss any aspect of a planned visit.

British Sign Language

We have made a filmed British Sign Language tour which can be accessed via the QR code below. If you open the camera app on your phone or tablet and point it at the QR code, it should give you a link to a video. 

The Working Life Gallery activity box has a sign language book, Our Farmyard Friends, and the Growing Up Gallery has the sign language book, Sign About Play Time.

SEND

The Learning Team are working hard to develop a series of resources for use by visitors with SEND. This page will share what is available so please keep coming back as we will be adding more resources over time.

Preparing for Your Visit

We have created a Visual Story to help you prepare for your visit to the museum. This guide will help walk you through a visit, showing you the route through the galleries, the signage and other facilities on site.

We have also created a PECS style set of pictures/ symbols to help you plan the sequence of your visit to the museum. The symbols match those on the pictorial version of the museum map. You are welcome to print, laminate and cut out to add to personal boards before visiting the museum. Some of the key signage is also included.

A work in progress… we are in the process of creating a schools’ version of the PECS planning board, which will include images representing the workshops schools may be attending.

Visit Resources

Please click on the links to print these handy resources at home and prepare for your trip.

• Museum Visual Story
• PECS Style Museum Cards
• Pictorial Museum Guide

The PECS visual planning board is designed to help families plan their visit around the museum and is in a similar style to the PECS communication boards used in schools and at home. It uses the same symbols we have on our pictorial museum map guide.

Quiet space
For pictures, see our visual story.
Our designated quiet space is our sensory shed which has seating; sensory circle floor tiles; light-up maracas; fidgets; fibre optic lighting. This is free to use for anyone visiting the Museum and gardens. You can often find a quiet area in the garden which you can use as a quiet space as well.

The Minster, which is opposite us, has a quiet space for neurodiverse people, which can be used if a space is needed beyond what we can offer. The quiet space is the Crypt which is located under the Altar, with access via steps. The lighting is adjustable and noise levels are usually minimal. The Minster is free to enter and volunteers are on hand and can direct you to this space.

 Sensory aids

• Our Sensory Map helps you to identify the different sensory experiences around the museum.
• There are fidgets and ear defenders available to borrow from the entrance gallery

Museum Superhero Sensory Sacks

Our Superhero Sensory Sacks are free to borrow and will hopefully help make your visit more enjoyable and support you to get the most out of it.  They can be particularly beneficial for visitors who are neurodiverse or have additional needs. These are free to borrow by signing them out at the main reception desk and leaving some form of ID as security (passport/driving license/ bank card) This is stored securely and returned when the backpack is returned.

There are four different colours and characters to borrow.

The items included in each superhero sack are:

• Ear defenders
• A magnifier
• ‘Today I will visit’ PECS style planning board
• Reins
• A character puppet
• A torch
• Fidget toys
• Picture guide to the museum with ‘sensory safe’ zone marked
• Photo content list
• Museum quiz sheet and pencil

The full content list and guide is here.

Tea Room

Our Tea Room is a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy a light lunch or some of our delicious cake.

For pictures, see our visual story.

General Resources

• On the Tea Room counter we have a magnifying glass, paper and pens available for anyone who needs to use them.
• Large Print and visual menus are available
• Cushions are available to borrow
• The Tea Room offers vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options. If you have any allergies, please speak to a member of the team who will be happy to help.

Wheelchair users

• The Tea Room has moveable seating inside and outside to provide space for wheelchair users, If you would like a chair moved, please ask one of our Tea Room volunteers who will be happy to help.
• There are two patio areas which are both accessible to wheelchair users. One patio is accessed by a ramp, and the other one is level access from the central garden path.
• Our Wheelchair User guide provides information on the maximum size of Wheelchair Mobility Aids, level access and door widths across site.

There is a fixed Hearing Loop at the Tea Room counter. The Loop is regularly tested, serviced and maintained.
 

Families

To support families, we have a range of items available:

• Highchair
• Sippy cups
• Plastic tumblers and plates
• Children’s cutlery

There is a fixed Hearing Loop at the Tea Room counter. The Loop is regularly tested, serviced and maintained.

Garden

Our Garden is a calming space which welcomes people and wildlife.

For pictures, see our visual story.

• Our Wheelchair User guide provides information on the floor surfaces in the Garden.
• It is usually possible to find a quiet area within the garden.
• Visitors are welcome to eat their own food on the benches and picnic benches in the garden.

Visually impaired and Blind

• In the garden, near the Gunpowder Shed, is a tactile art piece. Made from local pots, it encourages visitors to touch and explore.

Events and Learning Programme

• Our Wheelchair User guide provides information on the maximum size of Wheelchair Mobility Aids, level access and door widths across site.
• There is a fixed Hearing Loop in Garden Room (used for learning, events and venue hire). The Loop is regularly tested, serviced and maintained.
• We try to make all our events as accessible as possible. If you are unsure if an event would be suitable, please do get in touch and we can discuss you needs.
• The museum runs multiple programmes which are dementia-friendly. This includes a monthly Craft and Chat group, monthly Times Gone By reminiscence session in partnership with Times Gone By and Jolly Days at the Museum, twice monthly fun sessions run by In Jolly Good Company. Full details for all these sessions are on our website under Events. We also offer Reminiscence Outreach sessions to care homes and day centres, which can be booked by contacting [email protected].
• If you have a particular request for a type of accessible tour or event please contact us in advance and we will be happy to discuss this with you.
• Accessible art and craft supplies are used on our children’s craft table in the museum and for art and craft events and learning programme. These include easy grip pencils and colouring pencils, chunky markers and self-opening scissors.
• If you are planning a school visit, please let our Learning Team know if any pupils have additional access requirements.

Our Team

• All staff and volunteers have attended Disability Awareness training at the museum and have access to a comprehensive guide which details our access provision and how they can support visitors. Staff have also completed Dementia Friends training, SEN/Neurodiverse training and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training.

 

Our awards & accreditations

• We are an Age-Friendly Employer
• We are a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer 
• We are an LGBTQIA+ Safe Space  https://safespacealliance.com
• We are a member of the Dorset Breastfeeding Friendly scheme and welcome breastfeeding mothers. We do have a space off the visitor route which can be used for breastfeeding (if preferred) with the nearest private breastfeeding space available at the Allendale Centre, which is a four minute walk from the museum and can be accessed for free.
• We have members of our team on the Wimborne Dementia Friendly Steering Group and Wimborne Town Council Access Group, helping to improve access across the town.
• Front of House, Tea Room and Tour Guide volunteer roles include a ‘helpful host’ service, supporting visitors and advising on available access resources.
• We offer work experience placements to a number of young people throughout the year, and we actively encourage those with disabilities to get in touch.
• The museum has an Include and Develop Group. This group of internal and external volunteers work with us to keep improving accessibility and ensuring everyone is welcome at the museum. If you would like to express an interest in being involved in this group, please get in touch.

Looking forward

Developments

Here are the other access improvements we’re currently working on (updated June 2026)

• Creating a Braille and Touch Tour guide for the museum
• Relaxed museum visits, in partnership with Wimborne Parents Neurodivergence Support Group.
• Transcripts of oral histories in the Travel & Communication gallery
• Video captions

Feedback

It’s really important to us that everyone can enjoy their visit with us. If there’s any feedback you would like to share after your visit on how we can improve, please use the details above, or let the volunteers on the Front Desk know on the day.

 You can also let others know about your experience through the disabled access review site Euan’s Guide: https://www.euansguide.com/venues/museum-of-east-dorset-wimborne-13191/information

We hope you have a great visit with us and we look forward to meeting you soon.