NEWS - Museum of East Dorset

A photograph of a lady with a kind face and gentle smile, wearing a very elegant scarf and knitting lovely red poppies.

Museum of East Dorset calls for wool donations to support this year’s Poppy Appeal

Local knitters and crocheters are being invited to help create hundreds of poppies to decorate Wimb...

A trader's stall showing jewellery of all types, e.g. rings, necklaces, etc.

Last Tearoom Makers Market of the season comes to the Museum of East Dorset on Saturday 26 September

The Museum of East Dorset is inviting visitors and local makers to mark Saturday 26 September in their diaries for the last Tearoom Makers Market of the season. Taking place in Wimborne’s award-winni...

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Museum urges eligible families to take up free summer holiday workshops

Wimborne’s award-wi...

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Oliver Edward Hollingworth of Step Cottage, Witchampton, with a determined look on his face; and his penny farthing bicycle – a birthday present in the 1880’s.

Museum of East Dorset marks ‘Cycle to Work Day’ with a refreshing ride through history

The Museum of East Dorset is inviting local cyclists to pedal in for a special treat on Cycle to Work Day,...

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A old black and white photograph of a woman with pigtails, holding a baby. She has an unhappy toddler with bare feet sat alongside her and she has a pipe in her mouth. We are grateful to the Dorset History Centre for providing the photo.

Powerful new exhibition brings Dorset’s Gypsy and Traveller histories into view

Wimborne’s award-winning Museum of East Dorset is proud to present Home: Gypsy and Traveller Lives in Dorset, a major new exhibition that shines a light on the rich, resilient and often overlooked his...

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A photo of a wide variety of home-made cakes. There's a Victoria sponge; brownies; cup cakes - some with a raspberry on top and some with Smarties. There are slices of chocolate cake; flapjacks; and many other sugar-rush inducing chunks of loveliness.

Traditional summer fete returns to Museum of East Dorset with new Bake Off competition

The much-loved annual Summer Fete at Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset returns on Saturday 4th July, promis...

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A photo of large cardboard cut-out Minions sitting behind the Museum's front desk. They are Minions Kevin and Bob.

Minion Mayhem at the Museum of East Dorset this summer

Wimborne is about to turn yellow! From Saturday 11th July to Saturday 5th September, the award-winning Mus...

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A photo of our Curator, Millie Lake, in the Museum's Collections Store, along with several items, such as a doll's tea service; a jelly mould; a Sirdar knitting pattern for a lady's waistcoat; and The Dairy Book of Home Management.

What’s the story behind your favourite object? Museum of East Dorset launches community call out for your most cherished items

Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset is inviting people to help shape a unique new exhibition by sharing the objects that mean the most to them – from treasured keepsakes to the everyday items that ...

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A photo of Iryna Sozanska, the Ukrainian photographer whose work will be exhibited at the Museum.

From War to Dorset: Ukrainian photographer’s powerful exhibition reveals life between two worlds

Wimborne’s award-winning Museum of East Dorset will host Occupied / Unoccupied, a deeply moving photography exhibition by Ukrainian photographer Iryna Sozanska, whose work captures the fragile line be...

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Tea for Two as Tearoom Makers Market adds two more dates to Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset calendar of events

The Museum of East Dorset has announced two further dates for its popular Tearoom Makers Market, taking place on Saturday 20 June and Saturday 26 September. The markets celebrate local creativity, bri...

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Two of our supporters, with lovely beaming smiles, supporting a giant knitted forget-me-not that is as tall as they are.

Museum of East Dorset invites community to remember loved ones during Dementia Action Week

The Museum of East Dorset is proud to support The Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Action Week from 18th to 24th May with the return of its much loved Forget Me Knots display and the introduction of a Mem...

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A dinosaur (maybe a triceratops?) is lurking in the bushes in our Museum garden.

Discover a roar some half term treat with a new dinosaur adventure at the Museum of East Dorset

Families are invited to become intrepid explorers this May as Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset unleashes a month‑long celebration of all things prehistoric with an action‑packed Dinosaur Adventure, ru...

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Put your wits to the test at the Museum’s big quiz

Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset is gearing up for an evening of quick thinking, big laughs and friendly competition as it hosts its fundraising Quiz Night on Thursday 30 April. Doors open at 6.30pm, ...

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A guide puppy in training takes its trainer around the Museum garden

Museum of East Dorset champions accessibility on International Guide Dogs Day

Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset is proud to support International Guide Dogs Day on Wednesday 29 April by offering free entry on this special day to all blind and visually impaired visitors, includin...

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Three of our lovely Tea Room ladies, stood next to an outdoor table, welcoming visitors with big smiles and a cup of tea.

Take a moment - Museum launches ‘Cup of Calm’ community drop in for connection and conversation

Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset is delighted to announce the launch of Cup of Calm, a new community‑focused initiative designed to bring people together over a warm drink and friendly conversation in...

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Handmade, homegrown and happening – Tea Room Makers' Market 2026

Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset is delighted to unveil the return of its much‑loved Tea Room Makers’ Market, taking place on Saturday 28 March, Saturday 20 June and Saturday 26 September, from ...

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The photo shows Super Museum Lady, in her green cap and white gloves, peeping around a museum display case.

Power up your Easter! Super Museum adventure lands in Wimborne as Mario mania looks set to sweep the nation

With excitement building around the release of the brand‑new Super Mario film, ‘Super Mario Galaxy ...

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Traitor or Faithful? The strange afterlife of the Marchioness of Exeter revealed in a new Cabinet of Curiosity at Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset

History, mystery, a dead body and a broken nose come together in a new, quirky exhibit at Wimborne’s Museu...

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Hidden stories of Cranborne Chase revealed in new art exhibition at the Museum of East Dorset

Droves & Downs – a major art exhibition produced by Dorset Visual Arts – opens at Wimborne’s award-winning Museum of East Dorset this spring, bringing together photography, drawing, sculpture and ...

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Two happy children smile at the camera: a girl is dressed in a witch's black cloak and tall hat; and carries a broomstick. A boy wears a smock with straw poking out of the sleeves, extending over his hands. He also has a straw hat and straw hair. Behind them is a cooking range with a pair of ruby red shoes placed on top.

We’re off to see the Wizard! Follow the Yellow Brick trail this February at the award winning museum of East Dorset.

Families are invited to step into a world of magic, imagination and adventure this February as Wimborne’s award‑winning Museum of East Dorset launches an enchanting new Wizard of Oz inspired family t...

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A young child, dressed in Christmas pyjamas, holds a large cardboard box containing an ice-cream play set. The discarded wrapping paper is on the floor nearby. The child doesn't look overwhelmed by the present.

A fundraising home for your unwanted Christmas gifts

If Santa got it wrong this year and didn’t bring you quite the gifts you were looking for – Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset could put your unwanted presents to good use. The town’s museum is a charit...

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Christmas at the Museum

Whether you’re shopping for interesting gifts or entertaining the children, there’s plenty to enjoy during the festive season at the Museum of East Dorset… FUSED GLASS CHRISTMAS DECORATIO...

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Double delight! The Museum of East Dorset celebrates Gold and Silver victory at the Dorset Tourism Awards

Museum of East Dorset Operations Manager Andy Putt, trustee Vanessa Joseph and Museum director Francesca Hollow collected the two awards The Museum of East Dorset in Wimborne Minster is celebrating a...

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A long-shot photo of Millie Lake stood in the Museum's garden.

Fresh eyes on 30,000 artefacts as Millie Lake takes curator role in Wimborne

The Museum of East Dorset is delighted to welcome Millie Lake, 29, as its newly appointed Curator, bringing a vibrant mix of experience, creativity, and community spirit to the role. A graduate of Ar...

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Two mums with young children enjoying themselves, drawing in a workshop.

Unleash your inner artist at the Museum of East Dorset's Dragon Art competition

Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset is calling all creative minds—young and old—to take part in a fire-breathing art challenge that’s sure to spark imaginations and set tails wagging! As part of the mus...

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A gentleman pulls a book off a shelf in our second-hand bookshop. It is Madonna of Bolton. He looks somewhat bemused.

Booked for the day - rare reads at the Museum bookshop sale

We have a wide-ranging selection of books. The second-hand bookshop at Wimborne’s award-winning Museum of East Dorset is delighted to announce a special one-day sale of collectable books on Saturday ...

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A lady and a boy look at one of the Museum's popular interactive screens.

Family Forum launched in Wimborne as Museum seeks feedback

Wimborne’s award-winning Museum of East Dorset is asking people to get involved in a new Family Forum initiative. The group will meet three times a year and forum members will receive a free annual fa...

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Hat's It!

Hat’s It!’ Millstream Theatre’s New Cabaret Fundraiser is coming to the Museum of East Dorset, Wimborne on Thursday 7th August at 7pm. Hat’s It! Millstream, Dorset’s celebrated theatre com...

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The Museum of East Dorset and Wimborne Library invite children to read in the story garden this summer

Grab a book, a blanket, and enjoy a brilliant reading adventure in the garden of the Museum of East Dorset! Wimborne Library and the Museum of East Dorset are teaming up to support the UK-wide Summer ...

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Pixelated Playtime: Dive into Minecraft Adventures at the Museum of East Dorset!

MAKE IT A BLOCKBUSTER SUMMER AS MINECRAFT TAKES OVER THE MUSEUM OF EAST DORSET The iconic world of Minecraft is breaking out of the screen and into Wimborne’s award-winning museum as the Museum of Ea...

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Sally Palmer with one of the giant forget-me-nots and Freddy the Dementia Teddy

Forget-Me-Not knitting appeal blooms in support of dementia awareness

Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset’s Forget-Me-Not campaign has seen an overwhelming response, with a staggering over 9.000 knitted and crocheted flowers donated to support this year’s Dementia Action W...

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A youngster dressed in the full Morris dancing outfit, showing that Morris dancing is for anyone of any age.

Celebrate Spring at Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset with a month of May traditions

This May, the award-winning Museum of East Dorset is bringing history to life with a month-long celebration of traditional springtime festivities. Visitors of all ages are invited to step back in time...

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Wimborne Air Raid Precautions wardens taking part in the parade for National Savings Warship Week at Eastbrook. It is led by Mr Tapper who was head Air Raid Warden, and he is flanked by Mr Stewart and Mr Greaves, the Urban District and Rural District ARP officers. The picture was taken in 1941 when the citizens of the two districts adopted the naval warship HMS Challenger

Wimborne at war! Discover a new exhibition at the Museum of East Dorset to commemorate VE Day

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, Wimborne’s award-winning Museum of East Dorset has created a new temporary exhibition ‘Wimborne at War’. The exhibition captures the spirit of resilience and de...

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Grab your knitting needles

Grab your knitting needles and support Dementia Action Week at the museum Wimborne’s award-winning Museum of East Dorset is supporting Dementia Action Week (19th – 25th May) with a special Forge...

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Museum Gardeners win Volunteering Award

The hard-working team of six volunteer gardeners at Wimborne’s award-winning Museum of East Dorset have been awarded The Volunteer Team of the Year at the Volunteer Centre Dorset Awards. Delighted mus...

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Our Collections Manager, Rob, together with Rachel, collect the Silver Award at the Dorset Tourism Awards

Museum wins Silver at Dorset Tourism Awards

Wimborne’s Museum of East Dorset has been celebrated as a winner in this year’s Dorset Tourism Awards. The museum scooped a Silver in the ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year’ category. The museum w...

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I Grew Up 90s

Museum of East Dorset unveils new exhibition “I Grew Up 90s” Dates: 16th November 2024 –...

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The Paper Cinema

Museum of East Dorset Unveils new exhibition “The Art of Nicholas Rawling and The Paper Cinema”...

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Rebellion and Revolt

Museum of East Dorset Unveils new exhibition “Rebellion and Revolt” Brace yourselves for a sum...

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Include and Develop Team

The Museum of East Dorset is embarking on an enriching initiative to bring the community closer to the ric...

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May the Toys Be With You at the Museum of East Dorset. Visit from Saturday 14th October.

The Force is Strong at the Museum of East Dorset

On October 14th 2023, from a galaxy far, far away comes an absolute must see for fans of Star Wars and the silver screen… One of the UK’s finest collections of vintage Star Wars toys and origina...

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Museum accredited with prestigious SANDFORD AWARD for it's Learning Programme

The Museum of East Dorset has been presented with the highly esteemed Sandford Award for Heritage Education, recognising its dedication to providing engaging and enriching educational experiences. Sin...

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Museums in Dorset

Welcome to our latest blog, where this time we embark on a fascinating journey through the museums of Dorset. We will explore the rich heritage and captivating stories hidden within these wonderful sp...

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Accessible Things to Do in Dorset

One of the things that truly sets Dorset apart from other destinations is its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. It offers a range of activities, days out and experiences that can be enjoyed...

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The Square in Wimborne Minster in Dorset, UK

Things to do in Wimborne

So, you’ve got some time to spend in Wimborne and you are wondering what to do. Come rain or shine, there are lots of fantastic things to do in Wimborne. We’ve put together a list which we think inclu...

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Things to do in Dorset for Families

Whether it is at the weekend or in the school holidays if you are looking for things to do in Dorset for families we have a great list for you. We’ve chosen activities that have an ‘educational’ eleme...

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Museum wins SILVER in South West England Tourism Excellence Awards

The Museum of East Dorset in Wimborne has scooped a Silver award for ‘Small Visitor Attraction of the Year...

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Museum hopes to unlock past lives through ancient DNA

The Museum of East Dorset is collaborating with the Francis Crick Institute in a nationwide research project. The project, funded by the Wellcome Foundation, seeks to establish the whole-genome histor...

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Artist In Residence: Yvonne Perks

Artist In Residence: Yvonne Perks As part of our ‘East Dorset Celebrates: 70 Years of Fun and Festivities’ exhibition, the Museum of East Dorset is very excited to introduce you all to our new ‘Artist...

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Museum celebrates 70 years of fun and festivities in East Dorset

The new exhibition at the Museum of East Dorset celebrates seven decades of fun and festivities in the local area. Inspired by Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee year, the exhibition examines how loca...

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Create a community celebratory pennant

Museum of East Dorset invites you to create a Community Celebratory Pennant The Museum of East Dorset is inviting local community organisations to become a part of history and feature in our new exhi...

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Museum appeal for ‘Celebration’ memorabilia and memories

Local people are invited to contribute to the new exhibition at the Museum of East Dorset, which starts in April 2022. ‘East Dorset Celebrates: 70 years of fun and festivities’ will examine how people...

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volunteer in historic dress serving christmas pudding

The Great Pudding Stir

The Museum of East Dorset’s Great Pudding Stir is taking place on Saturday 11 December, 10.30am to 4pm. It is included in the Museum entry ticket. The Great Pudding Stir has taken place in the histori...

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Two local heroes and a crocodile at the Museum of East Dorset

Two new exhibitions Visit the two new exhibitions at the Museum of East Dorset. Upstairs, in the Temporary Exhibitions Gallery, you can find out more about the life and achievements of local GP, gifte...

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Wimborne History Festival 4-5 September

The Museum of East Dorset is taking part in this year’s Wimborne History Festival, with activities and free entry to the museum on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 September, 10.00 to 4.30. Learn about health ...

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TV archaeologist to visit the Museum of East Dorset

Well known archaeologist Julian Richards of ‘Meet the Ancestors’ is visiting the Museum of East Dorset in Wimborne on Saturday 14 August from 11.00am to 3.30pm. Normal admission charges apply. Julian ...

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Earliest known case of TB

Origins of the earliest known case of TB in Britain show that the Iron Age man was a migrant from continental Europe Archaeological excavations at Tarrant Hinton, Dorset, between 1967 and 1985 uncove...

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Opening date confirmed

Wimborne museum announces reopening date and a new name The Priest’s House Museum, Wimborne, has confirmed its reopening date following a major revival project and will be relaunching with a new name...

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Lottery grant

The Priest’s House Museum in Wimborne, Dorset has received National Lottery grant support to help address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on heritage. The Priest’s House Museum, the Museum of Eas...

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Restoration complete

Works over the past 12 months have transformed the facilities, exhibition spaces and access, with new staircases, refurbished or new doors and partition glazed screens installed, and services upgraded...

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