Join us at Weymouth museum pop-up shop on Saturday 7th March, 11am–4pm for a fun, hands‑on fossil‑making workshop with artist Sarah Butterworth. Create your own fossil to add to a giant geological map featured in the exhibition!
Free entry • Drop‑in • All ages welcome
The World Heritage Day Festival is a full‑day celebration showcasing Dorset’s natural and cultural heritage through talks, tours, hands‑on activities and family‑friendly workshops. The festival brings together museum specialists, guest heritage organisations and the public to explore the stories, science and collections behind our World Heritage landscape.
Event Highlights
The programme offers a mix of bookable and drop‑in experiences, designed to engage visitors of all ages:
Talks
- Hosted in the Community Space throughout the day
- Free and open to everyone (no Museum ticket required)
- Limited capacity of 40 per session
- Talk tickets do not include Museum entry, and Museum tickets do not guarantee talk places
Collections Discovery Centre Tours
- Three behind‑the‑scenes sessions themed “Become a Curator”
- Visitors explore fossil collections not on display and learn simple condition‑checking techniques
- Limited to 12 people per session due to space
- Free to book through the website
Museum Activities (Drop‑in – Free with Museum Ticket)
- Guided Gallery Tours
- Natural Dorset Gallery with Sam
- People’s Dorset Gallery with Steve
- “Bring Your Collection” Sessions
- Sam identifies fossils brought in by children and shares insights in three sessions during the day
- Storytelling Sessions in the Story Space, Hardy Gallery
- Arts & Crafts (self‑guided)
- Family Activities delivered by guest organisations in the Victorian Hall
Guest Organisations
Confirmed contributors include:
- Charmouth Heritage Trust
- English Heritage
- National Trust
- Dorset National Landscape Partnership
Ticket Information
- £15.50 for adults (26+)
- £13 for young adults (16–25)
- Free for children (0–15), Art Fund members, Museums Association members and Wessex Museums holders
- 10% off tickets available on the day
- Tickets are valid for one year during normal opening hours, offering unlimited returns, including Special Exhibitions
Booking
All bookable events (talks and Collections Discovery Centre tours) will be available to reserve via the museum’s website.
Main events and Talks
What’s on – Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
The Jurassic Coast at 25 | Sam Scriven – Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
The Human Story of the Jurassic Coast | Steve Wallis – Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
Thomas Hardy: Archaeology and the Jurassic Landscape | Mark Damon Chutter – Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
Guardians of Deep Time: Celebrating the Outstanding Universal Value of Geological World Heritage | Dr Anjana Khatwa – Dorset Museum & Art Gallery
