The Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life
The Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life
The Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life
4.5
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
A unique, modern museum of amazing fossils - the marine life of Jurassic Dorset. Learn about Life and Death in the Kimmeridgian Seas 157 million years ago during the age of the Dinosaur. We house the finest single collection of fossils, all found in Kimmeridge on the Jurassic Coast, interpreted in an interactive aquarium setting
Duration: < 1 hour
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listingFull view
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Top ways to experience nearby attractions
The area
Best nearby
We rank these restaurants and attractions by balancing reviews from our members with how close they are to this location.
Restaurants
8 within 3 miles
Attractions
49 within 6 miles
See what travellers are saying
- Diana W1 contributionA stumulating and iformative museum in a great setting.Very well laid out museum in a beautiful modern building. Excellent combination of real fossil exhibits and interactive edxucational displays. Worksheets for children were good and stimulating for our grandchildren aged 10 and 8. Children's holiday art activities were excellent. Good facilities - toilets, drinks and very friendly staffVisited April 2023Written 15 April 2023
- FrankieBerkshireSouthampton, United Kingdom167 contributionsFantastic collectionI briefly recoiled at the price for the entrance for what looked like such a small musuem but I soon ate my hat. The volunteer that welcomed us into the collection engaged the kids instantly, and gave us interesting and appropriate information. He pointed out things we might have missed and explained some of the exhibits in context. The collection is superb, it is displayed in an accessible and interesting way, there is something for everyone. It was amazing to see such large fossils and understand what and why we were look at them. The lucky dip/microscope was great value and the kids loved looking at them, plus momento to take home. Clean toilets and snack shop. Only minor thing, there was no where to sit and eat the icecream we brought a bench and bin outside would be welcomed. I would recommend a visit to anyone visiting this area, it was a great experience.Visited June 2023Travelled with familyWritten 1 July 2023
- Finn Holmes-Kellett1 contributionA must for any fan of prehistory!This certainly is one of the best fossil collections I’ve seen! It’s always a welcome thing when other prehistoric animals besides dinosaurs are given the spotlight! With fossils displayed neatly and the use of special effects the experience is truly immersive! But I would like to highlight one part of my experience in particular: the helpfulness and enthusiasm of volunteer Chris! In his own words, he could have happily spoken to me for hours. I had no reason to doubt him! As a volunteer myself at another museum, it is always a pleasure to meet others who are willing to give their time for something they are passionate about. I will certainly be recommending this collection to others!Visited July 2023Travelled soloWritten 12 August 2023
- mrandmrsmashCricklade, United Kingdom61 contributionsNice way to spend a couple of hoursSurprisingly good. Kept our 5 and 7 year old girls entertained. Interactive for kids as well as activity packs to complete (£1). Crafts out for them at the end. Nice gift shop. Only criticism is there was no mention of the iPads when we bought the tickets, but we saw other kids with them. Once we got hold of them it was great for the kids to help visualise the fossils.Visited August 2023Travelled with familyWritten 31 August 2023
- mumphTaplow, United Kingdom185 contributionsFirst class modern fossil museumLocated near where the fossils were found by the curator, this is a new and well set out museum exhibiting his 40 years of collecting. Ample car park and with a handy cafe/restaurant on other side of the road. Lift available to upper level for those in need. Well set out displays with simple and informative labelling. Shop and short explanitary film available to watch. Worth the effort in getting to by twisting roads from Corfe Castle. Cliffs and local beach just further on down the road from this attractive hamlet.Visited September 2023Travelled as a coupleWritten 5 October 2023
- PollyDDevon, United Kingdom378 contributionsFabulous placeWhat a fabulous place! We came here with our two children aged 7 and 13 and they enjoyed the visit as much as we did. It was £22 for 2 adults and 2 children. What was superb to see was how terrifically each of the fossils was displayed and the amount of information written on the displays was perfect. We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and would recommend it to anyone - a real must see!Visited October 2023Travelled with familyWritten 1 November 2023
- JNG73Claygate, United Kingdom50 contributionsBravo. Amazing. Wonderful. Both the staff and the exhibition!!!A small, but fascinating and beautifully presented and inspiring museum and collection. We’ve been several times before and always been really impressed. Items are presented and displayed in a wonderful manner and will interest adults and children of all ages. But what really makes it are the staff. Our young son is dino (and marine reptile!) obsessed and Steve (the proprietor) has previously taken time out to chat to him. We went again yesterday just a few days after the BBC screening of David Attenborough’s Giant Sea Monster. And wow on 4 fronts. 1. The museum, as ever, is brilliant 2. The new specimen, oh my! Was amazing to see on screen but when you see it with your own eyes really does take your breath away 3. Never seen it so busy!!!! Apparently in first few hours on Sat 6th they had as many visitors as in the entirety of last January. But don’t let that put you off as doesn’t diminish the experience at all and plenty of staff around to help 4. The staff! Despite being so busy they couldn’t be more welcoming. Our son bought some fossils from the £1 lucky dip and one of the lovely ladies working there couldn’t have been happier to explain what they were to him! Bravo. Just bravo!Visited January 2024Travelled with familyWritten 7 January 2024
- Martin PRingwood, United Kingdom389 contributionsSuperb Collection of FossilsThe Etches Collection is well worth a visit. We were lucky to have an early preview of the collection when we were near neighbours but in this new environment the collection can be superbly displayed with information about the fossils. Good to see plenty of scope for education. The pleasour skull is, quite naturally, a highlight and a major draw for the collection. Very reasonable admission price too.Visited January 2024Travelled as a coupleWritten 13 January 2024
- JPR000Ebbw Vale, United Kingdom18 contributionsWell worth a visitThis may not be the biggest museum/collection in the world, however it more than makes up for this in the quality and rarity of the exhibits. The collection is well displayed with informative and interesting signs on all the exhibits. Personally I wanted to see the fossilised remains of an Ichthyosaur and of course the 'new' skull of the recently found Pliosaur. Both were Wonderfull, the Ichthyosaur because it was nearly whole and the Pliosaur due to its size and the quality of Steve Etches restoration. However there was a display of fossilised fish that had been found years ago and only recently displayed. The quality and detail in these fossils was exceptional, and they are still undergoing analyses to determine their species, that to me was a highlight of my trip. The building the collection is in is well presented and accessible to all, as it has good disabled access. All in all a very interesting way to pass and hour or so.Visited January 2024Travelled soloWritten 20 January 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
4.5
237 reviews
Excellent
168
Very good
42
Average
19
Poor
5
Terrible
3
sammy171
Somerset, UK19 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
Breathtaking exhibits in a fascinating museum. The exhibits are beautifully described and displayed. Very educational for all ages. The museum in Kimmeridge is easy to find and has parking on site.
Written 5 February 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JPR000
Ebbw Vale, UK18 contributions
Jan 2024 • Solo
This may not be the biggest museum/collection in the world, however it more than makes up for this in the quality and rarity of the exhibits. The collection is well displayed with informative and interesting signs on all the exhibits. Personally I wanted to see the fossilised remains of an Ichthyosaur and of course the 'new' skull of the recently found Pliosaur. Both were Wonderfull, the Ichthyosaur because it was nearly whole and the Pliosaur due to its size and the quality of Steve Etches restoration.
However there was a display of fossilised fish that had been found years ago and only recently displayed. The quality and detail in these fossils was exceptional, and they are still undergoing analyses to determine their species, that to me was a highlight of my trip.
The building the collection is in is well presented and accessible to all, as it has good disabled access.
All in all a very interesting way to pass and hour or so.
However there was a display of fossilised fish that had been found years ago and only recently displayed. The quality and detail in these fossils was exceptional, and they are still undergoing analyses to determine their species, that to me was a highlight of my trip.
The building the collection is in is well presented and accessible to all, as it has good disabled access.
All in all a very interesting way to pass and hour or so.
Written 20 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Martin P
Ringwood, UK389 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
The Etches Collection is well worth a visit. We were lucky to have an early preview of the collection when we were near neighbours but in this new environment the collection can be superbly displayed with information about the fossils. Good to see plenty of scope for education. The pleasour skull is, quite naturally, a highlight and a major draw for the collection. Very reasonable admission price too.
Written 13 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia
Merriott, UK16 contributions
Jan 2024 • Couples
Outstanding small museum. I already love fossils but learned so much from this visit. Well presented and modern in style. Great to be able to use microscope.
Written 9 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JNG73
Claygate, UK50 contributions
Jan 2024 • Family
A small, but fascinating and beautifully presented and inspiring museum and collection. We’ve been several times before and always been really impressed. Items are presented and displayed in a wonderful manner and will interest adults and children of all ages. But what really makes it are the staff. Our young son is dino (and marine reptile!) obsessed and Steve (the proprietor) has previously taken time out to chat to him.
We went again yesterday just a few days after the BBC screening of David Attenborough’s Giant Sea Monster. And wow on 4 fronts.
1. The museum, as ever, is brilliant
2. The new specimen, oh my! Was amazing to see on screen but when you see it with your own eyes really does take your breath away
3. Never seen it so busy!!!! Apparently in first few hours on Sat 6th they had as many visitors as in the entirety of last January. But don’t let that put you off as doesn’t diminish the experience at all and plenty of staff around to help
4. The staff! Despite being so busy they couldn’t be more welcoming. Our son bought some fossils from the £1 lucky dip and one of the lovely ladies working there couldn’t have been happier to explain what they were to him!
Bravo. Just bravo!
We went again yesterday just a few days after the BBC screening of David Attenborough’s Giant Sea Monster. And wow on 4 fronts.
1. The museum, as ever, is brilliant
2. The new specimen, oh my! Was amazing to see on screen but when you see it with your own eyes really does take your breath away
3. Never seen it so busy!!!! Apparently in first few hours on Sat 6th they had as many visitors as in the entirety of last January. But don’t let that put you off as doesn’t diminish the experience at all and plenty of staff around to help
4. The staff! Despite being so busy they couldn’t be more welcoming. Our son bought some fossils from the £1 lucky dip and one of the lovely ladies working there couldn’t have been happier to explain what they were to him!
Bravo. Just bravo!
Written 7 January 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
PollyD
Devon, UK378 contributions
Oct 2023 • Family
What a fabulous place! We came here with our two children aged 7 and 13 and they enjoyed the visit as much as we did. It was £22 for 2 adults and 2 children. What was superb to see was how terrifically each of the fossils was displayed and the amount of information written on the displays was perfect.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and would recommend it to anyone - a real must see!
We thoroughly enjoyed our time here and would recommend it to anyone - a real must see!
Written 1 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
mumph
Taplow, UK185 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
Located near where the fossils were found by the curator, this is a new and well set out museum exhibiting his 40 years of collecting. Ample car park and with a handy cafe/restaurant on other side of the road. Lift available to upper level for those in need. Well set out displays with simple and informative labelling. Shop and short explanitary film available to watch. Worth the effort in getting to by twisting roads from Corfe Castle. Cliffs and local beach just further on down the road from this attractive hamlet.
Written 5 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pip W
26 contributions
Sept 2023 • Couples
Staying in Lyme Regis for a few days &, being keen amateur fossil-hunters, we headed here on a very wet day. We were done & dusted within 45 minutes. The fossils on display are amazing but why are there so few? Surely the owner, who has spent over 40 years collecting fossils, has more that can be displayed. We had read online that visitors can see the workshop where specimens are prepared & treated, sadly not today (& of course, no reduction offered!) The gift shop felt almost as big as the exhibition area.
Overall, interesting, some great fossils but too few & over-priced. I wouldn't want to pay for a whole family!
Overall, interesting, some great fossils but too few & over-priced. I wouldn't want to pay for a whole family!
Written 20 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking to time to leave feedback. Although small we are 'perfectly formed' with our stunning collection of diverse Jurassic Marine Life fossils which you will see on display no where else and we feel the annual pass as part of the entrance price offers excellent value for money. For what we have on display, we feel we are worth it! You are also correct in that we have plenty more fossils (only 10% are on display) but as an independent charity we have to raise money to be able to cover the costs of adding more to the exhibition. It’s the entrance fees you pay to visit us that keeps us going, without that we wouldn’t be here. I’m so sorry the workshop is temporarily blocked from view but we have a special project being completed in there at the moment that requires cordoning off, hence why we have the tv alongside the workshop showing Steve prepping as an alternative. All will be revealed soon! We disagree our shop is tacky - we stock a plethora of local fossils, geological and palaeontological items as well as STEM and educational materials for all ages with a small focus on high quality and eco friendly Jurassic themed toys for children. Our intro film is literally only 3 minutes long (not long enough to be boring?) and with Steve Etches himself providing the overview of who and what we are is a key message in understanding our purpose for all
Written 17 October 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mrandmrsmash
Cricklade, UK61 contributions
Aug 2023 • Family
Surprisingly good. Kept our 5 and 7 year old girls entertained. Interactive for kids as well as activity packs to complete (£1). Crafts out for them at the end. Nice gift shop. Only criticism is there was no mention of the iPads when we bought the tickets, but we saw other kids with them. Once we got hold of them it was great for the kids to help visualise the fossils.
Written 31 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue
Bristol, UK1 contribution
Aug 2023 • Family
This museum has a wonderful collection of fossils. It is both informative and engaging for the children. The use of tablets encourages the kids to look up the details of the exhibits.
Written 19 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brian John S
Basingstoke, UK2 contributions
What is the entrance fee?
£8 Adults and £4 children (5-16), under 5s are free - the tickets last a whole year enabling the holder to visit the museum as many times as they like within that period for free.
Rachel T
Wimborne Minster, UK6 contributions
opening times
thompsonjstjet
Poole, UK130 contributions
Yes check their web-page.
Rachel T
Wimborne Minster, UK6 contributions
Opening times
kane47pam47
London, UK122 contributions
I think it is 10am ton5pm everyday.very nice tearoom directly opposite.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listingTHE ETCHES COLLECTION, MUSEUM OF JURASSIC MARINE LIFE: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)
Frequently Asked Questions about The Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life
- The Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life is open:
- Sun - Sat 10:00 - 17:00
- Hotels near The Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life:
- (0.03 mi) Kimmeridge Farmhouse Bed & Breakfast
- (0.94 mi) Bradle Farmhouse
- (0.05 mi) The Stone Barn - 5 bed cottage with sea views
- (3.23 mi) Challow Farm House Bed and Breakfast
- (3.10 mi) Mortons Manor Hotel
- Restaurants near The Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life:
- (0.02 mi) Clavells Restaurant
- (3.03 mi) The Pink Goat
- (3.09 mi) The Castle Inn
- (4.72 mi) Garden Gate Tea Room
- (7.22 mi) Down The Beach