The Museum tells the story of the small town of Lyme Regis in its landscape. The collections comprise objects, paintings and photographs illustrating the geology of the area and the history of the town from medieval times to the present day. There is also a small section on the pre-medieval archaeology of the area.

Group visits

Lyme Regis Museum caters for a wide range of groups throughout the year.  These range from schools and universities to special interest groups and societies.  Do contact us prior to a visit as the museum gets very busy in summer and we also do gallery activities throughout the year.  It helps enormously if we are aware of group visits and can plan for them.  Also we may be able to help you plan your visit, and possibly arrange special activities for you.

The picture below shows a Scout Group who visited Lyme for a planned Fossil Walk and a guided tour of the Museum and Town.

The picture below shows the Widecombe History Society outside St Michael's Church having visited Mary Anning's commemorative window.

What We Can Do

We are very happy for adult groups to visit the museum and in addition to enjoying our normal gallery displays we can make special arrangements for your visit.  For smaller groups (15 people or less) we can arrange gallery tours which can be based around the whole museum or specific to the geology gallery.  If you have a particular interest in an aspect of the Museum’s collections let us know and we will try to cater to your needs.  For larger groups a gallery tour is unfeasible due to the size and shape of the display areas.  In this case we would need to split your group, part visiting the museum and part exploring other sites within the town.  The two groups could then swap over.  Alternatively we could book a space in one of a number of other local venues close to the museum and do a talk and slide show for the full group. 
If you wish to make your outing a full day you may want to combine a museum visit with a fossil walk or a historical tour of Lyme Regis.  These would need to be booked well in advance, and in the case of fossil walks do remember they are tide dependant.  Please see our Fossil Walks page for details.

Outreach

If you are unable to visit the museum due to access problems or if you would like us to visit your society at your usual venue let us know.  We can do talks with a slide show and also bring handling objects.  Most outreach sessions are currently based around geology and fossils but do contact us on any topic related to Lyme Regis and we will try to help.  We can also do object handling sessions for retirement groups.  At present we have sessions based around fossils and also on material recovered from the old town dump.  This includes a variety of objects from bottles and pot lids to military badges and toy soldiers.

Arrangements for Visits

To ensure the smooth running of your visit, please note the following:

1. We have a part-time Learning and Outreach Officer who is happy to offer talks and answer any queries you have about a planned visit.  You can also take groups around the museum yourself, but please let us know if you intend to come so that we can ensure there is nothing else going on in the museum at that time. 
2. If for any reason you are not able to arrive at the time agreed we would ask you to contact the museum by phone as we may have another group booked.
3. The general public will also be in the Museum, so please respect their need to see the exhibits.
4. There is no lift and the stairs are narrow. Access is therefore difficult for people with mobility problems. It also means that care is needed using the stairs and the balconies. In the event of the need to evacuate the building, the main emergency exit is at the bottom of the main stairwell. It is also possible to leave through the Museum shop.
5. There are no public toilets in the Museum. The nearest public toilets are close by on the other side of the road.
6. If you are arriving by coach, it must set down and pick up your party 40 metres west of the Museum (adjoining Cobb Gate) at or opposite the bus stop. The road outside the Museum is single line and controlled by traffic lights. Coaches must not set down outside the Museum. Be very careful crossing the road. There are signed coach parks in Lyme Regis.

NB A prior visit to the Museum will help you plan your visit in relation to your group’s needs. It will also enable you to carry out a risk assessment for your visit with particular regard to points 3.4,5,6 above.

To book a visit, please email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or telephone 01297 443370