Inside Lyme Regis Museum you'll find a fossil filled geology gallery, local history and exhibitions on local writers as well as famous fossil collector Mary Anning. 

Ticket cost £8.95 for adults, £6.95 for children £6.95 (children under 6 years old go free) and £25.45 for a family ticket. Tickets are valid for FREE return entry for a year, so keep hold of your ticket just in case you want to visit again on another day.

Added bonus: A short walk away from the museum you'll find beaches where you might discover your own prehistoric fossil. You can book a guided fossil walk at the museum for an extra cost.

Seals Cove is an indoor climbing and soft play centre, full of endless fun for the whole family. The Reef Soft Play is the most budget friendly option with tickets costing £1.50 for adults and from £2.50 to £6.50 for children aged above 6 months (babies 0 to 6 months get free entry).

For children aged 5 years and above, a one hour climbing session costs £12, and £15 for adults.

There's a 25 metre and 12 metre indoor swimming pool at Bridport Leisure Centre which is perfect for all swimming skill levels. At weekends and also during school holidays, the family fun pool sessions see both pools filled with floats, mats, woggles and toys. 

Tickets cost £4.85 for adults, £3.25 for children under 16 and £14 for a family of 2 adults + 2 children.

For something unique, climb the 153 steps of Portland Bill Lighthouse to the 'lantern room' at the top. You'll be rewarded with amazing views of the world famous Jurassic Coast, as well as a badge for your effort. Those who want to climb the lighthouse need to be at least 1.1 metres in height. Tickets to climb the lighthouse cost £9 for adults, £7 for children under 16 years old and £27.50 for a family of 2 adults + 2 children.

Or for a cheaper option which is suitable for all ages and abilities, there's a visitor centre on the ground level which costs just £3 for adults, £1.50 for children and £8 for families.

Located on the edge of Portland Harbour, Portland Castle was one of King Henry VIII's finest coastal forts. Originally built in 1540 to defend England from attacks by the French and Spanish, this historic castle now offers fantastic coastal views as well as a window into the past. For children there are games to play and costumes to dress up in, and for the adults, the audio tour will tell you all about who used to live here and what life used to be like hundreds of years ago.

Tickets cost £8.10 for adults, £4.50 for children aged 5-17 (children under 5 years old get free entry) and £20.70 for a family of 2 adults + 3 children. English Heritage members enter for FREE, or if you're not a member you can save 15% OFF TICKETS by booking online in advance.

Added bonus: there's free parking nearby and a small beach right next to the castle.

The collection at Portland Museum holds a huge amount of interest for such a small museum. Find out about dinosaurs, fossils, shipwrecks, smugglers, stone carving, seafaring, groundbreaking scientists, world-famous authors and even witchcraft!

Tickets cost £5 for adults, £1 for children (children under 5 years old go free) and £10 for a family ticket.

Added bonus: There's a small free car park opposite and the road next to the museum leads to the ruins of Rufus Castle, a viewpoint overlooking the Jurassic Coast and a path down to Church Ope Cove.

Not only does Nothe Fort have unrivalled 360 degree views of the Jurassic Coast, it's underground tunnels and secret nuclear bunker are great for kids to explore. There's a café selling homemade lunches and cakes, or if you've brought your own picnic there are picnic benches on the ramparts.

Tickets cost £9.95 for adults, £4.50 for children aged 5 to 16 years old (children under 5 years old go free) and £24.50 for a family of 2 adults + 2 children. FREE annual pass is given with every admission ticket.

Added bonus: Nothe Gardens are right next door and Newton's Cove is just a short walk away, both are free to visit.

Weymouth Land Train is a gentle and easy way to see Weymouth's main sights including the harbour, seafront, award-winning beach and much loved lifting bridge. The train departs from outside Marks and Spencer on a circular route every 30 minutes, and there's a live commentary on board.

Tickets cost £6 per person with children under 3 years old riding for free.

Birthplace of famous author Thomas Hardy and now a National Trust property, Hardy’s Cottage is open between March and October for pre-booked tours. It was here that Hardy wrote some of his novels including 'Under the Greenwood Tree' and 'Far from the Madding Crowd'.

Tickets are available from the Hardy's Birthplace Visitor Centre next to the Thorncombe Wood car park. Tickets cost £11 for adults, £5.50 for children aged 5 to 17 years old (children under 5 years old get free entry) and £27.50 for a  family of 2 adults + 3 children.

Added bonus: the Visitor Centre and adjacent woodland are free to enter, and the Under the Greenwood Tree Café serves homemade food.

Photo credit: Chris Lacey/National Trust Images

Designed and lived in by world famous author Thomas Hardy (who was also an architect), Max Gate is where Hardy wrote Tess of the D'Urbervilles. The house is now owned by the National Trust, which welcomes visitors to explore the hall, dining room, drawing room, garden and the study where literary masterpieces were created.

 Tickets cost £11 for adults, £5.50 for children aged 5 to 17 years old (children under 5 years old go free) and £27.50 for a family of 2 adults + 3 children.

If you want to find out more about Thomas Hardy, Dorset Museum has a whole exhibition dedicated to this literary giant.

Dorset Museum and Art Gallery which is located in Dorchester is set over 4 floors and is a place where you can connect with 250 million years of history. Learn about dinosaurs and fossils or what Dorset was like in Roman times, visit the art gallery or find out about famous author Thomas Hardy who was born and lived in Dorset.

Tickets cost £13.50 for adults (when booked online) and children under 16 years old get free entry. On the door prices are £15 for adults. Tickets include unlimited entry to the museum for 1 year.

Added bonus: The Roman Town House is just a short walk away and it's free to visit the outside space. Guided tours of the inside of the Roman Town House take place on certain dates and cost £25 for adults and £10 for children, which includes entry to Dorset Museum.

Shire Hall Museum is a museum of stories, where you'll hear about 200 years of justice and injustice. Shire Hall was Dorset’s courthouse from 1797 until 1955. Through that time, it saw everything from the 1834 trial of the Tolpuddle Martyrs to the 1856 domestic abuse case that inspired Thomas Hardy to write ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles’. Thomas Hardy was actually a magistrate at the courthouse, and now you can visit the cells, dock and court room for a truly immersive experience into Dorset's past.

Tickets cost £10.50 for adults, £5.50 for children aged 5 to 18 years old (children under 5 years old go free) and £25 for a family of 2 adults + 3 children.

You don't need to travel to China to see the impressive Terracotta Warriors, because the Terracotta Warriors Museum is located in Dorchester. The museum displays unique replicas of the terracotta warriors who guarded the tomb of the First Emperor of China, and which were discovered in 1974 in Xian, China. Multimedia presentations tell the story of the warriors and their discovery.

Tickets cost £6.50 for adults and £4.50 for children, with children under 5 years old getting free entry.

1610 Dorchester Sports Centre has two swimming pools, with the smaller of the two suitable for learners and families. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there are Fun and Floats sessions in the small pool. They also have additional children and family activities during the school holidays such as inflatable fun sessions in the pool or swim and sport.

Swimming tickets cost £6 for adults, £4 for juniors and children 3 and under swim for free. 

Photo credit: National Trust Images/Tony Gill

This National Trust property was once the home of famous author T.E. Lawrence, who was also known as Lawrence of Arabia. Inside Clouds Hill you'll be able to see Lawrence's own furnishings and photographs, giving an insight into his life in Dorset. 

Tickets cost £11 for adults, £5.50 for children aged 5 to 17 years old (children under 5 years old go free) and £27.50 for a family of 2 adults + 3 children.

Sturminster Newton Mill is a historic flour mill and is one of the few remaining working mills in Dorset. Located on the banks of the River Stour, you can see how the power of water turns the machinery and grinds the grain into flour. You can look around the mill by yourself or join one of the guided tour's at no extra cost. There's a free car park next to the mill, as well as picnic tables and access to countryside walks.

Tickets cost £5 for adults and £1 for children, with children under 4 years old getting free entry.

The clothing and accessory exhibitions at Blandford Fashion Museum date from the 1760s to the 1980s, giving an insight into the fashion and trends of years gone by. The exhibitions and displays are shown across 13 rooms in this Grade II Listed Georgian house, and there are regular events held throughout the year.

Tickets cost £6 for adults, with children under 16 years old getting free admission.

Added bonus: The free Blandford Forum Heritage Trail takes you on a walking tour of the town, passing the main landmarks and attractions. The Fashion Museum is point 8 on the Trail. Woodhouse Gardens is the next stop on the trail and a great place for a picnic.

Have you ever wondered how secret agents were trained in WWII? Want to have a go at sending Morse code messages? Curious to know why pigeons were so important to the British Army? Want to find out what the Enigma code breaking machine was? You can find out at the Royal Signals Museum. There's hand-on, family friendly interactive displays to keep the children happy and lots to learn about at Dorset's top secret museum. 

Tickets cost £10 for adults, £7 for children and £28 for a family of 2 adults + 2 children.

Added bonus: If you want to explore more of Blandford Forum, follow the self-guided Heritage Trail to discover riverside walks, water meadows and the town's Market Place. The Royal Signals Museum is stop number 15 on the Trail.

There's 15 acres of landscaped gardens to explore at Holme For Gardens as well as a café selling home-made lunches and refreshments, a gift shop and garden centre. The gardens feature wildflower meadows and lavender hedges, as well as lots of other seasonal plants and shrubs, so there is always something in flower to see.

Tickets cost £8 for adults, with children under 17 years old getting free entry.

The walled garden at Careys Secret Garden is a real hidden gem. Rediscovered in 2019, these gardens have undergone extensive restoration and were opened to the public in May 2021.This small but perfectly formed garden contains an Arid garden, Rose Garden, Traditional Orchard and local wildflower meadow, Tea and Herb garden, food forest and veggie patch. The latest editions are the exciting new wildlife pond and mushroom corner. Children will love exploring with the activity pack.

Tickets cost £8.50-£9.50 for adults and £3.50-£3.75 for children aged 5 to 12 years old. Children under 5 years old are admitted for free.

They also have Parent and Toddler mornings every Friday which cost just £10.

The swimming pool at Purbeck Sports Centre is open to the public every day, with pool playtime sessions or family fun swims available on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, There's also a small multi-purpose soft play centre perfect for little ones, and additional activities are available for children of all ages at extra cost during both term time and school holidays.

Swimming tickets cost £15.45 for families, £5.95 for adults and £4.20 for children aged 3 to 16 years old, with children under 3 years old swimming for free. Tickets for the play zone cost £4.

The Rex Cinema in Wareham is an independent cinema showing recently released British and international films alongside regular live streamings of National Theatre Live performances. It is Dorset's oldest cinema, decorated with a 1920s art deco theme. They have regular after-school screenings and school holiday matinees too.

Tickets cost £8.50 for adults and £5 for children. Young children sitting on the lap of an accompanying adult do not need to buy a ticket.

The Blue Pool Nature Reserve and Tearooms is a hidden gem with woodland walks, the UK's longest rope bridge, children's trails and of course the beautiful Blue Pool as the centrepiece. Dogs on leads are welcome and there is indoor and outdoor seating at the Tearooms. There are also wooden benches around the Pool where you can enjoy a picnic. 

Tickets cost £7.50 to 9.50 for adults and £3.75 to £4.75 for children, with children under 5 years old admitted for free.

The Museum of Jurassic Marine Life is home to the Etches Collection - a lifetime's study and fossil excavations by Steve Etches MBE. Some of the marine reptile fossils here are world first's including the huge skull of a Pliosaur that featured on the BBC's 'Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster' programme in 2024. Get up close to the exhibitions as prehistoric sea creatures from millions of years ago swim over your head!

Tickets cost £9.50 for adults, £4.75 for children aged 5 to 16 years old (children under 5 years old get free entry) and £23.75 for a family of 2 adults + 2 children. Your ticket allows FREE return entry for a whole year, so keep hold of it if you want to come back on another day.

Explore the 11 acres of gardens at Larmer Tree Gardens, located in the Cranborne Chase National Landscape. This Garden of National Importance was created in 1880 by General Pitt Rivers and is open April to October.

Tickets cost £4 for adults, £2.50 for children (children under 5 years old get in for free) and £12.50 for a family of 2 adults + 4 children.

White Mill is a former corn mill located on the River Stour near Wimborne Minster. It is part of the Kingston Lacy estate and is managed by the National Trust. The Mill is open on weekends and Bank Holidays between April and October. You can take a guided tour of the mill which lasts about 45 minutes.

Tickets cost £3.50 for adults and £2.50 for children, with children under 5 years old getting in for free.

Added bonus: There's plenty of space outside to have a picnic on the grass next to the river, or you could use the picnic benches provided.

Corfe Castle Model Village is a re-creation of what the real Corfe Castle would have looked like before Cromwell's Army destroyed it in 1646. See the tiny houses and miniature people as you walk around the charming gardens. You could also have a go at Croquet or play one of the giant games. Don't forget to stop by the Courtyard Tearoom for something to eat or drink. 

Tickets cost £5 for adults, £3.80 for children (children under 3 years old admitted for free), or £15.50 for a family ticket for 2 adults and 3 children.

Swanage Pier is a traditional Victorian pier offering unrivalled views of Swanage Bay and the Purbeck hills. Go for a stroll, admire the views or enjoy fish and chips on one of the benches. You can learn more about the Pier and what lives beneath it at the small visitor centre next to the 1859 Pier Café.  

Tickets cost just £2 for adults, with children under 14 years old going free. 

Located overlooking Bournemouth Beach and Pier, Russell-Cotes House, Gallery and Garden was the former home of two Victorian collectors and travel enthusiasts. They filled the house with beautiful objects from their travels across the world. The gardens and café terrace are a great spot to escape the crowds on the beach.

Tickets cost £9.50 for adults, £5 for children aged 5 to 17 years old (children under 5 years old get free entry) and £25 for a family of 2 adults + 3 children.

Highcliffe Castle has been described as arguably the most important surviving house of the Romantic and Picturesque style of architecture. Exhibitions and knowledgeable guides tell the story of the castle and its former residents, which included Harry Gordon Selfridge who founded Selfridges the department store.

 Tickets cost £10 for adults, £3.20 for children aged 5 to 16 years old (children under 5 years old get free admission) and £22 for a family of 2 adults + 3 children.

Added bonus: A short walk through the gardens leads to either a zig zag path or steps down onto the golden sandy beach at the bottom of the cliffs. The beach or lawns in the garden are great for a picnic, or there's a café next to the Castle.