Museum of Jurassic Marine Life - The Etches Collection

About

Come and visit the ‘Jewel’ in the crown of the Jurassic Coast, The Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life situated in the village of Kimmeridge, Dorset

Housing the finest single collection of Late Jurassic age fossils all found by just one man, Dr Steve Etches MBE - you will be mesmerized by sea monsters, prehistoric predators and the marine flora and fauna of 152-157 million years ago when Kimmeridge was but a shallow, tropical sea. All of the fossils in the collection were found by Steve in the Kimmeridge Bay locality, from the world famous oil rich Kimmeridge Clay, within 2 miles of where the Museum is located.

Learn about their Stories from Deep Time interpreted with state of the art CGI imagery of Jurassic marine life swimming above the amazing fossils in the museum gallery.

Watch as Steve Etches cleans and conserves his latest finds in the museum lab and workshop - our collection of world class fossils include many which are new to science and of national importance.

The museum features:-

** Exhibition fossil gallery with CGI imagery and interactives

** State of the art workshop, lab and reserve fossil collection

** Wolfson Education room with geological and palaeontological interactive displays and information, library, microscope and fossil handling collection, fossil excavation pit, fossil mould painting and activities

** Our lifesize recreation of the top chain predator of the Jurassic seas, the giant sea monster Pliosaur - Goliath

** Video information guides on the collection

** Shop featuring unique gifts, jewellery, branded merchandise, rare fossils and minerals for sale, Jurassic and dinosaur themed goods

** Clore Room - our Village Hall which features events, pop up exhibitions and is available for hire

** Refreshments

** Fully accessible, carbon neutral, modern museum building

Opening Times

2019 Opening (1 January 2019 - 31 December 2019)
Day	Times
Monday - Sunday	10:00	- 17:00*

* We are open every day 10am to 5pm except when we are closed at Christmas on the 24th, 25th, and 26th December (please check website).
If you are a group, school, educational institution or university please contact us for discounted entrance tickets and details on a educational package
The entrance fee includes 12 months complimentary admission to The Etches Collection and is valid for one year from the date shown on your till receipt (which must be retained for re-admission).

Dates and times marked with a '*' are provisional and may be subject to change

Guide Prices

Ticket Type	Ticket Tariff
Adult	£8.00 per ticket
(1 Adult + 3 children)	£16.00 per ticket
(2 adults + 2 children)	£20.00 per ticket
(5 – 16 years)	£4.00 per ticket
(under 5 years)	Free

SPECIAL CONCESSIONS:- If you are a group, school, carer, educational institution or university please contact us at info@theetchescollection.org or call 01929 270000 for discounted entrance tickets and details on a educational package to support your visit.

The entrance fee includes 12 months complimentary admission to The Etches Collection and is valid for one year from the date shown on your till receipt (which must be retained for re-admission). You will be asked to sign and print your name on your till receipt. Tickets are not transferable including family/child tickets. Proof of signature will be required in order to gain re-admission. Conditions and exclusion dates may apply. For our refund and complaints policies, please see the attached documents.

Our Ticket Price…..

The Etches Collection exists due to the generous funding provided to enable the creation and build of the museum from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other trusts and donors. We are not funded or supported in any way by the government or other bodies when it comes to our day to day running and in order to maintain and sustain the fossil collection for future generations, we rely heavily on the income generated from our ticket sales, events and room hire. All of our revenue is reinvested back into the museum to enhance and grow the displays within the collection as well as conserve specimens for the long term future and to expand on the visitor experience for all of those that come and visit us at The Etches Collection. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support in visiting us.

Gift Aid

With your permission The Etches Collection can reclaim from the government 25p in every £1 spent on admission by using GiftAid - It costs you nothing but helps us a lot. Please refer to the GOV.UK website for further information on GIFTAID.

Website

Telephone: +44 01929 270000

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor Traveller Rating:

174 reviews

Certificate of Excellence 2019

Excellent
120
Very Good
32
Average
15
Poor
4
Terrible
3

Recent Reviews:

T0dW
Leatherhead, United Kingdom
Remarkable achievement by one man to house a great fossil collection
Sunday, 22nd September 2019
It's sad that some people felt it was too expensive. This is all the effort of one man Steve Etches and his supporters. They had to raise the money for this museum to house all the fossil treasures... Read full review
Anne T
Rugby, United Kingdom
One of the Wonders of the world
Tuesday, 24th September 2019
I made my second visit this year because I had spent a whole year talking about it. I hadn't seen many fossils previously and couldn't believe the variety and quality of those on display, all found... Read full review
AlisonAmahl
London, United Kingdom
Trip Type:
Friends getaway
Amazing
Saturday, 12th October 2019
Fossils could sound boring for any visit but the Etches Collection is anything but boring. We had a fantastic and enlightening visit. The Collection is in a beautiful new purpose built museum... Read full review

Write a review

Facilities

Accessibility

Accessible to Wheelchair Users
All Areas Accessible to Disabled Visitors
Facilities for Hearing Impaired Visitors
Guide Dogs Permitted
Parking Areas for Disabled Visitors
Ramp/Level Access
Toilets for Disabled Visitors

Attraction Facilities

Shop

Establishment Features

Conference facilities
Event Venue
Free car parking
On-site coach parking
Open All Year
Printed Material in Foreign Languages - French museum guide
Shop
Toilets
Wedding Venue

Key Features

In countryside

Parking & Transport

Parking (free)

Payment Methods

American Express accepted
MasterCard accepted
Special group rates
Visa accepted

Printed Material in Foreign Languages

French printed material

Specialist Features

Family Fun
Marketed towards children
Marketed towards families
Marketed towards senior citizens
Marketed towards student/youth

Tours and Demonstrations

Educational Visits Accepted
Guided Tours Available for Groups
Guided Tours Available for Individuals

Travel & Trade

Group discounts available
Wi-fi available

Venue Facilities

Groups Accepted

Map & Directions

View Map

Road Directions

We are in the village of Kimmeridge, eight miles south of Wareham in Dorset.

Kimmeridge is sign posted from the A351 at Wareham. As you turn into the village, the museum building is on the right hand side, opposite Clavell's Restaurant.

It's useful to know that Kimmeridge is close to Lulworth Army Firing Ranges and sometimes there can be road closures in the area. Visitors may need to take a detour via Corfe Castle or past The Blue Pool to get to us. The weblink to check for any scheduled road closures is: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lulworth-firing-notice

Public Transport Directions

Journey planning: Contact Traveline on 0871 200 2233 or visit their website: www.travelinesw.com to look up bus timetables. From 1st January 2019, calls cost 12p per minute plus your phone company's access charge.