Open, with Covid precautions, on days and times listed on the Museum web page dartmouthmuseum.org/visit-us
Dartmouth Museum is a small but fascinating museum housed in an atmospheric old merchant’s house, built in approximately 1640.
It houses an extensive collection of artefacts, models, paintings and photographs that can help you explore the maritime, social and economic history of the town as well as the many important physical changes to the town over the past centuries.
From the moment you walk through the door, you are transported into the past life of this wonderful town, and begin to understand more about the strong link between the people of the town and the sea. It’s a great day out for a wet or dry day.
Our town’s maritime connection is seen in a fine collection of ship models, some in bottles, in the King’s Room. Elsewhere there are exhibits, as tapestry and video film, of the town’s contribution to D-Day in 1944. Three remarkable sons of Dartmouth are remembered: Thomas Newcomen, whose first practical steam engine ushered in the Industrial Revolution that changed the world; William Henley, a polymath ironmonger whose remarkable collection is displayed in a re-created Victorian study and Theodore Veale, the VC holder who showed outstanding and repeated bravery in rescuing a wounded officer at the Battle of the Somme.
The Museum welcomes all visitors. The dedicated and knowledgeable volunteer stewards are there to help with suggestions and answers to queries or, if necessary, referring them back to our experts behind the scenes who can access our extensive archives. The Museum caters for children, whether in school parties or with parents. They can be placed in the stocks or search for answers to questionnaires or look through the microscopes, and even open the drawers below the displays to find other items. The Museum seeks to entertain and educate all visitors, young or old.
There is a small gift shop. Items for sale include reprints of photographs in the museum collection.
Opening days and times depend on the Covid restrictions in force. When the Museum is open, the appropriate separation and sanitising arrangements are in place. We are currently extending the Museum to present a detailed MAYFLOWER 400 exhibition, originally scheduled for 2020 but delayed until later this year. Updated details at dartmouthmuseum.org
