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The Etches Collection

The Etches Collection

The Etches Collection
4.5
Speciality MuseumsNatural History Museums
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
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  • mumph
    Taplow, United Kingdom178 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    First class modern fossil museum
    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.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 5 October 2023
  • PollyD
    Devon, United Kingdom378 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fabulous place
    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!
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 1 November 2023
  • JNG73
    Claygate, United Kingdom76 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bravo. 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 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 7 January 2024
  • Martin P
    Ringwood, United Kingdom419 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Superb Collection of Fossils
    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.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 January 2024
  • JPR000
    Ebbw Vale, United Kingdom21 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Well worth a visit
    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.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled solo
    Written 20 January 2024
  • Dan B
    Tewkesbury, United Kingdom227 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic find of fossils
    We drove past when visiting Kimmeridge and decided to take a look. An amazing collection of fossils and would definitely say it was worth the visit. We had a collection of ages from nine to eighty and everyone found it interesting. Glad I had seen the BBC documentary before the visit too. The kids favourite part was looking at their fossils under the microscope. Would certainly go back.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 March 2024
  • Frampers
    132 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mesmerising Museum
    Incredibly interesting museum. My wife and I were mesmerised by the amazing exhibits which were beautifully displayed in this modern museum. You can almost feel the passion for fossils by the founder of the museum Steve Etches. The description of each fossil is interesting with just enough information and in lovely clear print. Well worth a visit but beware the car park is quite small
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 7 April 2024
  • Ladykane1982
    Chingford, United Kingdom1,080 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice to see it busy
    This visit was a lot more different than 2022, it’s nice to see it busy. We managed to park within the car park, even though it was busy. Your ticket is valid for one year so we was able to visit twice. We was lucky enough to meet Steve Etch, and the new arrival is deffo a crowd puller. All the staff are lovely and very friendly Loved visiting again
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 27 May 2024
  • Sarah M
    Stokesley, United Kingdom16 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Fantastic little museum
    We’re a family of five (two primary aged children, one pre-school aged child) and had the most tremendous time visiting The Etches Collection yesterday. The museum is small but brilliant and truly brought to life by the most impressive, warm, welcoming, patient and knowledgeable visitor assistant in the main gallery upstairs. His presence truly brought the experience to life as he ably batted questions at many different levels from around the room, from highly knowledgable fossil enthusiasts to someone working in the museums sector, to curious children - all responded to with equal levels of grace verbal dexterity. He was superb, the experience was superb. The youngest child, tired after a windy day spent on the beach and walking up steep, clay hills, was kept amused by the impressive audio visual displays meaning that everyone could enjoy the experience. This really is a museum, and an organisation, that punches above its weight and all involved should be very proud of the work they’re doing making the past so exciting and accessible. I would highly recommend a visit!
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 May 2024
  • Michelle G
    Holt, United Kingdom114 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must for anyone interested in fossils!
    So glad we found this amazing museum. An amazing collection of fossils,bones and whatever else one finds on the Jurassic coast. Excellent pricing whereby one entry fee give you a year of access! Lovely staff, great gift shop. Very interesting.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 29 May 2024
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles275 reviews
Excellent
194
Very good
47
Average
24
Poor
6
Terrible
4

Headcorn33
Headcorn, UK70 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2020 • Couples
I believe we were the first visitors for the lady that greeted us since opening after lockdown but she efficiently explained the one way system and location of hand sanitizer etc. She was incredibly knowledgeable and managed to answer even the most obscure of my husbands questions without being condescending or boring. The film is an excellent addition to an incredible display of fossils all found by an amateur enthusiast.This would be good for young children as well as slightly nerdy adults like us !
Not likely to use the ticket again but feel that £8 is a fair price for admittance
Written 18 July 2020
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.

CarolS98
Southampton, UK126 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2021
My husband had been particularly looking forward to this museum but overall we felt rather underwhelmed. The staff were very friendly and advised us to start with the Discovery Room. We watched the video but it was rather disjointed - a collection of snippets with titles in between each one. The story behind the museum could have been told in a much more cohesive and informative manner. We then went upstairs to the main display. Items were well presented, and I loved the creatures swimming above us but there were just too few exhibits. There was a work room but it was empty - perhaps if we had watched some-one at work we would have felt the ticket price was better value for money. The ticket lasts for a year but given the distance from home we are unlikely to come back within that time.
Written 24 May 2021
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.

James T
Watford, UK62 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Solo
I used up a couple of hours here. No restaurant or cafe but there is one over the road. The building was clearly intended to cater for school groups with the fossils grouped in one room. They are well presented with useful signage explaining what they are and what it means. Overhead there is a looping visual show demonstrating how the fossilised creatures would have looked when alive and how they preyed on one another. Parking on site and a shop.
Written 9 March 2020
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.

jttejn
horsham ,west sussex87 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
My partner wanted to view Kimmeridge Bay at low tide, to experience the flat rock shelves, as he had not been there for 60 years when he was a child. When we visited this museum afterwards it explained about all the fossils we had just seen in the flat rocks at the bay. There were amazing whole and part fossils , large dinosaurs swimming over our heads, and a very interesting film about evolution and fossils by Mr Etches. On top of all that, Mr Etches himself was in the museum talking to visitors.

Any child that likes dinosaurs must visit this museum, there are even real bones that you can handle.
Written 14 October 2020
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.

KJBMTB
Woodley, UK738 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
My wife and I recently visited this collection an were fascinated with the range of fossils on display. Prior to visiting we simply thought the fossils from the bay was more or less ammonites but we were seriously wrong! There were very large fossils of a number of prehistoric animals which were amazing. Slightly pricey to enter but well worth it.
Written 4 August 2020
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.

Roger B
Cardiff, UK80 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Been twice now and it never fails to astound. The displays are phenomenal. Helpful drawings point out details one could easily miss. Never a dull display! Plenty to browse in the shop too. The postcard of the various geological time periods is extremely useful on field trips. Buy several because others will want one on a trip. Love the teeshirts too. Excellent gifts for yourself or others.Others in my group bought lovely mugs.Please go and support the brilliant work of a collector and his team. The videos are fascinating too. It was raining heavily the day I went and my ticket disintegrated later but your ticket is valid for a return visit with a year. Seems pretty good value to me. We do not appreciate these places enough and gripe about the admission costs but this place is well worth it. There were other unexpected attractions in the area too-we came across a small aquarium and were introduced to local sealife there and an opportunity to purchase souvenirs. The people running this aquarium were very pleasant and spent time showing us to the different fish
Written 22 November 2022
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.

hcarne
Southampton, UK48 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We spent an hour browsing the exhibits, watching videos and admiring the building of this fantastic museum. Highly educational. The pop up cafe was great, especially freshly baked apple cake.
Written 21 February 2020
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.

Expedition Master
Letchworth Garden City, UK226 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2020
We visited the Etches Collection on a week-long tour of Dorset in October 2020. This collection is exceptionally well presented and represents a small selection of one man's fossil hunting along the Jurassic coastline. We particularly enjoyed the interactive aspects to the displays. The collection is very close to the Jurassic coastline so we tried our had and fossil hunting and found two within an hour.
Written 22 November 2020
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.

KAW687
London, UK2,589 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Couples
We were the only visitors mid week in December and although it was pricey we were staying locally and wanted to support this small museum. We love looking at the fossils on Kimmeridge Bay. The one room of displays was interesting but there was very noisy work going on in the building so it wasn't pleasant to spend much time in. None of the interactive displays were up and running. The lights were off in the room with the artwork. The video mentioned i pads that could be used for information, there weren't any. I do think that as we were the only visitors and had paid full price and purchased things in the shop the staff could have guided us and turned things on for us. We did see Mr Etches walking around with the builders, probably very busy, but again it would have been nice if hed said hello and maybe had a chat about the collection as there was so little on offer that day. The ticket lasts all year but as we live over a hundred miles away we are unlikely to use it. I would imagine that if you are lucky enough to visit on a day when everything is working and demonstrations are taking place then it would be worth a visit. We read everything and talked to the young lady on duty and were only there for half an hour.
Written 23 January 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 your time in giving us a review. Firstly apologies regards the building work and the noise, these were essential repairs that we can only do during the quieter months of the year and I am sorry to hear it impacted your visit. The Ipads are on our front desk (we do not leave them out to prevent them being stolen) and our introductory video does mention to speak to our team if you would like to use them. We have a very friendly team here at the Museum and they would have gladly addressed any problems with the interactives being turned off or the lighting being off in the hall where the artwork is and would have rectified this for you as it was likely they may have timed out being on due to the works we were having done on this particular day (Emily - the young lady that you spoke to on duty on this day would have sorted out any issues with your visit if you'd have escalated them to her - she is very helpful!) Steve Etches may have been pre-occupied with the builders hence why he didnt say hello and stop to talk but I am sure if you had approached him he would have loved to have had a chat with you as he often likes to do with all the visitors that come to the museum. Your support in visiting us is much appreciated and it would be lovely if you could contact us in advance if you are able to come and visit us again and we will ensure your next visit is a much more positive experience for you - apologies we fell short the first time round.
Written 30 January 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Amanda B
Southampton, UK161 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
This is a fabulous Collection. Housed in a purpose built, fully accessible building, thoughtfully laid out, with clearly huge potential going forward. Museum Staff are thoughtful and well informed - and most wonderfully it is clear that fossil hunting and extraction etc is still happening in their labs which have viewing areas for the public.
This place is fantastic. Do visit.
Written 10 January 2020
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.

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