Dinosaurland Fossil Museum
Privately run fossil museum in a former church in Lyme Regis with over 30,000 Jurassic fossils, an ichthyosaur and links to Mary Anning.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Dinosaurland Fossil Museum was founded on 21 July 1995 by the palaeontologist Steve Davies, who still owns and runs it. After a career as a palaeontologist for an oil company he came back to Lyme Regis, where the former Congregational Church building came up for sale, and he opened the museum there with 113 specimens.
The Grade I listed building has a link with Mary Anning, who was baptised in the church in 1799 and worshipped there for most of her life. The museum describes itself as a traditional museum: it is funded only by admission fees, shows all its specimens rather than keeping them in storage, and deliberately has no interactive displays.
The collection has grown to more than 30,000 specimens, collected on the local beaches or bought. It centres on the Jurassic marine fossils of Lyme Regis, from microfossils and ammonites to ichthyosaurs, and includes the Langdon Ichthyosaur found in 1972, kept in the condition in which it was discovered. Further rooms explain geological time, modern shells and skeletons, and minerals and fossils from other regions.
Highlights
- More than 30,000 fossil specimens, all on display
- Langdon Ichthyosaur found at Lyme Regis in 1972
- Time Gallery on geological time with a timeline up the stairs
- Natural History Room with modern shells, skeletons and taxidermy
- Former church where Mary Anning was baptised
Permanent exhibitions
- The Fossil Collection – Jurassic marine fossils from Lyme Regis, from microfossils and ammonites to a large ichthyosaur.
- The Time Gallery – An introduction to geological time and how rocks are dated, with a timeline running up the stairs.
- The Natural History Room – Modern shells, skeletons and taxidermy that show how living animals relate to the fossils.
- Founded
- 1995
- Operated by
- Steve Davies (private)
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £7.50 |
|---|---|
| Children & teens | £5.50free up to age 4 · Children aged 5 to 16; under-fives are free. |
| Families | £22Two adults and two children. |
Tickets are paid on arrival; there is no booking system.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome: no information
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
The museum is in a Grade I listed former church with stairs; no accessibility information is published on its website.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Time needed | approx. 60 min |
|---|---|
| Kids’ admission | free up to age 4 |
| Family ticket | £22 · Two adults and two children. |
- Hands-on stations: not available
- Playground / play area: not available
The museum is aimed at children from 5 upwards with an interest in fossils and dinosaurs. It has no interactive or hands-on displays and no children's play room; a playground with a pirate ship is nearby. Under-fives are free.
Getting there & parking
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
No parking on site. The long-stay car parks at Charmouth Road and Holmbush (A3052 towards Sidmouth) are relatively cheap for a whole day; the nearest car park, in Hill Road, is more expensive.
The museum is in the narrow streets of the Old Town. A park and ride service runs from Charmouth Road in the peak season.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café: not available
- Restaurant: not available
There is no restaurant; many places to eat are within a few hundred yards. Visitors' dogs are welcome.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Most visitors spend about an hour in the museum, and reading every label can take much longer. No booking is needed. |
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