Dover Museum
Free town museum in Dover's Market Square, home to the 3,500-year-old Bronze Age Boat and galleries on the history of the port.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Dover Museum was founded in 1836 and is one of the oldest museums in Kent. Since 1991 it has occupied a purpose-built three-storey building that stands behind the original Victorian frontage. It is run by the local council and also looks after the nearby Roman Painted House.
Its best-known object is the Dover Bronze Age Boat, which road builders and archaeologists found in September 1992 during work on the A20 between Folkestone and Dover. The boat dates from about 1500 BC and is regarded as the oldest known seagoing boat in the world. Because earlier attempts to lift similar finds in one piece had failed, the team cut it into sections; about 9.5 metres were recovered. A charity, the Dover Bronze Age Boat Trust, raised 1.6 million pounds between 1993 and 1999 for its conservation and display.
The ground floor follows the story of Dover from the Stone Age to the Saxons, including Roman forts and Saxon jewellery on loan from the British Museum. The top floor is devoted to the boat gallery and to six scale models that show how the town and harbour grew since the Middle Ages. A changing exhibition is shown on the first floor.
Highlights
- Dover Bronze Age Boat, about 3,500 years old
- Boat gallery with replicas, video and interactive displays
- Six scale models of the growth of Dover and its port
- Roman and Saxon finds, including Saxon jewellery on loan from the British Museum
- Free entry to the museum and the Roman Painted House
Permanent exhibitions
- Bronze Age Boat Gallery – Top-floor gallery around the remains of the roughly 3,500-year-old boat found in Dover in 1992, with artefacts, replicas, video and interactive displays on the Bronze Age.
- Dover History Galleries – Objects, graphics and models tell the story of the town and its port from the Stone Age through the Roman and Saxon periods, with scale models of Dover's growth since medieval times.
- Founded
- 1836
- Operated by
- Dover District Council
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
Admission to both Dover Museum and the Roman Painted House is free.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator
- Accessible restroom
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
Ramped entrance, level floors and a lift to all galleries. The accessible toilet is opened with a RADAR key and has a right-hand transfer. Visitors who cannot use the stairs can borrow printed copies of the stairwell exhibition panels at the front desk. Only registered assistance dogs may enter the galleries; other dogs on leads are welcome in the shop and the Visitor Information Centre.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
- Hands-on stations
The Bronze Age Boat gallery includes replicas, video and interactive exhibits. Curriculum-linked workshops for Key Stages 1 to 3 are offered to schools.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Dover bus station, Pencester Road · 5-min walk
Dover bus station on Pencester Road is about a five-minute walk from the museum, and the railway station is about a seven-minute walk. The museum is next to the Dover Discovery Centre.
By car
No on-site parking at the museum.
The museum has no car park of its own. The nearest public car park is Stembrook (CT16 1PE), and there is on-street parking in Castle Street (CT16 1PT); current charges are listed on the Dover District Council website.
Coaches can drop off in Church Street (CT16 1LY) for a maximum of 20 minutes; coach parking bays are at Maison Dieu Road car park (CT16 1RL). Bicycle racks are in Market Square.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Museum shop
The museum shop sells local history books, maps, cards, jewellery, homeware and toys. The White Cliffs Country Visitor Information Centre is in the same building. No food or drink is allowed in the galleries.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Photography | Non-commercial photography is allowed in all galleries. |
| Good to know | Information in the history galleries is given in English, French, German, Spanish and Dutch. Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Bicycles, trikes and scooters cannot be brought inside, and there is no storage for them. Schools can book self-guided visits or workshops for Key Stages 1 to 3 in the education room and the galleries. |
