Visitor Information
The Keep Military Museum
Closure Update – January 2026
It has now been 15 months since The Keep Military Museum had to unexpectedly close its doors. Since our last update, some progress has been made with our landlord, the Ministry of Defence.
Due to the cost involved with replacing the roof of The Keep, alternative solutions have been explored by the landlord and the museum charity. Consequently, The Dorchester Keep Military Museum Trust have now entered negotiations with the Ministry of Defence, to transfer ownership of the Keep building directly to the charity. We still have some way to go before this can be achieved, and nothing is yet set in stone. If the transfer goes ahead, time will still be needed to complete the necessary repairs to the building, and to redevelop the museum for the future.
We are therefore unable to provide an exact re-opening date for the museum, but due to the work required, it will remain closed throughout 2026. Please rest assured that all is being done to ensure the future of the museum and the safety of its collection. In the interim, museum staff and volunteers will continue with the resilience project, which has been funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, made possible thanks to National Lottery players.
Further updates will be made, as more information becomes available.
The museum is in Dorchester town centre, and the museum has a small free car park for visitors to use just to the rear of the main building.
Our galleries are across 3 floors, telling the chronological story of our regiments and those that fought with them. Our 4th floor roof terrace offers beautiful views over Dorchester and beyond. We recommend allowing 1.5 hours for your visit to appreciate all of our displays.
We have fully accessible public toilets, and a lift. The lift offers access to all of our inside galleries, but does not go to the roof.
We do not have an onsite café, but staff and volunteers are happy to recommend local cafes and restaurants that are within a short walk of the museum in Dorchester town centre!
Please note that we do not allow dogs in to museum, unless they are working assistance dogs. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.
Accessibility
All of our galleries are wheelchair accessible with lift access to each of the three floors. We have a wheelchair accessible toilet. In the event that the lift is broken we offer free admission for wheelchair users to visit the ground floor galleries.
For more information about other museums in Dorchester and tourist information, please visit the Discover Dorchester website here.
