Museums & Galleries · Dorset
Gillingham Museum
📍 SP8 4UA
Photo: Neil Owen (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Geological section with prehistoric sea monster and fossil exhibits
- Panels on Iron Age settlement and Roman skeleton finds
- Display of John Constable's Gillingham paintings and sketches
- Original wheelbarrow and spade from 1856 railway ceremony
- 1790 fire engine and fire brigade memorabilia on display
Gillingham Museum tells the story of the town and its surrounding parishes, tracing life here from Neolithic times to the present day. Inside you'll find a geological section with fossils and sea monster remains, panels on Iron Age and Roman settlements, displays on the coming of the railway and local industries, an 1790 fire engine, and a popular exhibit of John Constable's Gillingham paintings and sketches. It suits those with an interest in local history, and the ground-level layout is wheelchair accessible, with parking available nearby. The museum is just a few minutes' walk from Gillingham Railway Station, only 0.2 miles away, and with 20 bookable places to stay within 5 miles on BritStays, it makes an easy addition to a visit to the area.
Practical details
- Open
- Closed Wednesdays and Sundays, mornings and early afternoons other days
- Accessibility
- Ground-level exhibition suitable for wheelchairs, with disabled parking bays nearby
- Parking
- Available in the adjoining public car park
- Booking
- Contact the Curator by email for visits outside normal hours or group visits
From the attraction's own website on 26 Sep 2026 — check before you travel.
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Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
0.6 mi
0.9 mi
1.3 mi
2.4 mi
2.6 mi
3.1 mi
🎪 What's on near Gillingham Museum
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
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Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Fri 13 Nov · 19:00
Skids + Theatre Of Hate
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Sat 5 Dec · 20:30
SiREN
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Wed 9 Dec · 19:00
Evening of Mediumship with Nikki Kitt - Midsomer Norton
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🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Gillingham Museum into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.
A weekend in Bournemouth with the kids →
A weekend in Bournemouth →
A weekend in Bournemouth with older parents →
🗺️ Plan the drive to Gillingham Museum
🚆 Or come by train
- Gillingham (Dorset) 0.2 miles
- Templecombe 6.6 miles
- Tisbury 8.7 miles
Straight-line distances · live departures on each station page