Welcome to Wessex Museums

Museums thriving through collaboration 

A woman from Poole Museum talking about an object to a university student volunteer.

Wessex Museums is a thriving partnership of museums across Dorset and Wiltshire – Dorset Museum & Art Gallery, Lydiard House Museum, Poole Museum, STEAM – the Museum of the Great Western Railway, Museum & Art Swindon, The Salisbury Museum and Wiltshire Museum.

Our purpose is to build resilience and relevance of the museums in our partnership and across the region. Our mission is to connect, inspire and add value to people’s lives. Through our website we share learning, resources and inspiration across the wider museums and arts sector.  

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Career Opportunities

Explore the latest career opportunities with Wessex Museums and partners.

Sawfish are also called carpenter sharks...but they are rays, not sharks!

There’s also a species called a sawshark, but that’s, well, a shark!

What the heck is a lek?

Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.

Road Runner!

The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.

Belly Buster!

The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!

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