About
Lyme Regis Museum occupies a special place in the history of natural science, standing on the very site where Mary Anning — one of the most important fossil hunters and palaeontologists of the 19th century — was born in 1799. The museum celebrates her extraordinary life and achievements while exploring the rich natural and local history of Lyme Regis, one of the most fossil-rich towns in Britain.
Mary Anning discovered some of the most significant fossils ever found, including the first complete ichthyosaur skeleton to be recognised by scientists, the first plesiosaur, and the first British pterodactyl, all in the Jurassic Coast cliffs around Lyme Regis. Despite these world-changing discoveries, she faced enormous barriers as a working-class woman in 19th-century science, and her story — of genius, perseverance, and partial recognition — has gained fresh attention in recent decades.
The museum's geological and palaeontological collections are exceptional, with fossils ranging from tiny ammonites to large marine reptile specimens that represent the rich marine life of the Jurassic seas that once covered Dorset and East Devon. The Jurassic Coast, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, extends east and west from Lyme Regis, and the museum provides the ideal starting point for understanding why this stretch of coastline is so scientifically significant.
Beyond natural history, the museum explores the town's social and cultural history — its literary connections (Jane Austen set part of Persuasion here, and John Fowles wrote The French Lieutenant's Woman here and was a trustee of the museum), its Georgian architecture, and its long tradition of tourism based on the Cobb harbour and seaside pleasures.
The museum building itself, completed in 1901, stands dramatically above the Cobb harbour with spectacular views of Lyme Bay, making it one of the most attractively situated small museums in England. Fossil hunting walks along the beach are a popular extension to the museum visit.
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Highlights
Mary Anning — The Fossil Woman
The museum stands on the site of the birthplace of Mary Anning (1799–1847), the self-taught fossil hunter who transformed scientific understanding of prehistoric life.
The displays trace her extraordinary life from humble origins selling fossils on the Lyme Regis beach to international scientific recognition, exploring her major discoveries — the first complete ichthyosaur, the first plesiosaur, and the first British pterodactyl — and the enormous barriers she faced as a working-class woman in 19th-century science.
Original correspondence, illustrations, and personal items bring this remarkable figure to life with intimacy and historical depth.
Jurassic Fossil Collection
The museum's fossil collection spans the full range of Jurassic marine life preserved in the Blue Lias and Charmouth Mudstone cliffs surrounding Lyme Regis.
Ammonites of every size — from tiny examples to specimens half a metre across — display the extraordinary diversity of these extinct cephalopods. Belemnites, bivalves, and plant fossils accompany spectacular marine reptile specimens, with ichthyosaur remains representing the kind of discovery that made Mary Anning famous.
The collection is both scientifically significant and highly accessible to non-specialist visitors drawn by curiosity about the remarkable world beneath their feet.
Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Gateway
As the westernmost point of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lyme Regis Museum serves as the primary gateway to understanding this 95-mile stretch of Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous coastline. Geological displays explain how cliff strata formed over 185 million years and why constant erosion continues to expose new fossils.
The exhibition connects individual finds to the broader narrative of Earth history and evolutionary biology, giving visitors the scientific framework to appreciate what they might discover during independent fossil hunting on the beaches of the surrounding coast.
Guided Fossil Hunting Walks
The museum runs highly popular guided fossil hunting walks along beaches around Lyme Regis, led by expert guides who know precisely where and how to find the best specimens.
Participants regularly discover genuine ammonites and belemnites that they are permitted to keep, making these walks an unforgettable hands-on engagement with Jurassic Coast science. Walks operate for both adults and families and must be booked in advance, particularly during summer months when demand is very high.
They provide the most direct possible engagement with the fossil hunting tradition that Mary Anning herself pioneered on these same beaches.
Collections
Mary Anning — The Fossil Woman
A comprehensive celebration of Mary Anning's life, discoveries, and scientific significance, with original objects, correspondence, and illustrations. The display stands on the site of her birthplace, giving it extraordinary resonance.
Jurassic Coast — Window on Deep Time
Geological displays explaining the formation of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site and the types of fossils found in the strata around Lyme Regis, with specimens spanning 200 million years of Earth history.
Lyme Regis — History and Culture
The social and cultural history of Lyme Regis from medieval fishing port to Georgian health resort and Victorian seaside town, with literary connections to Jane Austen and John Fowles.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.