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School trips to LYME REGIS MUSEUM

School and Group Visits to Lyme Regis Museum

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Mary Anning’s World of Discovery

Uncover 200 million years of history at Lyme Regis Museum. Built on Mary Anning’s home, they offer school groups an inspiring blend of palaeontology, local heritage, and hands-on workshops.

Mary Anning’s Legacy

Built on the site of her childhood home, the museum brings the story of Mary Anning to life. Students can explore the pioneering discoveries of the world’s most famous fossil hunter, gaining a deep understanding of Victorian science and the social history of the Jurassic Coast.

Follow in Mary Anning's footsteps with expert-led fossil workshops and local history toursEducation Destination


Lyme Regis Museum is a uniquely inspiring destination for students, standing directly on the site of the childhood home of Mary Anning, the world’s most famous fossil hunter. For school groups on a week-long residential, the museum serves as a brilliant focal point for both scientific discovery and historical inquiry. Youngsters can explore the very rooms where pioneering finds were made, bringing the story of the Jurassic Coast to life through an internationally significant collection of marine reptiles, ammonites, and local treasures.

The experience is designed to be highly interactive, ensuring that pupils are active participants in their learning journey. From examining real fossil specimens in the rotunda to participating in dedicated workshops like fossil polishing, youngsters are encouraged to think like palaeontologists. These hands-on sessions are specifically tailored to bridge the gap between classroom theory and real-world science, helping students understand the incredible processes that preserved these ancient creatures for millions of years.

Beyond the fossils, the museum offers a rich tapestry of local history that helps pupils understand the social and maritime heritage of the region. Whether exploring the Writers’ Gallery or learning about the town’s role in historic maritime trade, the venue provides a diverse educational landscape. The stunning seafront location and the purpose-built learning centre provide a safe, secure, and stimulating environment that empowers students to discover, question, and learn while enjoying the sheer fun of a seaside adventure.

Interactive Fossil Lab

Youngsters can participate in hands-on workshops within the purpose-built learning centre. From fossil polishing to identifying ancient marine reptiles, these sessions encourage scientific inquiry and allow pupils to handle real specimens from millions of years ago.

Deep Time Galleries

The museum’s rotunda houses an internationally significant collection of ammonites and ichthyosaurs. Pupils can trace the evolution of prehistoric sea life, comparing ancient anatomy with modern species to see how animals adapted to their maritime environments over time.

Local Maritime Heritage

Beyond the fossils, students can discover the town's vibrant maritime history. Exhibits detailing the construction of the Cobb and local smuggling tales help youngsters understand how the sea has shaped the community’s identity from medieval times to the present day.

Literary Inspiration

The dedicated writers’ gallery highlights the many famous authors inspired by Lyme Regis. This creates a fantastic opportunity for students to engage in creative writing exercises, using the dramatic coastal views and local legends as a stimulating backdrop.

Key Learnings

"The Sea"

Everything in the museum revolves around the sea’s influence. Whether studying the marine reptiles of the past or the maritime trade of the present, youngsters develop a comprehensive understanding of the sea as a force of nature and a historical highway.

Animals, Habitats & Biodiversity

The museum’s collection of marine fossils provides a prehistoric perspective on biodiversity. Pupils can compare the anatomy of ancient sea creatures with modern species, studying how animals adapted to their specific environments over millions of years.

Changes Within Living Memory

The museum documents the shifting face of Lyme Regis through the 20th and 21st centuries. Students can explore how the town’s tourism, sea defences, and daily life have evolved, using photographs and oral histories as primary evidence.

Coastal Erosion

Located on the edge of the Jurassic Coast, the museum is the ideal base to study the geological processes of the cliffs. Pupils can learn about the landslides and erosion that constantly reshape the coastline and reveal new fossil remains.

Dinosaurs

While the focus is often on marine reptiles like Ichthyosaurs, the museum provides a gateway to the age of the dinosaurs. It serves as a fantastic setting for youngsters to learn about the massive creatures that once roamed the land and sea during the Mesozoic era.

Fossils, Rocks & Soils

With extensive displays of local finds and dedicated fossil-polishing workshops, students can gain a deep understanding of geological layers, mineralisation, and the formation of the fossils found beneath their feet.

Local History

The museum is built on the site of Mary Anning’s birthplace and covers the entire social history of the town. Pupils can trace the development of Lyme Regis from a medieval port to a Georgian resort and a modern-day scientific hub.

Maritime History

From the construction of the iconic Cobb to the history of local smuggling and shipbuilding, the museum offers a detailed look at Lyme Regis's relationship with the sea and its importance as a historic harbour.

Prehistoric

The museum takes pupils back through deep time, specifically the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. It provides an immersive look at life in the prehistoric seas, long before the arrival of the first humans.

Victorians

Through the life and work of Mary Anning, students can explore Victorian scientific discovery and social structures. The museum illustrates the challenges faced by 19th-century female collectors and the dawn of modern palaeontology.

Location

Previous Customers Asked...

The museum provides bespoke workshops that directly support History and Science curricula, with a strong focus on Mary Anning, fossil discovery, and local geology. Students can engage in hands-on fossil polishing and guided tours of the galleries, which are designed to foster scientific inquiry and an understanding of significant historical figures.

The museum offers level access to the ground floor and a lift to the first floor, ensuring that many galleries are accessible to wheelchair users. Staff are experienced in welcoming pupils with diverse needs and can adapt fossil talks or gallery tours to be more sensory-focused or paced according to the group’s specific requirements.

A dedicated space within the museum can be allocated for the storage of pupils' bags and coats during their scheduled activities. While indoor lunch space is limited and must be booked in advance, the museum’s location provides easy access to nearby outdoor areas where groups can gather for supervised mealtimes.

While museum education officers are trained in basic first aid and carry kits during off-site activities like fossil walks, visiting teachers retain primary safeguarding responsibility for their pupils. Schools must ensure their party includes a qualified first aider and carries any necessary student medications or specific medical supplies.

The museum has a robust emergency evacuation protocol with clearly designated assembly points located away from the main entrance. Teachers are responsible for leading their pupils to the muster point, maintaining an accurate register, and conducting immediate headcounts while following the directions of the museum’s fire marshals.

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