Poole Museum reaches 250,000 visits in reopening year

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 06:55 · Archive

Poole Museum has received more than 250,000 visits in its first year after reopening following a multimillion-pound refurbishment.

Poole Museum reopened on 5 November 2025 after a multimillion-pound refurbishment. In its first year, the museum and wider estate—including Scaplen's Court and the café—received more than 250,000 visits combined. The museum itself attracted more than 150,000 visitors, with footfall across the estate totalling more than 100,000.

The museum has established itself as a community hub, offering workshops, events, talks, family activities and outreach programmes. More than 1,250 people participated in community engagement programmes, whilst volunteers contributed over 7,000 hours of support. Over the past year, exhibitions have included Life in Full Colour: The Art of Jason Wilsher-Mills, exploring Poole's maritime heritage; Power of Poole, charting the story of the town's former power station; and Coasts in Mind, a community-led exhibition on a century of change around Poole Harbour. The museum also hosted Lucian Freud's Etchings: A Creative Collaboration and an immersive experience called Sound of the Sea.

Councillor Andy Martin, BCP Council's portfolio holder for museums and cultural activities, described the first year as 'a real success story' and said the achievement puts Poole Museum 'firmly back at the heart of our community and on the map as one of the south coast's must-visit cultural destinations'.

Poole Museum reaches 250,000 visits in reopening year — Image: Bournemouth Echo

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How it is being reported

Poole Museum welcomes more than 250,000 visits in first year after reopeningMore than 250,000 visits have been made to Poole Museum and Scaplen’s Court in their first year since reopening.Bournemouth Echo · 5 Nov, 05:00
Poole Museum celebrates ‘phenomenal’ re-opening anniversaryMore than 250,000 visits have been made to Poole Museum since its major refurbishment. The post Poole Museum celebrates ‘phenomenal’ re-opening anniversary appeared first on Dorset View .Dorset View · 4 Nov, 15:33

In this story: Poole Museum · Scaplen's Court · Poole · Poole Harbour · Councillor Andy Martin · BCP Council · Lucian Freud

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