大象传媒

Steve Harris presents live from Dorset Museum ahead of it reopening at 9am, ahead of a two-and-a-half year closure and a 拢16m redevelopment.

Formerly known as Dorset County Museum - it's been closed since October 2018 with its refurbishment being delayed five months by the pandemic.

Hear about the new look, the new exhibitions and the people who've made it all possible.

The front doors of Dorset Museum have got to be some of the best known in Dorchester. And what lies behind them is looking very different now.

Galleries galore containing staples of Dorset history - Thomas Hardy's pens, his doodles and a famous red dress worn by his sister Katherine, which played a key role in securing National Lottery funding for the refurbishment.

There's a brand new Collections Discovery Centre, with cave-like conditions perfect for conserving, preserving and storing treasures. Items that have spent decades in storage - never seeing the light of day - will go on display for the first time.

Sculptures by late North Dorset artist Dame Elisabeth Frink, which were at risk of leaving the county, have been given a new home.

And you literally can't miss two of Dorset's most valuable jigsaws - parts of the Fordington and Dewlish mosaics.

And there's a refurbished library, new cafe, calm space and accessible Changing Places toilet.