Step into centuries of stories in Poole Museum’s Discover, and Research Room – your go-to place for uncovering the town’s rich and fascinating past.

Whether you’re tracing family roots or diving deep into local history, you’ll find a wide range of resources to explore, supported by an extensive reference library and a wealth of digitised and microfilmed material.

Our collections include:

• Poole family history records
• Historic maps and nautical charts
• Photographs of people, places and events
• Local and national historical newspapers

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff are always on hand to help guide your research and point you towards useful sources. The room also houses a significant photographic and historic archive covering Poole’s buildings, communities and past inhabitants.

You can access:

• Previous Electoral Rolls
• Around 150 years of local newspapers
• Census Returns and Parish Records
• Street directories
• Maritime History Records, including the Index of Poole Ships and port arrivals and departures
• Documents charting Poole’s historic trade links with Newfoundland and other overseas ports

To make the most of your visit, we recommend booking ahead for microfilm machines and computers.

Poole Museum is fully accessible, with lift access and facilities for visitors with disabilities.