Poole Old Lifeboat Museum

02/04/2026

Due to ongoing works on board RNLB Thomas Kirk Wright, the Poole Old Lifeboat museum will remain closed until this work is completed. The nearest RNLI shop is located at the RNLI college.

26/03/2026

Apologies, our planned re-opening has been delayed. We can't wait to see you when we open.

25/03/2026

We will open on Monday 30 March for the 2026 season. We look forward to welcoming you!

22/03/2026

Thanks Dorset Drone Guy ! We appreciate you showing everyone how lovely the Museum and Fisherman's Quay is! We hope to confirm 2026 opening day soon!

20/03/2026

Due to unforeseen circumstance the Museum will now not reopen before Monday 30th March.

20/03/2026

Many thanks to the RNLI Heritage team for their informative tour of the new Heritage dept at RNLI support centre, Poole.

14/03/2026

We are expecting to open on the 23rd March (subject to works still being undertaken). We are looking for more enthusiastic volunteers. Contact [email protected] to join a great team.

04/03/2026

19/01/2026

14/12/2025

The Museum is closed, but why not add a name to our neighbour RNLI Swanage's lifeboat 13-13.

𝐋𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲

As well as celebrating 150 years of service in 2025, Swanage RNLI Lifeboat station is also honoured to have been selected as the Launch a Memory boat for the RNLI’s annual fundraising campaign.

Launch a Memory provides supporters with a chance to add the name of a loved one to one of the RNLI lifeboats, in exchange for a donation. (The current suggested donation is £75, although supporters are free to donate as much or as little as they would like to give.) By the end of the campaign up to 15,000 names will be added to the decals on the George Thomas Lacy, filling the lettering and numbering on the lifeboat.

Dave Turnbull, volunteer Coxswain at Swanage RNLI, said: ‘We are honoured that Swanage has been chosen as the home of the RNLI’s latest Launch a Memory lifeboat. Our Shannon-class lifeboat has kept people safe in the waters off Swanage for almost a decade now, and knowing that in the future, she will carry the names of thousands of people’s loved ones, makes it even more special.

‘To become a Launch a Memory lifeboat station in our 150th year is just phenomenal, the real icing on the cake to what is already a very significant year for us. It’s a wonderful way for people to remember and celebrate their loved ones and support the RNLI’s lifesaving work at the same time.’

Names will be added to the lifeboat in 2026, once the campaign is closed, and supporters will be kept updated by the Launch a Memory team.

Anyone interested should visit rnli.org/launchamemory for more information.

03/12/2025

The Museum is closed, but the College is open for the Christmas market this Sunday 7 December!

30/11/2025

We are now closed until the Spring. Merry Xmas and Happy New Year to all our Crew and visitors!