Castletown D-Day Centre — Attraction in Portland

Amazing museum with great level of detail and presentation, though unfortunately under-minded due to the appalling attitude of the older gentleman working at reception.

Incident occurred 9/7/23 around 1pm. My friend and I are from out of town but are visiting in preparation for a veteran’s reunion expected to happen at the end of august, with the intention of visiting the museum before paying our respects at the cenotaph.

Unfortunately when we first approached the museum we were not sure where the main reception was located. A group of nice lads dressed up in uniform informed us that the museum was open, so we both headed to the entrance. Already I’m blown away at the presentation of this place, and I’m excited knowing full well that the veteran’s are going to be more than impressed.

So my friend and I continue further into what appears to be the main museum, and to my right I see an older gentleman behind a reception desk. I smile and give a raise of the hand, to which he asked me if we’re paying. I walked closer to him and explained that we’re just here to inquire about prices, opening times etc.

The older gentleman responded, raising his voice a little, saying if we’re not paying then GET OUT!

Now I kept my cool because I don’t feel comfortable getting into a heated argument in a museum, especially a World War II museum. So I calmly explained that I just want to know the prices, to which he just points at a board behind him.

Trying to not succumb to this man’s negative energy I simply smiled and said thank you, though while leaving my friend and I both agreed that the older gentleman’s demeanour and attitude was out of line and reprehensible. Treating us as if we were teenage loiterers when we’re actually two grown men in our 30’s that do a lot of charity work for the SSAFA up in Northamptonshire.

It’s safe to say that myself and the veterans will not be going anywhere near this place come august, which is a real shame, because I can tell a lot of love and passion has gone into this museum, though all let down by a man who clearly brings his own personal...

My wife and I took our son to the museum on the Thursday 28th of March 2024 , we have a disabled son , who has a brain injury , he is deaf with limited speech , and learning difficulties , we chose the museum simply because it allows its visitors to interact with the museum pieces , which does set it apart from many museums We received a warm welcome from the staff upon arrival , the museum isn’t big , but it’s crammed full of of everything WW2 and D-Day , half tracks, a spitfire plane , artillery guns , loads of memorabilia, that staff were very kind and considerate , helped my son sit on the artillery guns and pretend to fire the cannon , we had loads of photo opportunities with many vehicles , including a magnificent Sherman tank , also many of the weapons used and even a dress up section so my son could put on a uniform and have photos The museum is drenched in local history , the D-Day landing kicked off from that very spot on the harbour where the museum sits With many local facts , artefacts and a cinema room where you can watch films about the local area and people during D-Day My son was thrilled , we absolutely loved our time there , we drove there from South Wales It was a blustery wet day , but we were glad we made the journey as it was well worth it A fantastic place , fun , educational and run by...

Set in a very historic location the Centre is surrounded by evidence of the areas long standing Military connection.

The Centre itself is in an original Royal Navy building and despite its small ‘footprint’ it is a compelling collection of artefacts, vehicles, information & photographs but the thing it does beautifully and brilliantly is tell the human story.

From service personnel to locals the Centre is full of human story which makes this a very moving place to spend time. (I was here 4 hours!) The impact of the Americans who went to Normandy from the pier and slipway adjacent to the Centre means that those experiences and the ability to ‘Walk The Ground’ really brings the place to life.

The Centre also has a very hands on approach. It wants you to pick artefacts up, try them on and connect you. It does this superbly.

The Centre is crammed with information and has a real wartime atmosphere… almost a step back in time, it’s a very connected place that you don’t visit, you become connected to. It’s brilliant and highly recommended.

The Sherman Tank was outside and open for visitors… who couldn’t resist.

What an incredible place and thank you to the team for a warm welcome and a great place to spend time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(P.S. The Dorset Adventure Cafe next door is excellent! Museum Admission gets you...