The Roman Painted House Dover

21/05/2026

Another Bank Holiday weekend is on the way — the perfect excuse to dive into Roman history.

We’ll be open 10am to 4pm on:
• Saturday 23 May
• Monday 25 May
• Thursday 28 to Sunday 31 May

And from June, we’ll be open every Saturday. Come and discover something new.

07/05/2026

The Roman Painted House will be open on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 May from 10am to 4pm.

Dover port will see its first ever four cruise ship day on Friday 8 May, and we're hoping to welcome some cruise ship guests as they disembark and explore the town.

There is also live music happening in Dover Market Square from 10am to 12 noon.

Photo: Copyright Historic England Archive.

28/04/2026

Planning a Bank Holiday outing? The Roman Painted House is open Saturday 2, Sunday 3 and Monday 4 May, 10am–4pm — and entry is free. Step inside Dover’s Roman past.

09/04/2026

On the 99th day of the year we look to this particular Roman minted coin for the emperor, Pupienus (164-238AD), who, with his co-emperor, Balbinus, ruled for just 99 days. They were two of the six men who ruled as emperor of Rome in 238 AD in the politically turbulent Year of the Six Emperors.

Pupienus and Balbinus were initially appointed by the Senate as emperors to end the reign of emperor Maximinus Thrax, after emperors Gordian I and Gordian II died. Pupienus set out to Northern Italy to collect an army while Balbinus remained in Rome, but Maximinus was slain by his own troops. However, Pupienus and Balbinus disagreed on policy and relations deteriorated between them. Pupienus and Balbinus were then murdered by the Praetorian Guard who disagreed with their appointment. They were succeeded by Gordian III as the sole ruler of the empire.

This coin among others can be seen on display at the Roman Painted House. The Roman Painted House is open today 10am to 4pm, and on the following days:
• Thursday 9 April - Sunday 12 April
• Thursday 16 April - Sunday 19 April
• Saturday 25 April
The house will then be open every Saturday during term-time and Thursday to Sunday in the school holidays.

[Image description: An obverse of a Roman minted coin featuring a detailed profile portrait of emperor Pupienus with inscription IMP C M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG]



The Roman Painted House Dover Dover District Council Visit White Cliffs Country - Dover, Deal and Sandwich

02/04/2026

We reopen tomorrow! (3 April)
We're all set and look forward to welcoming you for the spring/summer season 2026.

This month, The Roman Painted House will be open from 10am to 4pm on the following days:

• Friday 3 April - Monday 6 April (Easter weekend)
• Thursday 9 April - Sunday 12 April
• Thursday 16 April - Sunday 19 April
• Saturday 25 April

We will then be open every Saturday during term-time, Thursday to Sunday in the school holidays, some extra days for port of call visits (tbc) and all week for Heritage Open Days (11-20 September).

Dover Museum & Bronze Age Boat Gallery
Maison Dieu Dover

26/03/2026

Wow what a night! We loved meeting so many of our younger residents and their families at last week’s Dover at Night event. We also asked the ‘friendly’ Roman soldier on the night to help us promote our opening hours for the 2026 season!

This April, The Roman Painted House will be open from 10am to 4pm on the following days:
• Friday 3 April - Monday 6 April (Easter weekend)
• Thursday 9 April - Sunday 12 April
• Thursday 16 April - Sunday 19 April
• Saturday 25 April

We will then be open every Saturday during term-time, Thursday to Sunday in the school holidays, some extra days for port of call visits (tbc) and all week for Heritage Open Days (11-20 September).

Dover Museum & Bronze Age Boat Gallery
Visit White Cliffs Country - Dover, Deal and Sandwich

20/03/2026

😀 Tonight's the night for Dover at Night! - Fri 20 March 5pm-9pm.
🕰️ The Roman Painted House has been jumbled up - all thanks to the broken Dover Time Machine!
📱Help us sort out what’s modern and what’s ancient from a mobile phone to a sponge on a stick!
✍️ Join tattoo and graffiti artist Tim Smithen to create your own graffiti, inspired by examples from Dubris (Roman Dover) and Pompeii.
🕵️ Collect your Secret Symbol to help fix the time machine in the Maison Dieu Dover

17/03/2026

We are so excited to be one of the venues for Dover at Night!
Drop in to see us any time from 5pm to 9pm on Friday 20 March.

🕰️ Time Has Gone Haywire!
A lightning strike has disrupted Dover’s time continuum, sending the Maison Dieu’s famous old clock spinning out of control. Its transformed into a full blown time machine — and venues are spiralling through a mash up of historical eras.

We need your help at the Roman Painted House to restore order!

🏺 Roman or Modern?
Which items belong to Roman times and which are from the present day?

🎨 Community Graffiti Mural
Add your creative flair to our community graffiti wall — a colourful snapshot of Dover across the ages.

✍️ Write Your Name in Latin
Ever wondered how your name would look in Roman times? Try your hand at writing it in Latin and leave your mark on history.

More info: https://maison-dieu-dover-town-hall.designmynight.com/698b27a7f08eda947e5ae364/dover-at-night

08/03/2026

11/02/2026

We're looking forward to taking part in this event too!
Save the date 'Dover at Night' Friday 20 March.

22/01/2026

The RPH may be closed at the moment, but we've had some extra help from Dover Museums staff and volunteers behind the scenes to keep it looking s**c and span!