Swanage Museum will be holding an open weekend at the Swanage History Centre on November 5 and 6, in order to allow people to explore the archives for family or personal history.
A small group of volunteers has been slowly and painstakingly working over the last few years sorting, listing and cataloguing the artefacts and paperwork.
In April the History Centre acquired the adjacent two units and has since been able to expand and put the new space to good use.
It will now be able to hang a lot of the growing collection of works of art that have been donated or bought by the museum over the years.
The library of books is also now housed in a much more accessible space.
Additionally, it is home to the archives relating to Swanage and the Isle of Purbeck, including a growing photographic collection and a family history section.