List of museums in Cornwall

This list of museums in Cornwall, England, in the United Kingdom, contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e. virtual museums) are not included.

The Royal Cornwall Museum

Museums

To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.

NameImageTown/CityRegionTypeSummary
Antony House AntonyCornwallHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, early 18th century estate with gardens, features fine collections of paintings, furniture and textiles
Barbara Hepworth Museum St IvesCornwallArtStudio and works by 20th-century sculptor Barbara Hepworth
Bodmin Jail BodminCornwallPrisonFormer jail and exhibits of local criminals
Bodmin Town Museum BodminCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture, industry, natural history, transport
Callington Heritage CentreCallingtonCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture, mining, agriculture
Camborne School of Mines MuseumTremoughCornwallMiningMining and geology
The Castle, BudeBudeCornwallMultipleWebsite, history, culture, Bude Canal, maritime, railway, art exhibits; formerly the home of Victorian inventor Sir Goldsworthy Gurney. The Castle is accredited by Arts Council England. Free entry.
Charlestown Shipwreck & Heritage Centre CharlestownCornwallMaritimewebsite, history of diving, salvage and shipwrecks, also mining and minerals
Constantine MuseumConstantineCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture, mining, agriculture
Cornish Mines and EnginesPoolCornwallMiningCollection of engine houses, beam engines and an industrial heritage discovery centre
Cornwall's Regimental Museum BodminCornwallMilitaryDuke of Cornwall's Light Infantry regimental artifacts and history
Cotehele CalstockCornwallHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, Tudor house featuring tapestries, textiles, arms and armour, pewter, brass and old oak furniture, gardens
Davidstow Airfield Cornwall at War MuseumDavidstowCornwallMilitaryHistory of former WW II airfield, military life in region
Davidstow Moor RAF Memorial War MuseumDavidstowCornwallMilitaryHoused in the former sergeants' shower block, pictorial history of the airfield's wartime years with local memorabilia
Elliott's ShopSaltashCornwallHistorywebsite, historic grocery store, operated by the Tamar Protection Society
The ExchangePenzanceCornwallArtSatellite location of Newlyn Art Gallery, contemporary art
Falmouth Art Gallery FalmouthCornwallArtFeatures work by Old Masters, major Victorian artists, British Impressionists, maritime artists, children's book illustrators, automata, contemporary painters and printmakers
Flambards Experience HelstonCornwallMultipleAmusement park with museum exhibits of Victorian shops and homes, life in Britain during The Blitz, aviation and science
Fowey Museum FoweyCornwallLocalinformation, history, culture, shipping
Geevor Tin Mine PendeenCornwallMiningFormer tin mine
Gerrans Parish Heritage CentreGerransCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture
Godolphin Estate Godolphin CrossCornwallHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, Tudor/Stuart mansion, complete with early formal gardens
Grampound with Creed Heritage CentreGrampoundCornwallLocalwebsite, history
Hayle Heritage CentreHayleCornwallLocalwebsite, operated by the Harvey’s Foundry Trust
HeartlandsPoolCornwallFormer Tin Mine, Local, ArtRegeneration of former mining land. Features an interactive exhibition about Cornish mining heritage, a restored beam engine house, botanical gardens, artist studios, adventure playground and the Red River Cafe. Free entry
Helston MuseumHelstonCornwallLocalHistory, culture, art, archaeology, mining, fishing, farming, costumes
Isles of Scilly MuseumHugh Town, St Mary'sCornwallLocalwebsite as of 2023 "Museum on the Move" as former building has been condemned; new Cultural Centre and Museum under development
Jamaica Inn BolventorCornwallMultipleFeatures a museum with exhibits on smuggling in the area and the inn's role, and author Daphne du Maurier[1]
John Betjeman Centre WadebridgeCornwallBiographicalwebsite, works and memorabilia of poet and author John Betjeman, located in the Wadebridge railway station
King Edward Mine Museum CamborneCornwallMiningFormer tin mine
Lanhydrock HelstonCornwallHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, high Victorian style country estate with gardens
Launceston Steam Railway LauncestonCornwallRailwayHeritage railway with museum of vintage transport and machinery in station
Lawrence House MuseumLauncestonCornwallLocal1753 Georgian house with displays about local history
Leach PotterySt IvesCornwallArt20th century studio art pottery
Levant Mine and Beam Engine TrewellardCornwallMiningVisitor center for former copper and tin mine, working steam-powered beam engine
Liskeard and District Museum LiskeardCornwallLocalwebsite, local history, mining interpretation, tin toys, plastics and the environment
Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre Lizard PointCornwallMaritimeHistory and role of the lighthouse
Looe MuseumLooeCornwallLocalinformation, 15th-century guildhall and prison, exhibits on history, culture, fishing, mining
Lostwithiel MuseumLostwithielCornwallLocalinformation, history, culture, mining
Luxulyan Museum and Heritage CentreLuxulyanCornwallLocalinformation, history, culture
Marazion MuseumMarazionCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture, mining, agriculture
Mary Newman's Cottage SaltashCornwallHistoric housewebsite, 17th century period Elizabethan cottage, reputedly the home of explorer Sir Francis Drake's first wife, operated by the Tamar Protection Society
Mevagissey MuseumMevagisseyCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture, fishing, shipping, smuggling
Moseley Industrial Narorow Gauge Tramway and Toy MuseumTolgus MountCornwallToy, Railroadwebsite, open by appointment, vintage toys, model trail layouts, railroad memorabilia, narrow gauge train rides
Mount Edgcumbe House CremyllCornwallHistoric house16th century great house restored to 18th century period, with art, tapestries, porcelain, gardens,
Museum of WitchcraftBoscastleCornwallHistoryWitchcraft and Wiccan artifacts
National Maritime Museum Cornwall FalmouthCornwallMaritimeHome of the National Small Boat Collection, exhibitions on Cornwall's maritime history, boat conservation and experimental boat building. Also houses the Bartlett Library of books and archives, particularly relating to Falmouth's maritime history.
Newlyn Art GalleryNewlynCornwallArtContemporary art
Newquay Heritage Archive & Museum NewquayCornwallLocalwebsite, operated by the Newquay Old Cornwall Society
North Cornwall Museum and Art GalleryCamelfordCornwallMultipleLocal history, art, agriculture and household items, Cornish and Devonshire pottery, industrial and tradesmen's tools
Padstow MuseumPadstowCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture, maritime
Pencarrow BodminCornwallHistoric house18th-century mansion and gardens
Pendennis Castle FalmouthCornwallMilitaryFortress built by Henry VIII, displays through WW II
Penlee House PenzanceCornwallArtPaintings by members of the Newlyn School
Penryn MuseumPenrynCornwallLocalinformation, history, culture
Perranzabuloe MuseumPerranporthCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture, mining, fishing, farming
Poldark Mine WendronCornwallMiningFormer tin mine
Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and FishingPolperroCornwallMaritimewebsite
Port Eliot St GermansCornwallHistoric houseCountry mansion estate, gardens, museum of folklore
Porthcurno Telegraph MuseumPorthcurnoCornwallTechnologyHistory of telegraph cables
Prideaux Place PadstowCornwallHistoric houseCountry mansion with royal and family portraits, fine furniture, the Prideaux Porcelain Collection, gardens
Redruth Old Cornwall Society MuseumRedruthCornwallLocalinformation, history, culture, mining, household items
Royal Cornwall Museum TruroCornwallMultipleArt, archaeology, local history, natural history, geology, decorative arts, coins, Egyptian and world culture artifacts
Saltash Museum SaltashCornwallLocalwebsite, operated by Saltash Heritage, local history, culture, records, photographic and document archive, archeology unit
Shire Horse Farm and Carriage MuseumRedruthCornwallTransportationwebsite, working horse farm and collection of horse-drawn carriages
St Agnes MuseumSt AgnesCornwallLocalwebsite, history, culture, mining, minerals, maritime
St Hilary Heritage CentreSt HilaryCornwallLocalLocated in the parish church,
St Ives MuseumSt IvesCornwallLocalinformation, history, culture, mining, fishing, agriculture
St Michael's MountSt Michael's MountCornwallHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, tours of the island castle
Stuart HouseLiskeardCornwallLocalwebsite, late medieval town house, exhibits about the English Civil War
Tate St Ives St IvesCornwallArtWork by modern British artists, including work of the St Ives School
Tintagel Old Post Office TintagelCornwallPhilatelicOperated by the National Trust, 19th century period post office in a 14th-century yeoman's farmhouse
Tolgus Tin MillTolgus MountCornwallMiningwebsite, working tin mill, also hosts the Redruth Old Cornwall Society Town Museum
Trerice NewquayCornwallHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, Elizabethan manor house, orchard, lawn mower collection
Valhalla MuseumTrescoCornwallMaritimeOutdoor exhibits including figureheads, name-boards and other decorative carvings from the days of sail[2]
Wayside Folk MuseumZennorCornwallLocalLocal history and culture
Wheal Martyn China Clay Country Park TreverbynCornwallIndustrywebsite, china clay mining industry, local clay communities and the modern china clay industry

Defunct museums

The former British Cycling Museum at Camelford Station

See also

References

Further reading