List of museums in Cornwall facts for kids

This list of museums in Cornwall, 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.

Name	Town/City	Region	Type	Summary
Antony House	Antony	Cornwall	Historic house	Operated by the National Trust, early 18th century estate with gardens, features fine collections of paintings, furniture and textiles
Barbara Hepworth Museum	St Ives	Cornwall	Art	Studio and works by 20th-century sculptor Barbara Hepworth
Bodmin Jail	Bodmin	Cornwall	Prison	Former jail and exhibits of local criminals
Bodmin Town Museum	Bodmin	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture, industry, natural history, transport
Callington Heritage Centre	Callington	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture, mining, agriculture
Camborne School of Mines Museum	Tremough	Cornwall	Mining	Mining and geology
The Castle, Bude	Bude	Cornwall	Multiple	Website, 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	Charlestown	Cornwall	Maritime	website, history of diving, salvage and shipwrecks, also mining and minerals
Constantine Heritage Centre	Constantine	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture, mining, agriculture
Cornish Mines and Engines	Pool	Cornwall	Mining	Collection of engine houses, beam engines and an industrial heritage discovery centre
Cornwall's Regimental Museum	Bodmin	Cornwall	Military	Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry regimental artifacts and history
Cotehele	Calstock	Cornwall	Historic house	Operated by the National Trust, Tudor house featuring tapestries, textiles, arms and armour, pewter, brass and old oak furniture, gardens
Davidstow Airfield Cornwall at War Museum	Davidstow	Cornwall	Military	History of former WW II airfield, military life in region
Davidstow Moor RAF Memorial War Museum	Davidstow	Cornwall	Military	Housed in the former sergeants' shower block, pictorial history of the airfield's wartime years with local memorabilia
Elliott's Shop	Saltash	Cornwall	History	website, historic grocery store, operated by the Tamar Protection Society
The Exchange	Penzance	Cornwall	Art	Satellite location of Newlyn Art Gallery, contemporary art
Falmouth Art Gallery	Falmouth	Cornwall	Art	Features work by Old Masters, major Victorian artists, British Impressionists, maritime artists, children's book illustrators, automata, contemporary painters and printmakers
Flambards Experience	Helston	Cornwall	Multiple	Amusement park with museum exhibits of Victorian shops and homes, life in Britain during The Blitz, aviation and science
Fowey Museum	Fowey	Cornwall	Local	information, history, culture, shipping
Geevor Tin Mine	Pendeen	Cornwall	Mining	Former tin mine
Gerrans Parish Heritage Centre	Gerrans	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture
Godolphin Estate	Godolphin Cross	Cornwall	Historic house	Operated by the National Trust, Tudor/Stuart mansion, complete with early formal gardens
Grampound with Creed Heritage Centre	Grampound	Cornwall	Local	website, history
Hayle Heritage Centre	Hayle	Cornwall	Local	website, operated by the Harvey’s Foundry Trust
Heartlands	Pool	Cornwall	Former Tin Mine, Local, Art	Regeneration 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 Museum	Helston	Cornwall	Local	History, culture, art, archaeology, mining, fishing, farming, costumes
Jamaica Inn	Bolventor	Cornwall	Multiple	Features a museum with exhibits on smuggling in the area and the inn's role, and author Daphne du Maurier
John Betjeman Centre	Wadebridge	Cornwall	Biographical	website, works and memorabilia of poet and author John Betjeman, located in the Wadebridge railway station
King Edward Mine Museum	Camborne	Cornwall	Mining	Former tin mine
Lanhydrock	Helston	Cornwall	Historic house	Operated by the National Trust, high Victorian style country estate with gardens
Launceston Steam Railway	Launceston	Cornwall	Railway	Heritage railway with museum of vintage transport and machinery in station
Lawrence House Museum	Launceston	Cornwall	Local	1753 Georgian house with displays about local history
Leach Pottery	St Ives	Cornwall	Art	20th century studio art pottery
Levant Mine and Beam Engine	Trewellard	Cornwall	Mining	Visitor center for former copper and tin mine, working steam-powered beam engine
Liskeard and District Museum	Liskeard	Cornwall	Local	website, local history, mining interpretation, tin toys, plastics and the environment
Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre	Lizard Point	Cornwall	Maritime	History and role of the lighthouse
Looe Museum	Looe	Cornwall	Local	information, 15th-century guildhall and prison, exhibits on history, culture, fishing, mining
Lostwithiel Museum	Lostwithiel	Cornwall	Local	information, history, culture, mining
Luxulyan Museum and Heritage Centre	Luxulyan	Cornwall	Local	information, history, culture
Marazion Museum	Marazion	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture, mining, agriculture
Mary Newman's Cottage	Saltash	Cornwall	Historic house	website, 17th century period Elizabethan cottage, reputedly the home of explorer Sir Francis Drake's first wife, operated by the Tamar Protection Society
Mevagissey Museum	Mevagissey	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture, fishing, shipping, smuggling
Moseley Industrial Narorow Gauge Tramway and Toy Museum	Tolgus Mount	Cornwall	Toy, Railroad	website, open by appointment, vintage toys, model trail layouts, railroad memorabilia, narrow gauge train rides
Mount Edgcumbe House	Cremyll	Cornwall	Historic house	16th century great house restored to 18th century period, with art, tapestries, porcelain, gardens,
Museum of Witchcraft	Boscastle	Cornwall	History	Witchcraft and Wiccan artifacts
National Maritime Museum Cornwall	Falmouth	Cornwall	Maritime	Home 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 Gallery	Newlyn	Cornwall	Art	Contemporary art
Newquay Heritage Archive & Museum	Newquay	Cornwall	Local	website, operated by the Newquay Old Cornwall Society
North Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery	Camelford	Cornwall	Multiple	Local history, art, agriculture and household items, Cornish and Devonshire pottery, industrial and tradesmen's tools
Padstow Museum	Padstow	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture, maritime
Pencarrow	Bodmin	Cornwall	Historic house	18th-century mansion and gardens
Pendennis Castle	Falmouth	Cornwall	Military	Fortress built by Henry VIII, displays through WW II
Penlee House	Penzance	Cornwall	Art	Paintings by members of the Newlyn School
Penryn Museum	Penryn	Cornwall	Local	information, history, culture
Perranzabuloe Museum	Perranporth	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture, mining, fishing, farming
Poldark Mine	Wendron	Cornwall	Mining	Former tin mine
Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing	Polperro	Cornwall	Maritime	website
Port Eliot	St Germans	Cornwall	Historic house	Country mansion estate, gardens, museum of folklore
Porthcurno Telegraph Museum	Porthcurno	Cornwall	Technology	History of telegraph cables
Prideaux Place	Padstow	Cornwall	Historic house	Country mansion with royal and family portraits, fine furniture, the Prideaux Porcelain Collection, gardens
Redruth Old Cornwall Society Museum	Redruth	Cornwall	Local	information, history, culture, mining, household items
Royal Cornwall Museum	Truro	Cornwall	Multiple	Art, archaeology, local history, natural history, geology, decorative arts, coins, Egyptian and world culture artifacts
Saltash Museum	Saltash	Cornwall	Local	website, operated by Saltash Heritage, local history, culture, records, photographic and document archive, archeology unit
Shire Horse Farm and Carriage Museum	Redruth	Cornwall	Transportation	website, working horse farm and collection of horse-drawn carriages
St Agnes Museum	St Agnes	Cornwall	Local	website, history, culture, mining, minerals, maritime
St Hilary Heritage Centre	St Hilary	Cornwall	Local	Located in the parish church,
St Ives Museum	St Ives	Cornwall	Local	information, history, culture, mining, fishing, agriculture
St Michael's Mount	St Michael's Mount	Cornwall	Historic house	Operated by the National Trust, tours of the island castle
Stuart House	Liskeard	Cornwall	Local	website, late medieval town house, exhibits about the English Civil War
Tate St Ives	St Ives	Cornwall	Art	Work by modern British artists, including work of the St Ives School
Tintagel Old Post Office	Tintagel	Cornwall	Philatelic	Operated by the National Trust, 19th century period post office in a 14th-century yeoman's farmhouse
Tolgus Tin Mill	Tolgus Mount	Cornwall	Mining	website, working tin mill, also hosts the Redruth Old Cornwall Society Town Museum
Trerice	Newquay	Cornwall	Historic house	Operated by the National Trust, Elizabethan manor house, orchard, lawn mower collection
Valhalla Museum	Tresco	Cornwall	Maritime	Outdoor exhibits including figureheads, name-boards and other decorative carvings from the days of sail
Wayside Folk Museum	Zennor	Cornwall	Local	Local history and culture
Wheal Martyn China Clay Country Park	Treverbyn	Cornwall	Industry	website, china clay mining industry, local clay communities and the modern china clay industry

Defunct museums

The former British Cycling Museum at Camelford Station

Barnes Museum of Cinematography, St Ives
British Cycling Museum, Camelford Station, Camelford
Cornwall Geological Museum, Penzance
Trevarno. Closed in 2012. Included National Museum of Gardening, gardens, woodland walks, a sub-tropical conservatory
Trinity House National Lighthouse Museum, Penzance