National Maritime Museum Cornwall facts for kids
The National Maritime Museum Cornwall (often called NMMC) is a cool museum in Falmouth, Cornwall, England. It sits right by the harbour. This amazing building was designed by an architect named M. J. Long. The museum is a charity, which means it relies on visitors and donations. It does not get money directly from the government.
The museum's main goal is to help people understand boats. It shows how boats are important in our lives. It also shares the exciting sea history of Cornwall. The museum tells stories about the sea, different kinds of boats, and Cornwall's past. It also keeps a special list called the National Small Boats Register (NSBR). This register helps keep track of historic small boats.
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History of the Museum
The museum started from a partnership in 1992. This was a team-up between the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and an older museum in Falmouth. People like Tony Pawlyn and George Hogg helped get money for a bigger museum. They wanted to focus on Cornwall's sea history. Building the museum cost about £21.5 million. Money came from the Heritage Lottery Fund and other groups. New items for the museum started arriving in 2001. This included 103 small boats from the London Maritime Museum.
The museum first opened its doors in February 2003. In its first year, about 168,000 people visited. The museum closed for a few months in October 2024. This was to fix some leaks in the building. It has since reopened.
Amazing Boats to See
The museum looks after the National Small Boat Collection. This collection came from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. It also has its own collection of Cornish boats. You can see many famous boats here, including:
- Waterlily, a steamboat built in 1866.
- Fricka, a beautiful sailboat for gentlemen.
- Olympic champion boats like Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. This Flying Dutchman dinghy won gold in the Mexico Olympics.
- Rita, the Finn dinghy where Ben Ainslie won three Olympic gold medals.
- Thunder and Lightning, an International 14 boat. It was the first to use a special trapeze device in races.
- Early versions of popular dinghies like Mirror No.1 and Firefly No.1.
- Curlew, a Falmouth Quay Punt. Tim and Pauline Carr sailed this boat to the Antarctic.
- Britannia, a rowboat. John Fairfax rowed this boat across the Atlantic Ocean in 1969.
- Wanderer-W48, a Wayfarer (dinghy). Frank Dye sailed this boat to Iceland and Norway. He even survived a big storm!
The museum is the best place in the country for boats. It keeps the National Small Boat Register (NSBR). This register lists small boats under 33 feet long. Boat owners with historic boats can add them to this list.
Cornwall's Sea Stories
Three special areas in the museum tell Cornwall's sea history. These areas cover many interesting topics. You can learn about Cornish fishing and trading. You can also discover how boats were built. Stories of shipwrecks and people moving away are also shared.
The Falmouth gallery tells more stories, such as:
- The Packet ships that sailed from Falmouth. These ships carried mail to the British Empire from 1668 to 1851.
- Life in Falmouth in the late 1800s. Back then, many ships came to Falmouth from all over the world.
- The 1900s, when Falmouth was important for D-Day. It was also the first and last port for famous sailors. These include Robin Knox-Johnston, who sailed solo around the world. Also, Ellen MacArthur, who broke a solo sailing record.
Museum Galleries to Explore
The museum has many different galleries for you to visit:
- The Main Hall, which has the Survival Zone.
- The Hold, with new exhibitions every six months.
- Look-out, offering great views of Falmouth harbour.
- The Quarterdeck, used for special exhibitions. It also has the Treasure Island Play Zone.
- The Bridge, showing different exhibitions.
- Boat building and its history.
- Tidal Zone, where you can see underwater views of Falmouth harbour.
- Waterfront, an indoor lake. Fans create wind for radio-controlled model yachts.
- Pontoon, with a changing display of boats on the water.
- Maritime Cornwall, which includes:
- Falmouth Gallery
- Cornwall and the Sea
- Cornish Quayside
Exciting Exhibitions
The museum often has new and exciting exhibitions. Some past exhibitions include:
- 2004 – The Will to Win: About Olympic and racing boats.
- 2005 – Team Philips and Surf's Up: About a round-the-world project and surfing in the UK.
- 2006 – Endurance and Survival.
- 2007 – Mad Dogs, and Englishmen?: About unusual boats.
- 2008 – Under the Sea: About diving and working underwater.
- 2009 – Titanic, Honour and Glory.
- 2010 – Lighthouses: Life on the Rocks.
- 2012 – Search and Rescue: About rescue services.
- 2015 – Viking Voyagers.
- 2017 – Tattoo: British Tattoo History Revealed.
- 2018 – Titanic Stories.
- 2020 – Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact and Fiction.
- 2023 – Pirates: Explore Beneath the Surface.
- 2025 – SURF! 100 years of Waveriding in Cornwall.
The museum also has temporary exhibitions, talks, and fun activities.
Other Things to Do
The museum has a cafe by the water. You can enjoy snacks and drinks while looking at the harbour. There is also a shop where you can buy souvenirs. The Sunley Lecture Theatre hosts talks and events.
Bartlett Library
The Bartlett Library is a special place for research. It helps people learn about sea-related topics. It has many original records from Falmouth's port. The library also holds over 16,000 books. Plus, it has lots of magazines and pictures.
Awards and Recognition
The National Maritime Museum Cornwall has won many awards. Here are some of them:
- 2004 – Nominated for a Silver Award for great environmental design.
- 2005 – ADAPT Trust Awards for making the museum easy for disabled people to visit.
- 2013 – Silver Award for Best UK Heritage Attraction at British Travel Awards.
- 2014 – Best Museum in Cornwall from Cornwall Today Awards.
- 2014 – Winner of The Telegraph Family Friendly Museum Award.
- 2015 – Winner of the Sandford Award for excellent education work.
- 2017 – Best Gallery at the What's On Cornwall Awards.
- 2021 – Silver in the Cornwall Tourism Awards.
- 2021 – Winner of the Sandford Award for excellent education work again.
