Trinity House National Lighthouse Museum facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Trinity House National Lighthouse Museum |
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Former museum building in 2012
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| Location | Penzance, Cornwall, England |
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Listed Building – Grade II
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| Official name: National Lighthouse Centre | |
| Designated | 6 March 2003 |
| Reference no. | 1350316 |
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The Trinity House National Lighthouse Centre was a special museum in Penzance, Cornwall, UK. It held a huge collection of items from Trinity House. Trinity House is an important organization that builds and looks after lighthouses.
This museum let visitors see and even touch many lighthouse items. It even had a recreated bedroom of a lighthouse keeper! The museum closed in February 2005. Some of its collection is now shown at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth.
What Was the Lighthouse Centre?
The National Lighthouse Centre opened in 1989. Trinity House created it to share the history of lighthouses. The museum building used to be a place where buoys were stored and fixed. Buoys are floating markers that help ships navigate.
Inside the Museum
The museum offered an exciting look into the lives of lighthouse keepers. It had many interactive displays. Visitors could explore a recreated lighthouse keeper's bedroom. They could also see old lighthouse equipment and uniforms. The museum also showed how Trinity House has worked over the years. It even displayed some of the buoys from its past use.
Why Did the Museum Close?
The museum was quite popular, welcoming about 10,000 visitors each year. It stayed open for 16 years, from 1989 until February 2005. Despite efforts to keep it open, Trinity House decided to close the Penzance site. They thought about moving the collection to a new, busier museum in Plymouth.
However, by 2009, Trinity House confirmed that the move to Plymouth would not happen. This meant many of the unique lighthouse items were no longer on public display. Luckily, some parts of the collection found a new home. They are now shown at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth.
