8 Museums to Explore in Cornwall

Checkout places to visit in Cornwall

Cornwall

One of the UK’s favourite summer destinations, holiday makers flock to Cornwall for its sandy beaches and surf-ready waves but look beyond the coastline and you’ll be rewarded with world-class galleries, fantastic food and many one-of-a-kind attractions.

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Museums to Explore in Cornwall

Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden

The museum inhabits Trewyn studios in St Ives where Barbara Hepworth lived and worked from 1949 until her death in 1975 when the house and garden were given to the nation. Displays include sculptures in bronze, stone, and wood, along with paintings, drawings and archive material. The sculptures featured at the museum were some of her favourites. Her workshop also includes a queue of uncut stones that one visitor has described as "still waiting for their moment in the shadow of her workshop".

Geevor Tin Mine

Geevor is set in stunning scenery on the Atlantic coast and was the last mine to work the famous St Just Mining District. Geevor tin mine is one of the largest preserved mine sites in the country and a Cornish Mining World Heritage Site. Housed in two acres of listed buildings, Geevor’s collections and guides bring the story of Cornwall’s rich industrial past to life. It consists of more than 100 miles of tunnels that stretched a mile underneath the sea.

National Maritime Museum Cornwall

National Maritime Museum Cornwall is an independent museum celebrating the influence of the sea on history and culture and telling the story of Cornwall’s incredible maritime heritage. National Maritime Museum Cornwall is an independent museum celebrating the influence of the sea on history and culture and telling the story of Cornwall’s incredible maritime heritage. Its mission is to promote an understanding of boats and their place in people's lives, and of the maritime heritage of Cornwall.

Penlee House Gallery & Museum

Penlee House is a museum and art gallery located in the town of Penzance in Cornwall. The gallery is the perfect place to discover the works of the Newlyn School and Lamorna artists. The museum covers the history of West Cornwall, from amazing archaeological finds to fabulous ceramics, social history and fashion.

PK Porthcurno

PK Porthcurno is a multi-award winning museum experience that explores the story of how the world connects. From 1870 when the first undersea telegraph cable from India came ashore here, to the fibre optic cables which carry virtually all our communications today.

Poldark Mine & The Cornish Heritage Collection

Poldark Mine is the only complete tin mine in Cornwall open for underground guided tours and is generally regarded as one of the most historic locations in the annals of Cornish Mining History. The mine is on several levels and the guided tours by experienced Cornishmen receive many accolades for their unvarnished presentation and the real atmosphere in the mine itself. Its features include underground guided tours through ancient tin mine workings, a museum of industrial heritage.

Royal Cornwall Museum

The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro holds an extensive mineral collection rooted in Cornwall's mining and engineering heritage. The museum holds an internationally renowned mineral collection rooted in Cornwall’s mining and engineering heritage. With over 300,000 heritage objects in the care of the Royal Cornwall Museum, there is plenty to keep you enthralled during your visit.

The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic

The Museum of Witchcraft and Magic explores British magical practice, making comparisons with other systems of belief, from ancient times to the present day. It houses the world's largest collection of witchcraft-related artifacts and regalia. The museum has been located in Boscastle for fifty years and is amongst Cornwall's most popular museums.

Map of Museums to explore in Cornwall