6 of the Best Museums in Cornwall

Lostwithiel Museum, in the heart of our little town

It is hard to miss the history of Cornwall. From tall ships and mining to shipwrecks, art and the beginnings of global communication, there are stories everywhere you look. Many Cornish towns have their own museum too, making them perfect places to retreat to on a rainy day, or simply when curiosity gets the better of you.

In my home town of Lostwithiel, we have history in spades. Restormel Castle stands above the town, the Duchy Palace recalls Lostwithiel's medieval importance, and our peaceful river was once busy with trade and shipping.

Our small museum on Fore Street does a wonderful job of exploring the many layers of local life. It got me thinking about some of the other museums around Cornwall that are particularly worth seeking out.

1. Lostwithiel Museum

I am starting close to home with Lostwithiel Museum. It may be small, but it is packed with local history and is run entirely by volunteers.

The collection tells the story of the town through objects, photographs and records, covering everything from Lostwithiel's medieval past to the railway, local trades and everyday life. If you are already exploring the town, it is well worth calling in.

2. National Maritime Museum Cornwall, Falmouth

National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth

Going from one of Cornwall's smallest museums to one of its biggest, National Maritime Museum Cornwall sits beside Falmouth's harbour and explores the enormous influence the sea has had on Cornish life.

There are galleries filled with boats, maritime objects, stories and interactive exhibits, covering everything from fishing and boatbuilding to rescues, trade and Falmouth's relationship with the wider world. There are also changing exhibitions, so there is often something new to see on a return visit.

It is a particularly good choice for families, with plenty to keep younger visitors occupied as well as enough history and detail for adults who like to linger.

3. Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro

The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro has an impressively broad collection. Rather than concentrating on one part of Cornwall's story, it brings together art, archaeology, social history, natural history, geology and objects from around the world.

I particularly like the way the museum combines Cornwall's creative side with its extraordinary geology and industrial history. The mineral collection is a reminder that the landscape beneath our feet has shaped Cornwall just as much as the sea around it.

There are changing exhibitions too, but the permanent collections give plenty of reason to visit whatever happens to be showing at the time.

4. Museum of Cornish Life, Helston

For the everyday side of Cornwall's history, the Museum of Cornish Life in Helston is a gem.

Its collections explore the lives of the people who lived and worked here, from farming and fishing to mining, domestic life and local trades. There are photographs, clothes, tools, household objects and all sorts of curiosities that make the past feel surprisingly close.

I think this is what local museums can do particularly well. Grand historical events matter, of course, but sometimes an old kitchen implement, photograph or handwritten note tells you far more about how somebody actually lived.

5. PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global Communications

One place I found especially intriguing is PK Porthcurno, Museum of Global Communications. Tucked into a beautiful valley near the sea, it tells the remarkable story of how Porthcurno became one of the most important communications centres in the world.

Telegraph cables began arriving here in the 19th century, connecting Britain with countries thousands of miles away. The museum follows that story through changing technology and includes original equipment as well as underground tunnels built to protect the site during the Second World War.

For younger visitors in particular, I imagine there is something slightly mind-bending about seeing how messages travelled around the globe long before smartphones and the internet. For the rest of us, it is a reminder of just how quickly communication has changed.

6. Wheal Martyn, near St Austell

Near St Austell, Wheal Martyn tells the story of Cornwall's china clay industry, which has shaped the landscape and communities of mid Cornwall for more than two centuries.

The museum occupies former Victorian clay works and combines indoor exhibits with historic machinery, woodland trails and views across a modern working clay pit. China clay is one of those materials we rarely think about, despite it appearing in all sorts of everyday products.

It is particularly interesting to see the scale of the industry and how dramatically it transformed this part of Cornwall. There is plenty outdoors as well as inside, so this is one museum where I would allow a little more time to explore.

More Cornish museums and historic places to explore

Of course, six barely scratches the surface. You can head underground at Geevor Tin Mine, discover the work and garden of Barbara Hepworth in St Ives, explore Charlestown's connections with Cornwall's maritime past or wander through the rooms of Lanhydrock to see a very different side of Victorian life.

That is one of the joys of Cornwall's museums. They don't tell one neat story. Mining, fishing, art, farming, engineering, trade and everyday family life are all woven together, and even a small local collection can reveal something unexpected.

So if the Cornish weather decides not to cooperate, never fear. A rainy day is a very good excuse to go exploring indoors.

For more ideas, have a look through our things to do in Cornwall and family days out.

Opening times, admission arrangements and temporary exhibitions can change, so check each museum's website before making a special journey.