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List of museums in Cornwall

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The Royal Cornwall Museum

This list of museums in Cornwall, England, in the 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.

Museums

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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 Image 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 Museum 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
Isles of Scilly Museum Hugh Town, St Mary's Cornwall Local website as of 2023 "Museum on the Move" as former building has been condemned; new Cultural Centre and Museum under development
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[1]
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[2]
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

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The former British Cycling Museum at Camelford Station

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Smugglers' Museum". Retrieved 14 April 2010.
  2. ^ Taylor, James The Maritime Trust silver jubilee, 1969-1994. Maritime Trust
  3. ^ Barnes, John Barnes Museum of Cinematography: catalogue of the collection. Saint Ives: Barnes Museum of Cinematography, 1967- (planned in 6 parts but only two published; John Barnes, b. 1920, was the author of many works on cinematography)
  4. ^ Barnes, John The Barnes Collection: archives of the Barnes Museum of Cinematography. (printed for private circulation)
  5. ^ Closed until further notice (05 Jan 2010)[permanent dead link]

Further reading

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