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Helston Folk Museum

4.5 (2 reviews)

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Recommended Reviews - Helston Folk Museum

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National Maritime Museum Cornwall

National Maritime Museum Cornwall

3.5(13 reviews)
10.1 mi

Been there a few times and never excited, but this time I really regretted travelling from Newquay…read moreand wasting time! Expensive!! Strange layout and feel. General exhibition rather disjointed. History of the Pirates Exhibition: DISSAPOINTING: superficial, without much educational value. Would have been more interesting looking up the subject on Wikipedia etc. Privateers such as Walter Rayleigh, Francis Drake should have been mentioned! That is a big part of British History! Instead a big section about LGBT+ pirates ("Queer Pirates")... really? To put the icing on the cake (not literally) the the kitchen staff (rude plump older woman) in the food and drink area jumped in my face when I dared to ask a question about missing drink (politely!).

The National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth is a major attraction, but at UKP 13.50 it is…read morealso relatively expensive, maybe too expensive. Yes, the ticket allows you to re-visit the museum free of charge within the next 12 months., but how many people will actually take advantage of this? Very few, I presume. The museum itself is quite impressive, especially its spectacular, huge main hall (see photos) with a variety of boats, some of them famous, most of which are suspended from the floor. There is both printed and screen-terminal information on the history and type of the boats, so from an educational angle this is truly well done. "15 galleries" the museum promises, but try as I might my count is substantially lower. This might be because at the time of my visit, several rooms were occupied by a major temporary exhibition, "Titanic Stories". That display has attracted significant publicity - and because of its subject - will no doubt also attract a significant number of visitors. Personally, I found it rather to be a collection of book pages presented as display panels, as there is a lot more to read than to see. The only substantial object *from* the Titanic is one of its lifeboats - and it is a replica! The remaining objects are a motley assortment of minor pieces either from the Titanic or the Carpathia, but most of the exhibition is concerned with the "myth" the Titanic story created and how it found its way into books, movies and even board games. Frankly, I found the collection well presented but underwhelming. As for the rest of the galleries, there is e.g. a "Cornwall Gallery" which details the nautical history of the region, and another one specifically on Falmouth history. Illuminating, certainly, but nothing to occupy one for very long. From the top floor you have an impressive view over Falmouth harbour and parts of the town, and there's a large café for visitors which I did not visit (the area offers plenty of solid restaurants right next to the museum). The small fry get an opportunity to play with toy boats in the museum's indoor pool - another family-friendly feature. The presentation itself is certainly convincing. Content-wise, I was hoping for more.

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National Maritime Museum Cornwall
National Maritime Museum Cornwall
National Maritime Museum Cornwall

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Geevor Tin Mine - Water Wheel

Geevor Tin Mine

5.0(3 reviews)
18.1 mi

A wonderful few hours spent touring this tin mine. Everything is so well presented, with more than…read moreadequate displays explaining the history and workings of the mine. I could have spent the whole day there and will go back to view the things that I may have missed. Just strolling around, with no 'hassle' from anyone. Panning for rare elements (yeh), but it was fun and I did bring home some 'fools' gold in a little bag that they give you. Then the ultimate part of the tour, a visit underground. We ventured to the first stop in the tour. My partner, suffering from claustrophobia, backed out after this point and I didn't blame her. Remember, the average height of miners was about 5 ft, and their stature was quite slim. So if you do suffer from claustrophobia or have overindulged in Cornish pasties then do go as far as the first stop. After this you will see that it does get very low and tight, then make up your own mind. A great, interesting visit.

This attraction is well worth the visit to West Penwith. Many of the staff are ex-minors, and are…read morehappy to provide answers to any questions you may have. The whole attraction is based at the real tin mine, which only stopped working about 15 years ago. It starts off with a review of mining in this area, going back hundreds of years. There are many photographs and models, plus actual items relating to mining. Even walking through the rooms where the museum part of the tour is located is fascinating, as you start to wonder who worked in these offices and what they did. After this, you go into the wheel house, with its massive engines and control systems. It is all real stuff, and looks like it could be still in use. You then go through an area where the tin ore was processed on the shaking tables and eventually into an old mine itself. There is only one mine shaft open at the moment, but they are hoping to add to this in future. The whole thing is fascinating, listening to some of the surprising facts about mining. There is also a cafe on site and small souvenir shop.

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Geevor Tin Mine - Assay Office

Assay Office

Geevor Tin Mine - Smelting

Smelting

Geevor Tin Mine - Thars gold in them thar hills

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Thars gold in them thar hills

Penlee House Art Gallery & Museum

Penlee House Art Gallery & Museum

4.5(2 reviews)
11.8 mi

Penlee House Art Gallery & Museum will introduce the visitor to painters from the Newlyn School of…read moreArt (an art colony that existed in Newlyn, a fishing village adjacent to Penzance, from the 1880s until the early years of the twentieth century. It was similar to groups like the Barbizon School in France, and the "en plein eir" movement in Calfornia). With this close a focus, you won't be surprised that the collection isn't huge, but it does include major works by regional painters like Stanhope Forbes. The admission price is UKP 5 (single adult), which seems reasonable. The concession price is UKP 4. The permanent Newlyn School display covers the second floor, where you will also find some small rooms with archaeological artefacts and objects from Penzance/Newlyn's social history, as well as photographic exhibits. When I visited, there was a temporary exhibition on over 70 works by SJ "Lamorna" Birch (1869-1955, see photos), a self-taught but talented (mostly) landscape painter who also mentored other local artists. Unfortunately, you are not allowed to take photos of the paintings (no such restrictions apply to the artefacts), but I did manage to "steal" a few shots to give you an impression of the kind of paintings that you can expect to see. Of course, various books on the Newlyn School (and others) are available from the smallish gallery shop. Staff were very friendly (and ever so politely told me to stop taking photos, which I did). Another highlight is the adjacent, atmospheric garden area, which is very inviting. Penlee House is one of the prettiest of the many small, regional museums in England that I've visited over the course of the past ten years, and also very family-friendly. But it will not occupy you for more than one hour, 1.5h max.

The home of the Newlyn School of Art, a famous 19th and 20th century art colony based in the nearby…read moreport of Newlyn. Some quite extraordinary and beautiful paintings are on display which are regularly updated and changed. There is also an interesting local history display.

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Penlee House Art Gallery & Museum
Penlee House Art Gallery & Museum
Penlee House Art Gallery & Museum

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Helston Folk Museum - museums - Updated May 2026

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