Heritage & Museums in Cornwall

Cornwall's industrial past is preserved across dozens of sites, most concentrated in the west where tin and copper mining shaped the landscape for centuries. Geevor Tin Mine, Levant Mine & Beam Engine and East Pool Mine near Redruth all sit within the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, while Poldark Mine near Helston offers one of the county's most atmospheric underground tours.

Maritime and social history is well represented too, from the National Maritime Museum Cornwall and Cornish Maritime Trust in Falmouth to the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro and Porthcurno's Telegraph Museum, built on the site of the world's biggest telegraph station. Further east, Wheal Martyn and St Austell Brewery tell the story of two of Cornwall's defining industries, china clay and brewing.

Browse by region

West Cornwall

Land’s End

Geevor Tin Mine

Discover Cornwall’s mining heritage at this excellent museum, with guided underground trips and surface tours.

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Land’s End / St Just

Levant Mine & Beam Engine

A spectacular clifftop location for this beautifully restored engine house, complete with a working beam engine.

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Penzance

Porthcurno Telegraph Museum

A fascinating museum on the site of the world’s biggest telegraph station, with hands-on science activities for all ages.

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Penzance

Penlee House, Museum and Gallery

The only Cornish public gallery specialising in the Newlyn School artists, including Stanhope and Elizabeth Forbes and Laura Knight.

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St Ives

Barbara Hepworth Museum & Sculpture Garden

An exhibition dedicated to the life, work and memory of the 20th-century sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth.

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Nr. Helston

Poldark Mine

Follow in the footsteps of 18th-century Cornish tin miners on one of the most atmospheric mine tours in Britain.

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Falmouth

National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Sitting with a toe in the sea on the edge of Falmouth harbour, this multi-award-winning museum delivers more than you’d expect.

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Falmouth

Cornish Maritime Trust

Founded in 1994, the Trust maintains four historic working vessels restored to sailing condition.

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Truro

The Royal Cornwall Museum

Cornwall’s oldest and most prestigious museum, founded in 1818, internationally known for its range of exhibits.

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Redruth

Mineral Tramways Cycle Routes

Six traffic-free walking and cycling trails through Cornwall’s mining landscape between Hayle, Portreath and Devoran, plus King Edward Mine Museum for an insight into the tin mining industry.

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Redruth

East Pool Mine

At the heart of the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site sit two great beam engines, powered by boilers introduced by Richard Trevithick.

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North Cornwall

Tintagel

Tintagel Old Post Office

An atmospheric 14th-century yeoman’s farmhouse with a famously wavy roof, nestled among Tintagel’s high street shops.

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Tintagel

Tintagel Castle

Set high on the rugged North Cornwall coast, offering dramatic views, fascinating ruins and a beach cafe.

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Bodmin

Bodmin Jail

An all-weather family attraction with a licensed bar and restaurant, housed in the last county jail in Cornwall, closed in 1927.

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South Cornwall

St Austell

Wheal Martyn China Clay Museum

The UK’s only China Clay Museum, with a historic trail through 19th-century clay works, a nature trail and a children’s play area.

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St Austell

St Austell Brewery Visitor Centre

Walk through the Victorian brewery and experience the whole brewing process, from the secret spring to fermentation.

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Frequently asked questions