National Maritime Museum Cornwall

About the museum

The National Maritime Museum Cornwall grew out of the Falmouth International Maritime Initiative, a partnership formed in 1992 between the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and the former Cornwall Maritime Museum in Falmouth. The project raised about £21.5 million, partly from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the regional development agency and private sponsors, and the harbourside building was designed by the architect M. J. Long after a design competition.

The museum opened in February 2003 and drew about 168,000 visitors in its first year. It cares for the National Small Boat Collection, which includes 103 boats from the Greenwich small-boat collection together with Cornish and other boats, and it maintains the National Small Boat Register. Visitors can see boats hanging in the Boat Hall, watch boatbuilding in the workshop and look out onto the harbour through underwater windows in the Tidal Zone.

The museum is an independent charity and receives no direct government funding for its running costs, relying instead on admission fees, Gift Aid, donations and the work of volunteers. It stays linked to Royal Museums Greenwich, and alongside its permanent galleries it runs a programme of temporary exhibitions, lectures and family events throughout the year.

Highlights

• National Small Boat Collection hung in the Boat Hall
• Boatbuilding gallery and workshop with current builds
• Tidal Zone with underwater windows onto the harbour
• The Lookout, a tower with views over the harbour and docks
• RNLI Rescue Zone and Skull Island Play Zone for children
• Cornish Quayside with a reconstructed pilchard cellar

Permanent exhibitions

• Boat Hall and National Small Boat Collection – A starting point where small boats from the national collection hang overhead.
• Boatbuilding Gallery and Workshop – Historical reconstructions and boats currently being built, including the Helford WW2 SOE Surfboat.
• Cornwall and the Sea – How Cornish people have made a living from the sea, with the Cornish Quayside and a reconstructed pilchard cellar.

Operated by

National Maritime Museum Cornwall Trust

Admission & discounts

A standard ticket works as an annual pass: pay once and visit as often as you like for a year. Booking online before the day saves 10 percent on standard tickets. Blue Light Card, HM Armed Forces ID and Veteran Card holders get 10 percent off their own standard ticket. Paying with Gift Aid adds 25 percent from the tax the museum can reclaim, at no extra cost to taxpayers.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The entrance is level and the five floors are usually reached by lift or ramp; in September 2026 the Tower Lift was out of order because of a technical fault, so the Tidal Zone and The Lookout were not accessible to wheelchair users or pushchairs. Accessible toilets are on the first and second floors and there is no Changing Places toilet on site (the nearest is about 0.1 miles away at Grove Place public toilets). Hearing loops are placed around the building and audio-visual exhibits have subtitles. A Quiet Space in the Sunley Lecture Theatre, sensory bags, ear defenders, a sensory map and a social story are available, and relaxed sessions run during some holiday activities. One self-propelled wheelchair can be borrowed and large print maps are available from the admissions desk. The nearest public car park is 100 metres away across a level but cobbled square and has designated accessible spaces. Trained assistance dogs are welcome.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly
• Baby changing facilities
• Playground / play area
• Kids’ birthday parties

Children can climb aboard RNLI vehicles in the Rescue Zone, play in the pirate-themed Skull Island Play Zone and steer remote-controlled boats on the Boat Pool. Changing museum trails have a prize for finishing. Minnows Tales is a term-time storytelling and singing session on Mondays at 11:00 for under-5s, and school holidays bring theatre shows and craft activities. Pushchairs can use the lifts and ramps, and baby changing is in the accessible toilets on the first and second floors. Birthday parties can be arranged through the venue hire team. Food and drink are not allowed in the galleries or play areas.

Getting there & parking

The museum sits at the southern end of the harbourside, between the main shopping area and Falmouth Docks. Bike racks are at the side of the building.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check: not available

The Waterside Café overlooks the harbour and serves drinks, cakes, pasties, toasties and sandwiches, with high chairs. The gift shop is free to enter. There is no staffed cloakroom, only unsupervised coat rails. A picnic area is set up in school holidays.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events

Up to 400 guests.

Spaces include the Boat Hall (up to 400 standing), the Waterside Café, the Learning Centre, the Lecture Theatre and a boardroom. They suit corporate events, conferences, celebrations and birthday parties, with catering available.

Plan your visit