THE NATIONAL MARITIME MUSEUM CORNWALL IN FALMOUTH IS ONE OF THE BEST MUSEUMS IN CORNWALL. STEP THROUGH ITS DOORS AND DISCOVER AN OCEAN OF EXHIBITIONS AND A WORLD OF MARITIME HISTORY LIKE NO OTHER…
Cornwall is surrounded by a lot of water, so many of its villages and towns lie next to the sea. That means that the Duchy has one of the richest maritime histories in the UK. And this history is both celebrated and passed on to others at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
Five floors containing 15 galleries. That’s all that needs to be said about this museum. It’s big and it’s crammed with seafaring artefacts and bucketloads of information, tailored expertly towards both adults and children. The museum, which sits in a harbourside building in Falmouth, opened in 2003. It has a bold mission: to present the story of the sea, boats and the maritime history of Cornwall. It does this and then some.
The museum actually grew out of a partnership created in 1992 which was the result of collaboration between the National Maritime Museum Greenwich and Falmouth’s former Cornwall Maritime Museum. It was an instant hit and now shows all sorts of maritime displays. Famous boats on show include the Fricka, a gentleman’s vessel that won many races, and the Waterlily, a Thames steam boat that was built in 1866. Other race-winning vessels are also on display, as are examples of popular sailing dinghies.
Cornwall’s maritime history is shown in all its glory across three galleries. Topics like fishing, boatbuilding, shipwrecks and trading are covered, as are super-local subjects such as the seafaring life of Falmouth in the 19th century. There’s also a fascinating zone dedicated to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Then there are the annual exhibitions. From 31 March 2023, landlubbers of all ages will marvel at the ‘PIRATES’ exhibition that explores ‘the history and cultural legacy of everyone’s favourite anti-hero’. This fascinating exploration of buccaneers, cut-throats, bootleggers and everyone in between charts a colourful history from the ‘golden age of piracy’ through to the many ways that the image of the pirate has been ‘consumed and appropriated through the years’ (Johnny Depp, anyone?).
A spokesperson for the museum says: “From the Pirates of Penzance and Captain Hook, through to LGBTQ+ interpretations of pirates and piracy-inspired catwalk collections, audiences will be invited to meet the man who inspired Long John Silver, land on Treasure Island and dance a hornpipe with Horatio Pugwash before discovering the dark world of the real pirates of the Caribbean.”
This really is a treasure trove for all the family, particularly if your clan is really into pieces of eight, walking the plank and saying ‘ooo-arrr me hearties’ really loudly during a fascinating maritime exhibition. It runs until January 2025. There’s something fishy and seaworthy for everyone at this mesmerising maritime museum.