Cornwall Attractions and Entertainment

Cornwall has plenty of attractions and much to keep you occupied. Why not choose from the bountiful list of museums or rural visitor centres all with fascinating local knowledge; just ensure that make sure that you make time for the county’s real attractions… the beautiful, unspoiled, rugged coastline.

1. Cornwall Museums
2. Entertainment and the Arts
3. Outdoor Attractions and Activities for the Kids
4. Stately Homes, Historic Buildings and Gardens

Cornwall Museums

If you can bear to tear yourself from the beaches in summer, Cornwall has much to offer from a cultural perspective, with a bevy of fascinating collection of museums. The area’s treasures include:

• South East Cornwall Discovery Centre:
  Located in West Looe, this centre offers exhibitions, presentations and information on the local area’s beauty, wildlife and culture.
• Old Guildhall Museum:
  Located at East Looe, this museum has exhibits that tell the story of general Cornish history through the ages.
• St Winnow Barton Farm Museum:
  This museum can be found at St Winnow in Lostwithiel and has a free exhibition of old farm machinery.
• Charleston Shipwreck and Heritage Museum:
  Located at Charlestown, this award-winning attraction has exhibits recovered from divers on shipwrecks as well as underground tunnels.
  Website
• Automobilia (Cornwall’s Motor Museum):
  Located at St Austell this motor museum has over 50 vehicles on display from 1904 until the 1970s as well as an “autojumble” for those looking for spares for vehicle resoration.
• Royal Cornwall Museum:
  Located in Truro, this museum tells a tale of Cornwall through the ages as well as an Egyptian Mummy, paintings, porcelain and other precious objects.
• Cornish Mines and Engines:
  Found in Pool, Redruth, this museum depicts the area’s local mining history.
• Living from the Sea:
  Located at East Looe, this centretakes a look at the story of Looe’s fishing industry. It includes a shark museum and lobster and shellfish aquarium.
• Liskeard Museum:
  This small museum in Liskeard tells the story of local life in the are of Cornwall.

Entertainment and the Arts

There is great entertainment available in Cornwall, a must-see is the Minack Theatre in St Levan in Penzance – this is a truly unique open-air theatre staging a seventeen week season of musicals and plays: visit www.minack.com Alternatively there are many local cinemas in which to catch the latest releases. On the art-front there are several impressive galleries in which to catch some contemporary art as well as classical work such as the Falmouth Arts Centre www.falmoutharts.org (in Falmouth) which houses painting, ceramics, photography and ballet, theatre and bands throughout the year; or perhaps the Sterts Arts and Environmental Centre in Liskeard, which houses theatre, dance, painting, photography and sculpture, visit: www.sterts.co.uk.

Back to the Top

Outdoor Attractions and Activities for the Kids

The main attraction of Cornwall is the vast, unspoiled stretches of coastline in which to escape the hectic city life-styles on a long walk or perhaps marvel at the spectacular coastal views. For those with energy to burn Cornwall has become a haven for sea sports and activities such as boating and windsurfing – and of course, Newquay is well documented as the British surfer’s paradise; but as well as that the area also offers the following:

• The Monkey Sanctuary:
  Located in Looe, Cornwall this sanctuary gives you the opportunity to watch a colony of Amazonian Woolly Monkeys – watch them forage and play and conduct their daily lives and get to know their characters. The sanctuary also, now, has a bat cave which can be viewed using CCTV.
  Website
• The Tamar Otter Sanctuary:
  Found in North Petherwin near Lauceston, this sanctuary gives you a chance to see one of Britain’s most seldom-seen mammals: the otter. The sanctuary also raises the profile of otter conservation around the world.
  Website
• Newquay Zoo:
  This zoo is located on the Trenance Leisure Park in Newquay and has something for all the family with a fantastic selection of exotic animals as well as some new arrivals this year.
  Website
• Tamar Valley Donkey Park:
  Found at Gunnislake, this park has donkeys and other animals as well as donkey and carte rides and a picnic and play area.
• Porfell Animal Land:
  Located near Lanreath this park offer visitors the chance to meet domestic, wild and exotic animals. There are also woodland walks, and a picnic and play area.
• Lynher Valley Dairy:
  This centre at Upton Cross is a fully functioning dairy farm and is home of the Yarg Cheese. There is a guided tour as well as a picnic area, nature walks and a coffee/ gift shop.
• Colliford Lake Park:
  Located at St Neot, this park is over fifty acres in size and includes rare breeds a “pets corner,” adventure play area and an arts and crafts shop.
• Dobwalls Family Adventure Park:
  Found at Dobwalls the park contains two miniature western railroads, eight adventure play areas and an art gallery.
• World in Miniature:
  Found in Goonhave near Truro, this park invites you to become a giant for the day and view the world in miniature.

Stately Homes, Historic Buildings and Gardens

There are many grand buildings in Cornwall to catch your attention and the mild, temperate climate allows for some stunning gardens. They include:

• The Eden Project:
  Found at St Austell, this is rapidly becoming Cornwall’s must see attraction. These dramatic global gardens are based inside two giant geodesic conservatories, one of which is the largest in the world, the spectacular landscaped gardens cover over 12 hectares.
  Website
• The Lost Gardens of Heligan:
  Also located in St Austell this attraction offers eighty acres of pleasure ground plus five walled gardens, plus a huge vegetable garden.
  Website
• Trevarno Estate and Gardens and National Museum of Gardening:
  Found at Helston, this centre combines Victorian and Georgian gardens, a fountain garden conservatory and the National Museum of Gardening.
• Japanese Garden and Bonsai Nursery:
  Located at St Mawgan Village this nursery specialises in traditional Japanese plants and planting and bonsai.
• Cotehele House and Quay:
  Found at St Dominick, this location offers a medieval house and gardens, the Cotehele Mill, Cotehele Quay, cider press, restored sailing barge and National Maritime Museum.
• St Mawes Castle:
  Plenty for visitors to explore here, with barrack rooms, dungeons, cannon-lined external walls and fabulous military architecture.
• Mary Newman’s Cottage:
  Mary Newman was Sir Francis Drake’s first wife, this little cottage located in Saltash, was her fifteenth century home.
• Mount Edgecumbe House and Park:
  Located at Cremyll, this house also has surrounding Earl’s Garden, formal garden, deep park, woodland, National Camellia Collection, parkland and coastal walks.
• Restormel Castle:
  Found at Lostwithiel, this is probably the best preserved military building in Cornwall – this castle was built in Norman times.
• St Catherine’s Point:
  St Catherine’s Castle sits atop The Point and was built by Henry VIII between 1538-42 in response to France and the Holy Roman Empire.