Introduction to Falmouth Maritime Museum

This museum is a more recent development and was built as part of a larger redevelopment of the area.  Discovery Square is a lovely place with access to walkways along the sea front as well as good parking and a short walk to a train station.   They often hold events in the square and it is a lovely place to find a cafe or restaurant.  

The museum is at the far end of the square, bordering the sea and it is the standout piece of architect there.  Designed by M.J. Long, who also worked on the British Library in London, she took inspiration from the boat building yards previously in the area.  It uses granite, slate and green oak boarding with the boarding designed to weather from gold to silver over time.

It is a lovely building to explore with many viewpoints to the sea, harbour and sky throughout.  You enter into a  spacious foyer that also has access to the shop.  Once you enter the museum, you find yourself in a huge hall that is three storey's high.  A number of small boats hang from the ceiling.  From the ground, you can look up and see them from underneath.  From the first floor you can see them from the sides and then from the second floor you can look down on them and across at the sails.

The ground floor of this large space includes a pool where you can try out different miniature boats as well as a display on the RNLI.  

The main exhibition is on the ground floor off to the right and continues on to the first floor before exiting at on to the rear first floor mezzanine where there is a childrens play area.  The main exhibition is Surf! and runs until January 2027.  The next exhibition has not been announced yet but each exhibition tends to run for just under two years.  Previous exhibitions include Pirates and Monsters of the Deep.

On the second floor there was the Jane Southern Exhibition.  Connecting each floor, there are ramps, that also act as walkways to view the boats from different angles.  At the other end of the building, over the entrance, there is a cafe and a display about Falmouth.

One really incredible part of the building is the additional rooms around the spiral staircase in the left far corner of the building.  Taking the lift or stairs here to the third floor puts you in a glass windowed lookout tower with incredible views of Falmouth, the harbour and across Carrick Roads to the Roseland peninsula.  Falmouth is located at a point where three river valleys met when sea levels were much lower.  These valleys are now flooded, giving the sheltered deep water of Falmouth as well as a large expanse of water at the mouth where these valleys met, called Carrick Roads.

If you take the lift or stairs down, you can go down to two basement levels.  The lowest has windows which are covered by water in varying amounts according to the tides.  You can often see little fish.

There are some lovely pieces of artwork and sculpture throughout the museum and lots of children's activities.  while I was there, children were doing Viking activities and hunting for stamps to complete their collection.  I have more to explore here!

I think my only qualm is the cost.  At £19, it's the most expensive museum in Cornwall for single entry.  Your ticket does however entitle you to year long entrance.  If you book your ticket the day before you can get 10% off your ticket and still get year long entry.  They do a twilight ticket that gives you entrance at the end of the day and is a little cheaper but does not have the year long entrance.  I must admit, I timed my first visit so that I should be able to catch the next major exhibition with this ticket.  If you are local, then it's definitely worth considering when you make your first visit and booking in advance.  Then it become good value, especially if you have children and want to take them during each school holiday to make the most of the wide array of child friendly activities they offer and regularly change.