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Have you seen Time Out’s guide to the best museums in the country yet? Our writers and editors have rounded up 20 institutions that we reckon explore the weird, wonderful and dark histories of Britain and the world better than anywhere else.
In the weeks since publishing the list, we’ve deep dived into our top five museums from Margate’s Crab Museum to Bristol’s M Shed. Next up is number six: the National Maritime Museum Cornwall (NMMC) in Falmouth.
Time Out writer India Lawrence called the NMMC ‘a fabulous interactive museum that kids and adults will both enjoy’. There are 15 different galleries to explore here. Visitors begin in the Boat Hall, a space filled with rafts, longboats, kayaks and dinghies from around the world. Next door, the Boat Pool invites you to race a mini remote control yacht across the water to learn about marine navigation, while the RNLI Rescue Zone gives kids a chance to dress-up and ride RNLI vehicles to discover more about the charity’s lifesaving work.
Inside the National Maritime Museum Cornwall
For us, the museum’s highlight is the Tidal Zone. This gallery brings visitors below sea level to witness the tide rising and falling through two large windows. You may even spot a few fish, crustaceans, a cormorant diving for food or even, if you’re lucky, a seal. On certain days, you can also watch divers as they clean barnacles off the glass.
From now until January 2027, the museums largest gallery is hosting SURF!, a major exhibition marking a century of waveriding in Cornwall. Through the 100 surfboards, it tells the hidden histories of once unknown female surfers and of the 1920s pioneers who paved the way for the sport. There are also unseen works from the likes of Damien Hirst and Abigail Fallis demonstrating how Cornish surf culture has influenced music, film, fashion and art over the decades.
To experience the museum for yourself, you’ll have to pay £19 for adult entry, £12 for students or £10 for kids.
🏛️ Check out Time Out’s full guide to Britain’s best museums in 2026 here.
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