About
The Royal Cornwall Museum is the oldest and most comprehensive museum in Cornwall, housing the collections of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, one of the oldest learned societies in England. Founded in 1818, the institution and its museum have been at the heart of Cornish cultural and intellectual life for over two centuries, preserving and interpreting the remarkable heritage of Britain's most south-westerly county.
The museum's collections are encyclopaedic in scope, spanning fine and decorative art, archaeology, natural history, geology, ethnography, and social history. The geological and mineralogical collections are of particular international significance, reflecting Cornwall's extraordinary geological character — the Cornish peninsula is one of the world's most important regions for the study of igneous geology, mineral veins, and ancient basement rocks, and the museum holds one of the finest mineral collections in the United Kingdom.
Cornish archaeology is another major strength, with collections spanning the prehistoric, Roman, and early medieval periods. The Trewhiddle Hoard, a collection of Anglo-Saxon silverwork, and significant collections of Bronze Age metalwork, Iron Age coins, and early Christian memorial stones all testify to Cornwall's rich and distinctive archaeological heritage. The museum also holds important Cornish art collections, including works by the Newlyn and St Ives schools of painting that made Cornwall one of the most creatively significant places in 20th-century British art.
Located in a handsome purpose-built Victorian building on River Street in the heart of Truro, the museum is closely integrated with the life of Cornwall's capital city. Its temporary exhibition programme, events, and outreach work make it a vital community resource as well as a world-class research institution.
For anyone seeking to understand the unique character of Cornwall — its ancient geology, its Celtic heritage, its industrial past, and its extraordinary artistic tradition — the Royal Cornwall Museum is the essential starting point.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
📅 Best Times to Visit
💡 Visitor Tips
- Allow at least two hours for a meaningful visit — the collections are extensive and the museum is considerably larger inside than its exterior suggests.
- The mineral collection is world-class and completely unmissable. Even without a geological background, the beauty and diversity of the Cornish minerals is astonishing.
- The museum is close to Truro Cathedral — visit both in the same trip for a rich morning of Cornish heritage in the county capital.
- Children are fascinated by the Egyptian mummies and the Bronze Age weaponry. Activity trails and family guides make this a genuinely child-friendly visit.
- Truro is well served by train from Plymouth and Penzance. The station is a 5-minute walk from the museum, making this an easy car-free day out from elsewhere in Cornwall.
- For art lovers, seek out the Newlyn School paintings in the upper galleries — these evocative images of Cornish fishing life represent some of the finest British realist painting of the late Victorian era.
- Truro makes an excellent base for wider Cornwall exploration. The museum provides an ideal context-setting introduction to the county before visiting the surrounding historic sites and landscapes.
- Researchers and genealogists can access the Courtney Library by appointment — it holds irreplaceable archive material relating to Cornish history, families, and communities.
Highlights
Discover the unique exhibits and collections at this museum.
Collections
The collections of the Royal Institution of Cornwall encompass over 1.5 million objects and specimens, including 30,000 in the mineral collection, 100,000 archaeological finds, 40,000 items of fine and decorative art, and extensive natural history, photographic, and archival holdings.
Cornwall's Geology and Minerals
The internationally significant mineral collection displayed in the geology gallery, covering the extraordinary geological diversity of the Cornish peninsula and its world-famous mineral deposits.
Cornwall Through the Ages
Cornish archaeology from the Palaeolithic to the medieval period, including the Trewhiddle Hoard, Bronze Age metalwork, Iron Age coins, and early Christian inscribed stones.
Cornish Art
Fine art galleries displaying works from the Newlyn and St Ives schools alongside other Cornish and British artists, tracing the county's extraordinary contribution to British art.
Ancient Egypt in Cornwall
The Egyptian antiquities collection assembled by the Royal Institution of Cornwall during the 19th century, including mummies, amulets, and a range of ancient Egyptian objects.
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Time Periods
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.