May Half Term

A colorful promotional image for "Rock Pool Explorers," featuring ocean-themed graphics including seaweed and crab, includes information about a May half-term event.

Saturday 24 May – Sunday 1 June 2025

This May half term, dive with us into The Rock Pool Project’s mobile rock pool and discover the curious creatures found on our Cornish coast, get creative in Make & Take and join the Museum trail to help us find all the hidden rock pool creatures.

Rock Pool Explorers

Children looking at a giant indoor rock pool.

What curious creatures will you find with The Rock Pool Project in their mobile rock pool?

Each day there will be a chance to learn and uncover more about the sea life in our Cornish waters, including the best ways to explore rock pools and identify the creatures you discover.

The mobile rock pool will be manned by the team from The Rock Pool Project – drop-in from 10am – 4.30pm to see them.

The Rock Pool Project will also be inviting visitors of all ages to delve into the fascinating world of seaweeds found along our local beaches at their Seaweed Identification Stand. Here you can discover diverse seaweed species and learn how to identify them. You can also explore the scientific art of drawing seaweeds, and gain insights into their intricate structures and ecological importance.

A girl lifts her arm out holding a crayon, there are pots of coloured pencils and pens in front of her and a woman using scissors to cut paper.

Make & Take

Every day, 12.30pm to 3.30pm (last entry 3.15pm)

Get crafty in Make & Take! Celebrate the colourful creatures of our seas by making a seagrass crown fit for royalty, or create your own basking shark to parade around the Museum.

A young boy points to a model ship in a glass cabinet while a lady standing behind him also looks at the ship.

Museum Trail

Every day, 10am – 5pm.

Explore the Museum and find 5 creatures who thrive because of seagrass. Look out for them on our ‘trail stations’ and add the stamps to your trail map. You’ll learn more about them and what makes seagrass so special.

Blue Meadows - Saving Seagrass

Fri 30, Sat 31 May & Sun 1 June, 10am – 4.30pm

Join us at the Blue Meadows stand and immerse yourself in the underwater world of seagrass!

Discover how Ocean Conservation Trust is protecting and restoring vital seagrass meadows across the South West, including right here in Falmouth.

Dive into seagrass meadows with Virtual Reality headsets, get hands on and help to restore seagrass by rolling nutrient balls, and explore seagrass ‘artifacts’ to learn about the creatures who call these meadows home.

A photograph of a sketch of a sculpture of a shark, made of willow - with annotations, small sketches and notes around the shark.

Basket Shark - Sustainable Sculpture

On display every day, 10am – 5pm.

Making Sessions: Wed 28, Thurs 29 and Fri 30 May, 12.30pm – 3.30pm

This May half term we are proud to be exhibiting ‘The Basket Shark’ sculpture in collaboration with Falmouth University.

The shark, which is made of willow and sustainable materials, has been created by students and members of the community to explore the impact of plastic waste on the environment and highlight the Basking Shark as a species under threat.

Join Falmouth University lecturer Duncan Cameron, lead sculptor for the project, on Wed 28 May, Thurs 29 May and Fri 30 May from 12.30pm- 3.30pm to have a go at working with willow and make a little something to take home, or to leave and be added to the sculpture.

What else is at National Maritime Museum Cornwall?

Explore 15 galleries over five floors, jump aboard boats, climb the 100-foot Lookout Tower, go underwater in the Tidal Zone, uncover ocean adventures and survival stories and sail miniature boats on the Waterfront Boat Pool. Plus, have fun in Skull Island Play Zone and learn about Cornish maritime history in our Cornwall galleries.