October Half Term

The nights are drawing in and the Nautical Nasties are taking over this October Half Term.

The Haunted Bookshop will be washing ashore and dropping anchor with Nautical Nasties, a spooky storytelling show for the whole family. Expect tales of sea-monsters, creepy puppetry and extremely dubious “scientific“ claims, produced in collaboration with Coppice Theatre. Do you dare to wander around the museum and discover the peculiar portraits? Journey around this hands-on trail and be brave as you hunt for all the portraits.

Alongside our daytime October Half Term events, we also have after-hours events planned on Friday 31 October for Halloween at the Museum.

A photograph of a young boy taking part in a colouring-in crafts activity with family around him.

Make & Take

Sat 24 Oct – Sun 1 Nov

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

Have fun turning ghoulish glares and spooky poses into your own self portrait in our Make and Take craft sessions.

Perfect for kids and families, come and make something wonderfully weird with us this October Half Term.

A group of children look and point at model boats in a display cabinet at National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Peculiar Portrait Trail

Sat 24 Oct – Sun 1 Nov

Every day, 10am – 5pm

Do you dare to wander around the museum and discover some spooky portraits from the deep? Journey around this hands-on trail and be brave as you hunt for all the portraits.

The Haunted Bookshop: Nautical Nasties with Coppice Theatre

Monday 26 Oct – Friday 30 Oct

11am, 1pm & 3pm

Avast! The Haunted Bookshop will be washing ashore at the Museum. A spooky storytelling show for the whole family, packed with sea-monster sightings and peculiar puppets.

Mr Squelch has been gathering stories – he has snatched them from sailors, grabbed them from ghosts and dredged them from the briny deep itself. He’s also overheard at least five rumours that some kid called Barry saw a sea monster last Tuesday and it’s almost, definitely, 1000% totally maybe true. What terrible tales await within!? What Blobfish-brain boggling curiosities will emerge from the deep!? And is that a real life mermaid!? Or half a Barbie doll stapled to a fish? Guaranteed answers await within! (Answers not Guaranteed)

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 Boat Pool. Plus, have fun in Skull Island Play Zone and learn about Cornish maritime history in our Cornwall galleries.