Summer Holidays

Children look through handheld telescopes to admire the view in The Lookout at National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Maritime Adventures

Friday 24 July – Wednesday 2 September

All aboard for an unforgettable family adventure this summer! Discover what maritime fun awaits when you step into the pop-up indoor play space.

Try your luck with games to choose your voyage, then dive into hands-on family activities inspired by real seafaring tales. Play together, share stories, dress up in seafaring style and capture the memories of your adventure with fun photo moments.

Throughout the summer holidays, special events bring the adventure to life. You might just come face to face with a magical mermaid or be swept away by a storytelling Sailor with tales of Cornwall’s coast…

The Summer holiday activities are FREE as part of the Museum’s annual admission fee. Pay once and get in free for a year.

Your unmissable Cornish summer adventure starts here.

Daily Activities

Two children sit on a quadbike display in RNLI Rescue Zone at National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Pop-Up Adventure Play Space

Every day, 10am – 5pm

Enjoy relaxed, hands-on activities inspired by real-life seafaring experiences in this summer play space. It’s a chance for families to slow down, play, and spend time together, sharing stories as a crew.

Two children peer over the side of a display boat to take a closer look at the willow lobster pots inside at National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Maritime Adventure Trail

Every day, 10am – 5pm

Explore the Museum and become a Maritime Adventurer in our playful and interactive trail for young explorers.

A family take part in craft colouring-in activities at National Maritime Museum Cornwall.

Nautical Make and Take

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

Grab your crew to take part in our nautical Make and Take craft activities.

Special Events

A woman with a mermaid tail and flowing blonde hair swims underwater toward the camera, surrounded by kelp and seaweed.

Ocean Tales with Mischief the Mermaid and Friends

Mondays, 11am & 2pm

Dive into an enchanting adventure with Mischief the Mermaid and her friends.

Discover ocean spirits, hidden treasures, and a magical message in a bottle as you meet a real-life mermaid in the Museum and help solve sea-bound mysteries.

Packed with imagination, friendship, and a splash of magic, it’s a captivating experience for young explorers ready to discover a world beneath the waves.

Storyteller in the Cornish Quayside Gallery at National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Sailor’s Tales with Jenny Beare

Tuesdays , 11am, 1pm & 3pm

Set sail for adventure with acclaimed Cornish storyteller Jenny Beare.

Gather in our Cornish Quayside Gallery and be swept away by thrilling maritime tales of daring voyages, mysterious waters, and life on the high seas.

With every twist and turn, our seasoned sailor spins unforgettable yarns brimming with excitement, humour, and a touch of the unexpected.

Two actors from Rattlebox Theatre wear waistcoats and hats while standing beside a puppet of an old man, also wearing a waistcoast and striped trousers, with a woolen hat and fluffy white moustache.

Sam O’Shanty and the Lucky Mermaid Show from Rattlebox Theatre

Wed 5 & Thurs 6 August, 11am, 1pm & 3pm

Sam O’Shanty has lived his whole life upon the ocean wave, ever since he was just knee-high to a kipper! He’s sailed all the Seven Seas, but now he’s come ashore and he’s got all manner of marvellous stories to tell.

Sam O’Shanty is a nautically comic show for all the family, crammed with farce, fantasy and fact. Storytelling, puppetry and the singing of shanties will have the whole crew (from young landlubbers to salty old sea-dogs alike) laughing and singing along!