Christmas Holidays

An illustration with a group of people around a Christmas tree with the title A Cornish Christmas at the top.

Saturday 20 December 2025 – Sunday 4 January 2026

Immerse yourself in the best of what makes our beautiful part of the world sparkle at this magical time of year with A Cornish Christmas, including a winter Museum trail.

A Magical Maritime Christmas at the Museum

Feast your eyes on magical maritime lighting displays and our beautiful willow lobster pot Christmas tree.

Our unique lobster pot Christmas tree was constructed by Cadgwith fisherman Nigel Legge and decorated with plaster starfish made by Museum volunteers.

Join in with a festive Museum trail and Christmas crafts.

The Museum is open every day throughout the year, except Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

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)

20 – 23 December:

Make your Christmas tree ship-shape with a nautical twist by creating your own festive-flag tree-topper.

27 December – 2 January:

Create a beautiful ‘Message in a Bottle‘ illustration to capture your hopes, dreams and wishes for the year ahead.

3 January – 4 January:

Join in with our Scrapheap Challenge! The whole family will be able to use recycled materials to build boats to race across the Boat Pool, with races at 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm.

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.

Oh no! The harbour cat’s cosy woolly jumper has been snatched by a cheeky seagull! It flew off across the Museum, dropping clues as it went. Follow the rhymes, spot the signs and help the harbour cat get his jumper back before the winter winds blow in from the sea!

It’s free!

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

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.

Don’t Miss Nadelik – A Family Christmas Show

Nadelik is a delightful, interactive Christmas show for children and their families, with live action, puppetry, and a heap of festive cheer. Each audience member will need a valid Museum Annual Pass or Membership to go with their booked Nadelik ticket.