National Maritime Museum Cornwall exhibitions making waves across the UK

We’re delighted that two of our recent acclaimed shows haven taken on a life of their own and are now delighting visitors at major museums across the UK.

Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact and Fiction at Aberdeen Archives, Gallery & Museum (17 May – 26 October 2025)

This summer, Aberdeen visitors are invited to take a deep breath and plunge into the mysterious world of marine legends and scientific discovery as Monsters of the Deep offers a captivating journey from medieval beliefs to modern oceanographic exploration.

The exhibition is based on Monsters of the Deep: Science Fact and Fiction which originated here at National Maritime Museum Cornwall in 2020-2023 before travelling to Historic Dockyard Chatham in 2023.

The exhibition combines legend, myth, and cutting-edge science as it examines humanity’s enduring fascination with what lurks beneath the waves. Visitors can explore centuries-old myths represented in medieval maps and discover the shapeshifting Selkies of Scottish folklore.

Monsters of the Deep at National Maritime Museum Cornwall

PIRATES at National Maritime Museum Greenwich (29 March 2025 – 4 January 2026)

At the National Maritime Museum Greenwich, visitors are being transported into the treacherous and thrilling world of maritime outlaws with PIRATES, developed in partnership with National Maritime Museum Cornwall, where the original version opened successfully in 2023. This immersive experience challenges visitors to reconsider what they think they know about these notorious seafarers.

Pirates at National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Both exhibitions exemplify the high-quality exhibition content we’re proud to create. Their successful production and reimagining at other major national institutions in Aberdeen and London demonstrates our growing recognition as a creator of engaging, innovative exhibitions that appeal to audiences beyond Cornwall. This news follows the award-winning national tour of our critically-acclaimed exhibition Tattoo, which finished in 2023. We’re proud to see exhibitions which originated here reaching new audiences far and wide across the UK and celebrate these regional and national partnerships and co-productions.

Meanwhile, here at National Maritime Museum Cornwall…

For those unable to visit Aberdeen or Greenwich, you can explore our latest major exhibition here at National Maritime Museum Cornwall SURF! a celebration of 100 years of waveriding, until Jan 2027.

SURF! at National Maritime Museum Cornwall