Family Fun in Falmouth this Summer Holidays

Maritime Adventures at National Maritime Museum Cornwall

Looking for the perfect family day out in Cornwall this summer? Whether the sun is blazing or the Cornish weather has other ideas, National Maritime Museum Cornwall has your summer sorted. From 24 July to 2 September, our Maritime Adventures programme comes to life with hands-on activities and seafaring stories that will capture imaginations of all ages.

And the best bit? It’s all included in your museum admission pay once and visit free for a whole year with our standard admission annual pass. So if the kids love it you can come back again and again all summer long, under 5s visit free.

Step Aboard for a Summer of Adventure

At the heart of this summer’s programme is a brand-new pop-up indoor play space your family’s base camp for maritime adventure. Slow down, play together, and share stories as a crew. Try your luck with games that set the course for your voyage, dive into hands-on activities inspired by real seafaring tales, and dress up for some seriously good photo moments.

Rain forecast? No problem. As one of the best indoor family activities in Cornwall, the museum is the ideal rainy-day destination in Falmouth with plenty to explore beyond the play space too, including the RNLI Resuce Zone, the underwater viewing windows of the Tidal Zone and Skull Island Play Zone.

What’s On Every Day

Pop-Up Adventure Play Space Every day, 10am – 5pm Hands-on, relaxed play inspired by real-life seafaring experiences. Perfect for families with younger children, and a brilliant way to spend a wet afternoon in Falmouth.

Maritime Adventure Trail Every day, 10am – 5pm Become a Maritime Adventurer! Our interactive trail takes young explorers on a playful journey through the museum. A great way to discover the whole building together.

Nautical Make and Take Every day, 12.30pm – 3.30pm (last entry 3.15pm) Grab your crew for crafty nautical makes to take home as a souvenir of your adventure.

Special Events: Mermaids, Sailors & Shanties

Alongside the daily activities, special events run throughout the holidays to bring the adventure to life – here’s what to look out for:

Ocean Tales with Mischief the Mermaid and Friends Mondays, 11am & 2pm A highlight for younger visitors, come face to face with a real-life mermaid, discover ocean spirits, search for hidden treasures, and help solve a sea-bound mystery involving a magical message in a bottle.

Sailor’s Tales with Jenny Beare Tuesdays, 11am, 1pm & 3pm Cornish storyteller Jenny Beare takes families on a seafaring storytelling adventure in our Cornish Quayside Gallery. Expect daring voyages, mysterious waters, tall tales, humour, and a few surprises.

Sam O’Shanty and the Lucky Mermaid Show with Rattlebox Theatre Wednesday 5 & Thursday 6 August, 11am, 1pm & 3pm A not-to-be-missed special event! Sam O’Shanty has sailed all the Seven Seas and now he’s come ashore with marvellous stories to tell. This nautically comic show for all the family is crammed with farce, fantasy, puppetry, and the singing of shanties, guaranteed to have everyone from young landlubbers to salty old sea-dogs laughing and singing along.

Plan Your Visit

Maritime Adventures runs Friday 24 July – Wednesday 2 September, with activities every day between 10am and 5pm.

Pay once for standard admission and enjoy free return visits for a whole year, perfect for making the most of everything Maritime Adventures has to offer across the summer holidays in Cornwall.

Under 5s visit free.

Book your tickets in advance for 10% off