National Maritime Museum

South Cornwall


Falmouth's most high-profile museum is located on the revamped area around Discovery Quay. It's the sister outpost of the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, and focuses on Falmouth's history as a seafaring port, supplemented by regular nautically themed exhibitions – recent shows covered the history of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), the exploration of the Pacific and the tradition of tattooing. The centrepiece is the impressive Flotilla Gallery, where an array of small boats is suspended from the ceiling.

From the top floor of the Lookout tower, there's a 360-degree panorama across Falmouth Bay.