We are committed to being a museum for everyone. We are an Accredited Museum and work to ensure our spaces and exhibitions are as open, inclusive and as accessible as possible.
Summary information is available below in advance of your visit. For a walk-through of the museum in detail, you can read our Access Guide here.
If you are planning a visit and would prefer a quieter experience, our quieter hours tend to be between 2 – 4pm during school term times. Sunny days are usually quiet and rainy days are usually busier.
Please note, the Arts Café is connected to the museum but is an independently run business. You can contact them here.
If you have any further questions, please contact enquiries@cornwallmuseum.org or call 01872 272205.
For visitors with physical disabilities or mobility issues
- The entrance to the museum can be accessed from a sloped entrance from River Street or via five stone steps with a handrail.
- The doors at the visitor entrance to the museum are 118cm wide and will open automatically from inside and out during visitor opening hours.
- A wheelchair is available for use, which you can request at the Welcome Desk – to reserve the wheelchair, please call in advance of your visit.
- There are also folding seats available to borrow in the Welcome Desk area.
- From the entrance, the ground floor provides level access to the ground floor galleries, unisex accessible toilets and baby change, and a lift to the upper galleries. The doors to the lift are 130cm wide.
- There are benches available in many of the galleries, including the Heart of Cornwall Gallery, Nature Gallery and the upper balconies.
- The museum does not have Changing Places facilities. The nearest is at the Hall for Cornwall.
- Entry for carers is free.
For visitors with hearing loss and deafness
- The videos featured in the Heart of Cornwall Gallery have subtitles.
- Entry for carers is free.
For visitors who are blind or partially sighted
- Guide dogs and assistance dogs are welcome in our building. Please let the team at the Welcome Desk know if you are accompanied by a guide or assistance dog.
- All the lift control buttons have Braille signs.
- Entry for carers is free.
For visitors with sensory needs
- The Welcome Desk can be a busy area, particularly if there are school groups passing through to the learning spaces.
- Sensory bags containing ear defenders and other resources are available to borrow for your visit in the front entrance next to the Welcome Desk.
- There is often quiet music playing in the Heart of Cornwall Gallery, and some exhibitions may be accompanied by music. The Mineral Gallery has a digital screen with moving graphics. The Nature Gallery has bird and animal sounds.
- The Mineral Gallery is a darker space, while much of the museum is filled with natural light.
- The Ancient Civilisations exhibition is a cooler space as it houses the unwrapped mummy Iset-tayef nakht. The mummy is behind a partition wall with a warning before you enter this space so that viewing is optional.
- Should you require the lift, please be aware this is perfectly safe to use, but can be quite noisy.
- Entry for carers and anyone with a Cornwall SEND card is free.
