Cornwall Museum and Art Gallery is an easy and fun place to visit with pre-schoolers and young children. Kids go free and adult Annual Passes are just £10, making regular return visits an affordable and enjoyable way of spending time in Truro together.

There’s buggy parking and baby changing facilities, plus you’ll find the excellent Arts Cafe right next door serving coffee and cake, as well as tasty lunches including children’s options.

Below is a whistle-stop tour of suggested things to see and do on your visits, but we guarantee you’ll soon discover your own favourite objects and new ways to explore the galleries.

1. Play animal dress-up in the Nature Gallery

Our beautiful capes and headdresses were designed and handmade specially for the Nature Gallery, and celebrate Cornish flora and fauna. Transform yourself into a chough or a mackerel, and have your own museum moment with a photo op in the dedicated display case!

2. Gawp at Richard Lander’s first aid kit

What intriguing things can you spot in Richard Lander’s incredible medicine chest? Imagine carrying this around in case you get into a scrape! Mind you, he did go on some adventurous journeys…

3. I spy in the Mineral Gallery

Can you find every colour of the rainbow in the Mineral Gallery? Let this sparkling treasure-trove become your colour palette, and see who can be first to spot everything from violet to orange, turquoise to rose.

4. Take a trip along the Cornish Hedge Bench

This oak bench is a tribute to the Cornish stone hedges which provide wildlife corridors across the landscape. It’s great for little hands and feet to explore, and sound points are triggered along its length, surrounding you with the relaxing sounds of the Cornish countryside. Look out for the nearby bird call identification station too.

5. Follow The Discovery Trail

Follow the Discovery Trail around the galleries and use your senses to explore the museum afresh. Each point uses either touch, smell, sight or sound to bring you closer to the exhibits, and there’s some great prompts to get us all thinking about our surroundings in different ways.

6. Join us for Toddler Time

Free with an Annual Pass, Toddler Time are relaxed weekly sessions with one of our engagement team in the Nature Gallery. They include a story and a simple activity, and are perfect for Under 5s. Meet other families who enjoy spending time in the museum, and discover something new every time.

7. Visit The Cornish Giant

One the museum’s best-loved collection pieces, this huge portrait of Anthony Payne, known as ‘The Cornish Giant’, is sure to make an impression. It’s fun to compare shoe size and height with this gentle giant, who is said to have weighed 32 stone.

8. Go on an animal hunt

Kids love to hunt for animals in the Nature Gallery. Help them find their favourite creatures, give them inventive names, and come up with imaginative stories about their exploits – it’s a great opportunity to talk about Cornwall’s wonderful wildlife and how we can all help to protect precious habitats.

9. Wonder at the ‘Wow’ Wall

This is where you’ll find some of the most impressive specimens from the museum’s globally important mineral collection. Spend a moment marvelling, before deciding which one you would most like to have discovered!

10. Check out the Art Gallery’s brightest corner

Practice slow looking by hunting for colours and shapes in these bright, imaginative works by the likes of Barbara Hepworth, Kate Nicholson and Bryan Pearce. How do they make you all feel? Maybe they’ll inspire you to get the paints out when you get home…

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You’ll find all of this and more in the museum every time you visit, and during school holidays you’ll find additional free trails, crafting and others activities too – keep an eye on our events page for up to date info.

For opening times and further visiting information, click here.