Objects Through Time

A family-friendly museum in Helston explores shipwrecks, inventions and everyday life.

The Museum of Cornish Life is housed in a former market building in the centre of Helston. Inside, visitors will find three floors of exhibits arranged across five halls, with thousands of items reflecting daily life in Cornwall over the last two centuries. On display are objects that document not just a county but a way of seeing the world: upright, ingenious and quietly eccentric.

This summer’s exhibition turns its gaze to the sea. Shipwrecks on the Lizard tells of twisted hulls and local salvage, lifeboat heroes and false lights. Among the stories is that of Henry Trengrouse, the Helston-born inventor of a rocket-powered rescue device that helped save countless lives along the coast. The apparatus is here, displayed beside a stuffed parrot named Henry — the only survivor of a wreck that washed ashore during wartime.

But the museum is more than a resting place for artefacts. It hums with conversation and intrigue, along with the voices of volunteers who can help bring the stories to life of every scuffed enamel sign and every dented copper kettle. Downstairs, children can dress up in the Victorian classroom. Upstairs, the old drill hall hosts Krafty Kids sessions for families, free to drop into and themed around the summer sun. The workshops run through the holidays, with Monday afternoons and Thursday mornings filled with paper, pens, glue and laughter.

There’s also a gift shop and a small café serving tea and cake. Entry is free, and the museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. Whether it’s your first visit or you’ve been before, you’re bound to feel welcome, teased into exploring, compelled to ask questions, wanting to take time. Rather than presenting history at a distance, the museum encourages visitors to get involved and enjoy it first-hand. 

MUSEUM OF CORNISH LIFE
Market Place, Helston TR13 8TH
01326 564027
www.museumofcornishlife.co.uk