Royal Cornwall Museum

Royal Cornwall Museum

File:The Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro - geograph.org.uk - 46507.jpg
Established	1818
Location	Truro, Cornwall
Coordinates
Website	royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk

The Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro holds an internationally renowned mineral collection rooted in Cornwall’s mining and engineering heritage. The county’s artistic pedigree is reflected in the museum’s exceptional art collection. This museum is not simply a treasure-house of art, antiquities and archaeology, through the Courtney Library it also provides a living collection of rare books and manuscripts to help with education, research and the discovery of Cornish life and culture.

The Royal Cornwall Museum champions a better understanding of Cornwall’s past and present, and also Cornwall’s unusual relationship with the wider world through one of the most significant British emigrations of the 19th century. The Museum also holds the unique position in the county of hosting a, British Museum supported, permanent exhibition of Ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian objects.

The Courtney Library

The Courtney Library and Archive holds books, periodicals, archive material and ephemera relating to Cornwall and the South West of England.

Museum building

The Grade II building which has housed the RIC since 1919 was built in 1845 as the Truro Savings Bank, and subsequently became Henderson’s Mining School. In 1986/7 the Institution acquired the adjacent Truro Baptist Chapel (1848). Together these substantial granite-fronted buildings (linked with a new foyer and shop in 1998) form an imposing street frontage at the centre of the historic city of Truro; both buildings were designed by the local architect Philip Sambell who was deaf without speech.

Access

Entry to the museum is free for children, £4.50 for adult tickets offering unlimited admission for a year. Most of the museum and library is accessible to wheelchair users: it has ramps and a lift.

Secure parking is available at nearby Moorfield, Pydar Street and Edward Street car parks. There are no disabled parking on site, however with prior notice (date and time) a space can be reserved in public car park at the front of the museum. It is normally possible for coaches to stop immediately outside the museum.

Toilet facilities are located on both floors of the museum. There are baby changing facilities on the first floor and toilets for the disabled on both floors.

Rail access

The nearest railway station is Truro railway station.

See also

• Kehillat Kernow

External links

• Official website
• Information from the 24 Hour Museum