Opening hours

Tue - Sat: 10am - 4:45pm
Closed: Sundays, Mondays and Bank Holidays

Free Entry

There may be a charge for special exhibitions. Please call to confirm.

Extraordinary closures

Please note that the museum will be closed as detailed below:

Mummy on the move!
The Egyptian gallery will be closed from the 28 April. The Mummy will reappear when the new Ancient Civilisations gallery opens on the 8 June

Saturday 24 November
The Museum and Library will be closed for the RIC Members Only day.

We apologize for any inconvenience that this may cause.

The Geological Collections at the museum comprise mineral, fossil and rock specimens totalling approx. 16,000 items; of these the mineralogical collection is the greatest both in extent and significance.

The Royal Cornwall Museum’s collection of South West of England mineralogy is one of the finest in the world. At its heart is an outstanding early collection of minerals made by Philip Rashleigh (1729-1811), the most famous of Cornish mineral collectors, who lived at Menabilly, near Fowey. Rashleigh collected over 3000 mineral specimens and meticulously labelled and recorded them in his manuscript catalogue. The mineral collection formed by Mr James Wickett (acquired by the RIC in 1922) is another large collection; it is substantially Cornish in origin and additionally rich in specimens of cassiterite (a tin ore) from around the world. A collection of calcites from Wheal Wrey (acquired 1930) and donations from Richard Barstow (acquired over the period 1970-1982) make up valuable portions of the collection.

The palaeontology (fossil) collection contains approx. 2,000 specimens. It is a relatively small, but very varied collection, with material representing all periods of geological time, and from a wide geographical distribution.

The petrology (rock) collection contains approx. 500 items.   Cornish granite building stones form a key part of the collection along with examples of rocks that can be found within Cornwall and the South West.