Welcome to the Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro.

The Royal Institution of Cornwall – the organisation that owns and manages the Royal Cornwall Museum and Courtney Library – was founded in 1818 for ‘the promotion of knowledge in natural history, ethnology and the fine and industrial arts, especially in relation to Cornwall’. This is still at the heart of everything we do, from collecting, display, exhibitions, education, publishing and our outreach programmes.

The Royal Cornwall Museum

Over the years generous benefactors have donated an amazing array of objects, broadening the collection so that it covers for example Egyptology (hence our famous unwrapped mummy), fine art and world cultures, as well as classical Greek and Roman objects. The Rashleigh Gallery contains a world-famous collection of minerals, the core of which was amassed by Philip Rashleigh of Menabilly at the end of the 18th century. It includes the largest specimen of liroconite ever found, and a large gold nugget found at Perranarworthal. The Museum’s decorative arts collection and old master drawings are also very strong, the latter chiefly due to Alfred de Pass, another generous benefactor.

Renaissance in the Regions

Thanks to funding via Renaissance in the Regions, the Museum is planning a major redisplay of its galleries, intended to address once more Cornwall’s amazing history, people and geography. This will involve consultation with a full range of our users, so that it reflects what they think is important about the history of our wonderful county – and what makes Cornwall special today. If you would like to be involved, please let us know, via the Contact Us section of this website.

2008 - 2009 Annual Review                                 Cardew Rendle Legacy                        Sale of Paintings       
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