Museums

Museums
There are many small private museums in Cornwall, as well as the publicly funded ones. Many of the villages also have some form of archive, but these are often only shown during their summer fetes and carnivals, or special ‘display’ weeks.
There is, of course, much in the way of mementoes of the days of mining, and displays of mining and minerals abound.
The 'official' museum of Cornwall is the Royal Cornwall Museum, in River Street, Truro. For those interested in art, The Falmouth Art Gallery, in The Moor, Falmouth, and the Tate of the West, in St Ives are a must. Industrial Archaeology and mining is widely represented by St Agnes Museum, Mineral Tramways Museum, Tolgus Tin, Geevor and Poldark Mines, Levant and Pool Beam engines. Trinity House museum has relics from lighthouses on show, while Jamaica Inn, as well as being a pub made famous by the Daphne DuMaurier novel bearing its name (and latterly being owned by her), has an amazing collection of stuffed birds and animals, and country machinery (carts, boats, etc). Don't be put off by the sign on the A30 to 'museums'. It's not as stuffy as you might imagine, although the pub is rather pricey for food (or was when I last stopped there a couple of years ago).

Royal Truro Museum - Located in Truro City - River Street (MR SW824448)

Link http://www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk/
Has exhibits showing life in Cornwall from the stone age to the present. Much on mining, with a large display of geological specimens. Also has changing displays of arts and textiles, etc.

Tate, St Ives - located on Beach Road, Porthmeor Beach (MR SW517407)
Link http://www.tate.org.uk/stives/default.htm
An impressive example of a modern museum, shoehorned into the site of an old gasworks. It houses a changing variety of work, with good representation of local artists, but also has a changing exhibit of works from world-renown artists. It also looks after the Barbara Hepworth museum.

Jamaica Inn - located at Bolventor (MR SX183768)
Link http://www.jamaicainn.co.uk/
An old coaching inn on the moor, it had a major boost to its fame when the name was used by Daphne DuMaurier as the name for the book. She latterly purchased the inn some time before her death. Don’t be put off by the stuffy ’Jamaica Inn Museums’ sign on the roadside, it's not as stuffy as you might imagine. It has an amazing collection of stuffed birds and animals, and country machinery (carts, boats, etc). The pub food is good, if rather pricey (or it was when I last stopped there a couple of years ago).

Tin Mining
There are many sources on mines and mining. A good start is something like the St Just Mines Research Group link http://208.56.194.245/reception.shtml. Other good contact are National Trust http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/ and the defunct Trevithick Trust, now maintained by Chycor www.chycor.co.uk/tourism/tolgus/page10.htm. Both maintain mining related sites, and generally make them available for interested visitors.