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Visit Penlee House & Museum

Penlee House is a Gallery, Museum, Cafe and Shop. Situated within Penlee Park, a space to reflect and great for family visits.

Click on the links on the right to find out more.

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A space for exhibitions & events

Alongside our Exhibition programme we run a variety of community events and workshops. The Newlyn School and Social history galleries change often. Find out what’s on.

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A space to learn

Penlee House is committed to lifelong learning. We run workshops for all age groups and offer a school workshop programme.

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A space for all

Built in 1865, as the home of the Branwell family. Penlee House is home to many paintings by members of the Newlyn School. It is also home to the Penzance Natural History and Antiquarian Society collection.

Click on the links on the right to find out more.

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You can search and browse our collections online. We also have a section dedicated to the Newlyn School.

Penlee House welcomes group visits. If you are planning a school visit, further information can be found on our education programme.

Size of groups

Penlee House was built as a Victorian family home, so the galleries are domestic in size. Because of this, unfortunately, we cannot accommodate groups larger than 25 people at a time, however, we can split larger groups in two. One half of the group could take a refreshment break whilst the other half look around.

Group admission prices

Our standard admission prices apply for each member of the group which can be found on our admission page. If your group requires a guided tour of the Gallery an additional charge of £30 applies. Please note that from the 1st of April 2024 this charge will increase to £50.

Payment

Where possible, please pay for the group with a single transaction. This is especially helpful when paying with cash. We take most major credit and debit cards. Please make cheques payable to Penzance Town Council. We can arrange invoiced payments – please ask at the time of booking.

Time of arrival

Due to the size of the galleries and restriction on numbers you must arrive on time. To provide you with a safe and enjoyable visit, we will ensure that your visit does not clash with other groups. If your plans change for any reason, please inform the Gallery.

What is on show

Please check the Exhibitions page for details of what will be on show during your planned visit. Penlee House usually presents four temporary exhibitions each year. These are planned two or three years ahead. If your visit is a long way ahead and beyond the scope of the published programme, please contact us for details.

Each exhibition has a direct relevance to west Cornwall. Including works from the permanent collection alongside loans from public and private collections. When our main exhibition does not relate to the Newlyn School, a selection of works by these artists are on show.
The museum contains archaeological treasures and objects illustrating the fascinating social history of west Cornwall.

Bags and backpacks

To prevent accidental damage to the works on show, we do not allow visitors to carry backpacks on backs. Please carry your bag by hand.

Catering

The Orangery is a small on-site cafe serving delicious light lunches and snacks. It has limited seating and cannot accommodate large groups. Discover more.

If you can’t find all the information you need on this page, please try our Facilities and Accessibility page, or Contact us.

The Orangery Café

Food freshly prepared to order. During your visit, relax for a while in our licensed cafe, with its sunny terrace overlooking the park.

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Exhibitions

A programme of changing exhibitions celebrates the people and artists who lived and worked in west Cornwall during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

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Facilities and Accessibility

Penlee House is fully accessible for wheelchair users and pushchairs. There is an adapted toilet and baby-change facility.

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Schools

Penlee House is committed to lifelong learning for all ages. School group visits to Penlee House are FREE, but must be booked in advance.

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