Museums & heritage in Plymouth

45 Southside Gallery

Plymouth

Free browse through contemporary craft, ceramics, glass and textiles by Devon and Cornwall makers, open every day.

Berry Pomeroy Castle

Totnes

A woodland walk from the car park leads to a ruined castle, with a trail for building your own forest den along the way.

Bounty & Hope

Plymouth · ages 8+

Sail an authentic replica of the boat from Channel 4's Mutiny, with wild swimming, paddleboarding and overnight camping trips for ages 8 and up.

Free parking

Bridging the Tamar Visitor Centre

Plymouth

Free entry to walk the flat cantilever of the Tamar Bridge and dig into the exhibits on how it was built.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredDog friendly+5 more

Brixham Heritage Museum

Brixham

A small, free local museum in Brixham with a fishing and maritime history that's easy to fit around a harbour walk.

Carnglaze Caverns

Liskeard

Underground slate caverns with a lake to explore, plus a woodland river walk above ground.

Blue badge parkingBooking requiredCaféFree parking+2 more

Cawsand Ferry

Plymouth · ages 3+

A half-hour scenic ferry hop across to Cawsand's beach, rock pools and village lanes.

CaféDog friendlyToilets

ClayArt

Plymouth

Pick a piece of pottery and paint it yourself, with sessions running about two hours.

Birthday partiesGroup bookingsIndoor seating

Dartmouth Boat Hire

Dartmouth

Take the wheel yourself and pilot a self-drive boat up the River Dart to Dittisham, no licence needed.

Dartmouth Castle

Dartmouth

A trail round a coastal fortress where kids build their own fort and get hands-on with the weapons that once defended it.

Dartmouth Lower Ferry

Dartmouth

A short chug across the Dart between Dartmouth and Kingswear, with the naval college and castle sliding past as you go.

Dartmouth Museum

Dartmouth

A small town museum where kids can be locked in the stocks, hunt through drawers and peer down microscopes.

Gift shopSchool visits

Dartmouth Steam Railway - (Paignton, Station)

Paignton · ages 3-15

A vintage steam train ride through an enchanted forest lit up for the Train of Lights, with river cruises also on offer.

Booking requiredCaféDog friendlyGift shop+1 more

Devonport Naval Heritage Centre

Plymouth

Free naval history museum with guided tours through Devonport Dockyard's story, open just two slots a week.

CaféCash onlyFree parking

Discovering42

Bodmin · ages 0-17

Hands-on science exhibits, from a bike-powered record player to water that runs backwards, in a two-hour timed slot.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredCafé+4 more

Endsleigh Garden Centre

Plymouth

A garden centre with a free soft play corner in the coffee shop and, come winter, a Santa's Grotto with reindeer food to mix.

Baby changeBooking requiredCaféDog friendly+5 more

Greenway & Dittisham Ferry Service

Dartmouth

A river boat trip from Dartmouth to Greenway or Dittisham, with a one hour cruise if you'd rather stay on the water.

Dog friendlyGroup bookings

KARST

Plymouth

Free contemporary art gallery in Plymouth, open Wednesday to Saturday, with wheelchair and buggy access throughout.

Kaya Gallery

Plymouth

A small gallery selling hand-crafted pin badge collections and artwork, including Beatles and Robert Lenkiewicz pieces.

Kingsbridge Cookworthy Museum

Kingsbridge

A quiet browse through Kingsbridge's past, from old photographs to Cookworthy porcelain and farm tools.

Accessible toiletGift shopToilets

Liskeard Museum

Liskeard

Free entry to a Victorian classroom, dressing-up costumes and Cornish archaeology sessions in the heart of Liskeard.

Wheelchair accessible

Looe Sea Safari

Looe · ages 2+

Speedboat trips out from Looe seafront hunting seals, dolphins and bluefin tuna, from a quick 20 minutes to a full two hours.

Market Hall

Plymouth

A 360-degree dome screen showing nature documentaries and educational films, with a café for afterwards.

Booking requiredCaféIndoor seatingKids menu+3 more

Museum of Dartmoor Life

Okehampton

Five thousand years of Dartmoor history in one building, from Iron Age hut circles to Victorian farm life, with a ticket that lasts a whole year.

Accessible toiletBike parkingDog friendlyParking+4 more

National Trust - Castle Drogo

Exeter

Granite castle on a gorge edge with river trails, garden paths and steep drops to explore, plus a rare roof tour if volunteers are on duty.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+11 more

National Trust - Cotehele

Saltash

A Tudor house with steep steps and narrow corridors, gardens to wander, and a pond dipping platform down at the quay.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBlue badge parking+11 more

Paignton Pleasure Cruises

Paignton

Hop on a boat from the harbour for a ferry ride to Torquay or Brixham, a fishing trip, or a spot of wildlife watching.

Booking required

Plymouth

Plymouth

The mainline station itself, with step-free platforms, a 24-hour car park and trains running most of the day.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingFree parking+6 more

Port Eliot House & Gardens

Saltash

A Grade-I listed priory remodelled by Sir John Soane, with guided house tours and gardens you can wander on their own ticket.

CaféGift shopFood on siteParking+1 more

Royal William Yard

Plymouth

Waterside dockyard turned food and activity spot, with free history and geology trails, paddleboarding, sea swimming and a cinema.

CaféGift shopFood on siteParking+2 more

South West SUP

Plymouth · ages 7+

Stand-up paddleboarding sessions for kids 7 and up, with tandem boards for the less confident and a summer junior club.

CaféParkingToiletsWheelchair accessible

The Framing Centre & Artmill Gallery

Plymouth

Drop into a small gallery of monthly art exhibitions, tucked inside a working picture-framing shop.

Valiant Soldier

Buckfastleigh

A step back into a Victorian pub frozen in time, with a virtual reality tour and local history exhibits in Buckfastleigh.

Gift shopGroup bookings

William Pengelly Cave Studies Trust

Buckfastleigh · ages 5+

Guided walks into a real cave to see bones from animals that lived up to 120,000 years ago.

Gift shop