Penlee House

FREE Public Guided Tours
2026-02-26 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-03 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-05 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-10 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-12 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-17 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-19 11:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-24 11:00 - 11:30 UTC and 7 more dates
Our team of Volunteer Tour Guides will be offering insights into the current exhibition through a program of short guided tours.
Tours will be offered at 11.00 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The tours are included in the admission price to the Gallery and last between 30 and 45 minutes. No booking is required, but places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Arty Afternoons: Paper Chain People
2026-02-28 14:30 - 15:30
Discover the many different people shown in the paintings and photographs at Penlee House Gallery & Museum. Make a paper chain of all the people you spot and decorate their clothes and special features to show who they are or what they are doing in the pictures.
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Baby Sensory
2026-03-02 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-16 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-30 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-04-13 10:00 - 11:30
Free, drop-in session for babies from birth to crawlers. Come and experience the amazing artworks whilst exploring sensory play together in the Gallery.

Little Penlee Explorers: Drop-in sessions for under 5s
2026-03-02 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-13 10:00 - 12:00
Join us to explore, play and create at Penlee House! With activities throughout the galleries, these free, drop-in sessions are for under-5s and their grown-ups.
Monthly on Mondays, 10 am-12 pm.

Arty Afternoons: Newlyn copper badges
2026-03-07 14:30 - 15:30
Come and visit our beautiful collection of Newlyn Copper in the Social History Museum, which was originally made by out-of-work fishermen. What wildlife can you spot on the designs? Draw your own Newlyn Copper design inspired by the sea and make it into a badge to wear at home.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Arty Afternoons: Mix and Match flip book
2026-03-14 14:30 - 15:30
Take a look at the wonderful exhibition of photographs and portraits here at Penlee House Gallery & Museum. There are so many different types of hats, clothes and people on display. Create a paper mix-and-match book, where you can muddle up what people are wearing!
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Arty Afternoons: Zoom in and Draw
2026-03-21 14:30 - 15:30
Explore the wonderful paintings, photographs an artefact that we have in our gallery and museum spaces. Take a viewfinder with you and look for exciting details. Zoom in on the details and draw new artworks based on what you can see inside your viewfinder, but on a bigger scale!
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Friends of Penlee House Repeat Guided Tour of the Sheila Hichens Collection of Newlyn School Art
2026-03-24 14:00 - 15:30 | St Michael’s Mount, Marazion
Discover the remarkable Sheila Hichens Collection at The Steward’s House on St Michael’s St. Michael’s Mount with Cath Wallace- Art Historian.This exceptional collection features more than 40 works by celebrated Newlyn School artists, including Walter Langley, Stanhope Forbes, Laura Knight, and Harold Harvey. Together, these powerful paintings capture everyday life in West Cornwall before the mid-20th century.Hosted by the Friends of Penlee House, this exclusive guided tour offers a rare opportunity to experience a culturally significant collection in a truly unique setting. Tickets:£20 for Friends of Penlee House£25 for General Admission Tuesday 24 March Meeting point: Stewards House, St Michael’s Mount Time: 2 pmPlease note: Entry to the Castle or Gardens is not included and must be booked separately. Limited mobility transport to the Mount may be available — contact Judith Summers at judithmarybosavern@gmail.comfor details.Spaces are limited — early booking is recommended!

Arty Afternoons: Fuzzy Felt faces
2026-03-28 14:30 - 15:30
There are all sorts of faces in the current exhibition. Create a fuzzy felt face shaped board and add in different eyes, ears, noses and other facial features!

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Arty Afternoons: Newlyn fishing boats photo collage
2026-04-04 14:30 - 15:30
Taking inspiration from the brilliant photography we have on display, explore the photos we have of Newlyn fishing boats and the harbour. Cut up the photos and create a collage of Newlyn fishing scene using the photos and old magazines.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Easter holidays – Arty Afternoons: Photograph of a special moment
2026-04-09 13:30 - 15:30 | Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance
Come and join us and handle some old cameras – what do they look like? How did they work? Sketch the camera if you like. Before digital photography, it was trickier and more expensive to take a photo, so you waited for a special moment. What special moment would you take in a photo? Draw a picture of that moment as an old photograph.

Arty Afternoons: Peg dolls
2026-04-11 14:30 - 15:30
Discover the different people and outfits in the paintings and photos on display at Penlee House. Dress a peg doll by making your own outfits from fabric scraps and felt.

FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.
