Festival of Archaeology – Meet an Archaeologist / Roman Treasure Craft
2025-07-12 14:30 - 15:30 UTC
Running from 10:00 am to 1:30 pm. Come along to Penlee House and meet an archaeologist. They will share all the behind-the-scenes information about how to be an archaeologist and what they do, as well as share their incredible local knowledge and finds they have made! Make a Roman-style cameo design for a ring and take part in a fun dig.

Festival of Archaeology - Air Dough Roman Rings
2025-07-12 14:30 - 15:30
Take a look at the beautiful, new Roman ring on display in the archaeology gallery. Design and make your own Roman ring using colourful air dough.

Festival of Archaeology – Lunula Necklace
2025-07-19 14:30 - 15:30
Come and see the wonderful golden lunula (necklace) from the Bronze Age displayed in the archaeology gallery. This amazing piece of jewellery is about 4500 years old! Try your hand at crafting a version to take home.

Art in the Park: 3D Prehistoric Monuments
2025-07-24 13:30 - 15:30
Come and celebrate this year’s Festival of Archaeology and the wonderful collection in our museum. Join us to make a mini local prehistoric monument from air dough and a 3D countryside scene to display it in.

Festival of Archaeology – Iron Age Coin Badges
2025-07-26 14:30 - 15:30
Explore the Iron Age coins displayed in our archaeology collection. What pictures can you spot on the coins? Join us to learn about Iron Age coin designs and make your own copper foil Iron Age coin badge.

Art in the Park: Mix and Match Bird Book
2025-07-31 13:30 - 15:30
Taking inspiration from all the different types of birds in the Birds exhibition at Penlee House, design and draw a mix-and-match book. What heads, bodies and legs can you match up to make a weird and wonderful new type of bird?

Arty Afternoons: Beak Headdresses
2025-08-02 14:30 - 15:30
How many different beaks can you see in the Birds exhibition here at Penlee House? Create a beak headdress to wear based on the sea, garden and marsh birds in the paintings.

Art in the Park: Bird Prints inspired by Hilda Quick
2025-08-07 13:30 - 15:30
Be inspired by Penzance-born Hilda Quick’s wood-engraving prints on display in the Birds exhibition. Create your own beautiful bird prints using press print and inks.
In the event of wet weather, this activity will be adapted to take place inside the Gallery.

Social History Gallery Display: Pip Benveniste (1921-2010)
2025-08-09 10:00 - 2025-10-11 16:30
Born at Myrtle Cottage, Newlyn in 1921, Pip Benveniste was a post-war British modernist artist whose wide-ranging creative output included watercolour, oil, acrylic, etching, film and rug design over her 60-year career.
Benveniste was the eldest daughter of Bohemian artists Alec Walker and Kay Earle, who established Crysede Silks in Newlyn in 1920. Allowed to roam freely across the Cornish landscape as a child, the rolling fields, farms and hedges, granite formations, craggy coastlines and the mysterious Cornish light and skies were themes that would later influence her eye as an artist.
Throughout the 1950s and 60s Benveniste was immersed in the rapidly developing art world with close affiliation to figures like the writer James Baldwin in Paris, film-maker Terry Southern in New York, artist Tess Jaray in London, as well as being part of Yoko Ono’s early experimental films.
In addition to painting across various locations in the UK, Benveniste travelled and worked in Mexico, America, France, Morocco, Holland and Tunisia, all the while absorbing colours, culture, light and landscapes, and always returning to Cornwall for visits to draw and paint. She exhibited widely in solo and joint exhibitions throughout her career.
For further information about Benveniste’s art legacy, contact:
Mark Vaughan OBE
Email: lmarkvaughan@gmail.com
The display will run from Saturday, 9 August until Wednesday, 10 September 2025.

Arty Afternoons: Bird Spotting Wheel
2025-08-09 14:30 - 15:30
Penlee Park -where Penlee House is set – is full to the brim with birdlife. Create your own bird spotting wheel to help you find and identify British birds.

Art in the Park: 3D Bird Sculptures
2025-08-14 13:30 - 15:30
Explore the bird sculptures by Breon O’Casey, Ken Spooner and Reece Ingram in the current exhibition here at Penlee House. Design and make an amazing abstract sculpture using recycled card.

Arty Afternoons: Bird Reliefs
2025-08-16 14:30 - 15:30
Can you find the bird reliefs by Rosamund Fletcher displayed in gallery one at Penlee House? Take a look at these beautiful artworks and join us to make a bird scene in relief using a card.

Art in the Park: Draw and Paint Birds
2025-08-21 13:30 - 15:30
Can you find the beautiful, delicate etchings of birds in our exhibition? Collect drawing materials then explore and sketch the birds we have on display in the Gallery. Return to base to colour your drawings using pencils or watercolour paints.

Arty Afternoons: Bird Origami
2025-08-23 14:30 - 15:30
Explore the colourful Charles Simpson paintings of birds in the exhibition at Penlee House. Make origami birds from paper and collage them into a Charles Simpson scene.

Art in the Park: Chough Mobile
2025-08-28 13:30 - 15:30
Journey through our exhibition and spot the different Cornish choughs that we have on display. Make a mini chough mobile to fly through the air, just like the ones you see when walking along the stunning cliff paths of West Penwith.

Arty Afternoons: Bird Watching Binoculars
2025-08-30 14:30 - 15:30
Using recycled materials, join us to make your own birdwatching binoculars. See how many birds you can spot in the exhibition at Penlee House Gallery & Museum.

Arty Afternoons: Paper plate birds
2025-09-06 14:30 - 15:30
Join us for a fun craft session where you will turn a simple paper plate into a beautiful bird. Add feathers, details, and bright colours using tissue paper collage. All materials provided — just bring your imagination!
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30pm and 3.30pm

Awenek! The Great Cornish Heritage Festival: Iron Age bead necklaces
2025-09-13 10:00 - 17:00 | Enys Gardens, Enys Gardens, St Gluvius, Penry, TR10 9LB, United Kingdom
We’re thrilled to announce our participation in Cornwall Heritage Trust’s Awenek! The Great Cornish Heritage Festival! Discover the charm of a tiny archaeological find—a beautiful glass bead —and let it spark your creativity as you craft your own beads with our special modelling material.
Join us for a day filled with engaging activities, captivating demonstrations, mouth-watering food, and vibrant performances that cater to everyone. Celebrate Cornwall’s rich heritage and culture with us on Saturday, 13th September at Enys Gardens, Penryn.
🎟️ Ticket Info:

£5 for Cornwall Heritage Trust and Enys Gardens adult members

FREE for under 18s

£10 for non-member adults

Secure your spot by booking tickets online: https://www.cornwallheritagetrust.org/event/awenek-the-great-cornish-heritage-festival-2025/

Arty Afternoons: Air Dough golden feather
2025-09-13 14:30 - 15:30
Get crafty and make a glamorous golden feather. Create the shape using air dough and colour it with metallic pens to create a beautiful piece of bird-inspired art.
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm

Art in the Park: Nests and Eggs
2025-09-20 11:00 - 16:00
It’s the Food Festival! Penlee House is full of beautiful bird artworks, and to celebrate the fun food festival, drop in and craft colourful nests and patterned eggs. A hands-on craft activity for all ages, inspired by nature and creativity!
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm

Arty Afternoons: Turn your hands into birds!
2025-09-27 14:30 - 15:30
Explore our Bird exhibition at Penlee House Gallery & Museum. Take inspiration from the birds you spotted and trace around your hands. Then transform them into colourful birds using collage, colour, and creativity.
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

EXPO Ertach Kernow | Cornish Heritage EXPO 2025 - Souvenir Magnets
2025-10-03 | Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, TR11 4LP
⚠️ IMPORTANT UPDATE ⚠️
Day 2 of the Cornish Heritage EXPO cancelled due to extremely high winds from Storm Amy. Stay safe everyone 💛

We’re excited to be part of EXPO Ertach Kernow | Cornish Heritage EXPO 2025 at Pendennis Castle, Falmouth, on Friday 3 & Saturday 4 October 2025! Just as visitors have done for centuries, people still come to West Cornwall to enjoy its beauty — and take home a keepsake of their visit.

Be inspired by our stunning paintings of West Cornwall and create your very own souvenir magnet to take home — a modern-day memento rooted in tradition.

Come along, explore Cornwall’s heritage, and take a little piece of it with you.

The EXPO is being run in partnership with English Heritage and Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Historic Environment Record

Find out more at https://letstalk.cornwall.gov.uk/heritage-expo-2025

Arty Afternoons: Make wings for your favourite toys!
2025-10-04 14:30 - 15:30
Come along and design your own little wings for your favourite toys to wear. Get creative using colourful felt and other fun materials to transform your toy into a magical flying friend. Let your imagination take flight!
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

Friends of Penlee House: Guided tour of the Sheila Hichens collection of Newlyn School art
2025-10-09 12:00 - 13:30
Discover the Sheila Hichens Collection at The Steward’s House on St Michael’s Mount with art historian Catherine Wallace. This remarkable collection of more than 40 works by acclaimed Newlyn School artists, including Walter Langley, Stanhope Forbes, Laura Knight, and Harold Harvey, captures 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 unique setting. Tickets are £20 for Friends of Penlee House and £25 for Non-Friends. Please 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 Caroline White at carowhite@msn.com for details.
Tickets: £20 for Friends of Penlee House & £25 for Non Friends
Meeting point: Stewards House, St Michael’s Mount at 12.15 pm
Book Now

Arty Afternoons: Postcards for Penlee
2025-10-11 14:30 - 15:30
Discover the amazing objects on display in our Social History Museum that tell the story of life in Penzance through the years. Then, design and make your own postcard by drawing your favourite objects from the collection. What will you choose to remember about your visit?
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm

Arty Afternoons: 3D Lamorna Birch Landscape – Perspective
2025-10-18 14:30 - 15:30
Visit our new exhibition of Lamorna Birch paintings at Penlee House. Samuel ‘Lamorna’ Birch painted local landscapes and used perspective to show near and far. Join us to make a 3D mini landscape inspired by Lamorna Birch’s work and use of perspective.
FREE family activities take place every Saturday; drop in anytime between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm

Friends of Penlee Lecture: S.J. Lamorna Birch – Career Highlights
2025-10-20 14:30 - 16:00 | Queen’s Hotel, Penzance
Timed to coincide with the Penlee House exhibition Lamorna Birch – A Painter Laureate, this talk celebrates the life and work of Samuel John “Lamorna” Birch RA (1869–1955). A self-taught painter of pure landscape and founder of the Lamorna colony in West Cornwall, Birch drew lifelong inspiration from the valley that gave him his name.
The exhibition title references Austin Wormleighton’s landmark 1995 biography, A Painter Laureate. Austin, a founding member and long-serving President of the Lamorna Society, updated the book before his passing in 2019, with the new edition published posthumously by his partner, Jo Sunter.
On display are over 25 works from Austin’s personal collection. To accompany this special exhibition, Cornish art historian David Tovey will give a lecture, S.J. Lamorna Birch – Career Highlights, exploring Birch’s achievements and legacy.
Date & Time: Monday 20th October, 2.30pm
Venue: The Queen’s Hotel, Penzance
Tickets: £7 Friends, £15 Non-Friends
Book Now!

FREE Public Guided Tours
2025-10-23 11:00 - 12:00 | Penlee House Gallery & Museum, Penzance
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: Biddy Picard Collage
2025-10-25 14:30 - 15:30
Biddy Picard was an artist who loved painting the beautiful places around West Penwith and the Isles of Scilly. Come and see her amazing artwork at Penlee House! Then, have fun making your own Biddy Piccard-style picture using tissue and other collage materials.
