Whether you wake up to a particularly grey day or a storm’s about to blow in, it’s a good idea to have a wet weather plan when you’re travelling to Cornwall out of season.
Penzance and Newlyn offer plenty of cultural experiences for rainy days. You could explore the history of Penzance town, find your way out of an escape room, or head to Newlyn for an independent cinema experience.
You can mix and match from the suggested activities to create a great day out during your stay. If you were to do all the activities on this itinerary, the estimated duration is given above.
Please note: You will need to contact the venue or experience provider directly to book.
Click on each individual experience and find out more about its accessibility and public transport connections, along with an eco tip.
If you would like to build your own itinerary, head to the Experience page. You can add your favourite experiences to a bespoke itinerary, which can be downloaded or sent to your email address. Please note: This is for inspiration purposes only and does not create a booking. You will need to contact the venue or provider directly to book.
Why is Doris Decker hiding in the basement of the Exchange? In this immersive mystery from Eureka Escape Cornwall, you’ll be tasked with unravelling clues inspired by local landmarks. The challenge is to make your way out of a locked room within the hour. This escape room story is suitable for 2-7 people and is the perfect rainy-day activity. Find out more here.
Give yourself permission to duck in and out of the shops by following the Penzance Town Trail. This self-guided tour takes approximately two hours and encourages you to explore some of the town’s most interesting buildings and landmarks, including the Union Hotel (where the death of Admiral Horatio Nelson was announced) and Jubilee Pool. It’s a great way to find your bearings. Get the map here.
What used to be a granite fish cellar and smokery underwent an incredible transformation in 2015. Today, the building is a two-screen cinema with an art-house atmosphere, making it the ideal location for independent film events. In fact, the venue recently hosted the Q+A for BAIT, the BAFTA-winning Cornish-made film. The addition of the ‘EATHOUSE’ means the Newlyn Filmhouse is also a place to gather over seasonal feasts and showstopping cocktails. Find out more here.
Penlee House Gallery and Museum celebrates the history and culture of Cornwall. It’s home to a substantial collection of artworks by painters from the Newlyn School – a group of artists who helped to shape the British art world and explored the Newlyn way of life in their paintings. Visit the Penlee House website to see what’s on display this winter.
Cornish pasties, artisan bread and a fridge stocked with locally sourced goodies. You’ll find Lavenders café, deli and bakery on Alverton St in Penzance. You could pick up the ingredients for a picnic or pause in the café for fresh sandwiches, homemade pies, sweets, pastries and Cornish cream teas. Find out more here.
Retreat to a cosy self-catering cottage or book a stylish hotel in the heart of town. Discover the perfect seaside stay for your winter in Cornwall.
Visit out of season and step into an adventure. Explore our entire collection of inspiring itineraries and plan a great day out.
Many of the activities in our itineraries are accessible. Click on each individual experience to find out more about its accessibility. We advise that you contact the venue or experience provider in advance to confirm. You can also find information about accessible venues through Access Cornwall.
Enjoy updates from local experts and find information about upcoming events.
Discover the many ways you can get out there and explore without relying on your car.
We’re hoping to make every stay as sustainable as possible. Find out more here.
This listing has been curated by the EXPERIENCE West Cornwall team and was correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We advise that you contact the venue or provider directly to confirm any seasonal opening details and to book the experience.
