Photo: Jon (CC BY 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Things to do in St Austell
The best holidays are planned around great days out. Here's what's on the doorstep in St Austell, from big-ticket attractions to rainy-day savers.
Showing museums, aquariums and attractions with indoor areas — the ones that work whatever the forecast.
🎟️ This weekend near St Austell
Events from
Skiddle
Fri 13 Nov · 12:00
Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey
Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 13.3 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sat 14 Nov · 12:00
Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey
Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 13.3 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Sun 15 Nov · 12:00
Truro Audio Tour: A Historic and Cultural Audio Odyssey
Old County Hall, Truro, Truro · 13.3 mi
Tickets on Skiddle ↗
Aquariums
14 mi from St Austell
Blue Reef Aquarium
Blue Reef Aquarium sits right on Towan Promenade in Newquay, overlooking the beach, and offers an indoor undersea adventure through more than 40 naturally-themed displays, from roc...
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29.1 mi from St Austell
National Marine Aquarium
The National Marine Aquarium is the UK's National Aquarium, located in Plymouth and home to the Ocean Conservation Trust charity. Inside you'll find over 5,000 marine animals, the...
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Museums & Galleries
1.5 mi from St Austell
Shipwreck Treasure Museum
The Shipwreck Treasure Museum located in Charlestown, Cornwall, England, was a historical museum housing over 8,000 artifacts from 165 different shipwrecks. Artifacts included the... — Wikipedia
2 mi from St Austell
Wheal Martyn Clay Works
Wheal Martyn Clay Works is a museum in Treverbyn, Cornwall, telling the story of the china clay industry that has shaped the region for over 250 years. Housed within two Victorian...
4.8 mi from St Austell
Mevagissey Museum
Mevagissey Museum is a small charity-run museum in Mevagissey, Cornwall, spread across three floors of fascinating and diverse exhibits. There's a kids trail to keep younger visito...
7.1 mi from St Austell
Lostwithiel Museum
Lostwithiel Museum sits in a Georgian building on Fore Street that has served variously as a Corn Exchange, school-room, butchers, magistrate's court, fire station and jail. Opened...
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9.3 mi from St Austell
St columb Major Smallseum
old red phone box used to display old photos of town
9.3 mi from St Austell
Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry Museum
Museum in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom
9.6 mi from St Austell
Bodmin Town Museum
Bodmin Town Museum sits on Mount Folly in the centre of this ancient county town, housed in the basement of the cinema complex on the site of a former Friary. Run entirely by volun...
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9.7 mi from St Austell
Discovering42
Discovering42 is an art, sustainability and science museum in Bodmin, Cornwall, where hands-on exhibits bring physics, chemistry, engineering and environmental themes to life. The...
11.9 mi from St Austell
Polperro Model Village & Land of Legend
Model village and museum of local legends in Polperro, Cornwall, UK
12.1 mi from St Austell
Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling & Fishing
Museum in Polperro, England, UK
12.8 mi from St Austell
Royal Cornwall Museum
Royal Cornwall Museum sits in the heart of Truro, just off the main high street, and brings together Cornish art, history and culture under one roof. You can explore the Mineral Ga...
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14.9 mi from St Austell
Old Guild Hall
Former guildhall, now a museum, in East Looe, Cornwall, England, UK
15.2 mi from St Austell
The National Lobster Hatchery
The National Lobster Hatchery is a marine conservation, research and education charity based in Padstow, Cornwall, dedicated to the European Lobster. Here you can discover how the...
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15.4 mi from St Austell
Padstow Museum
Padstow Museum is a small, volunteer-run museum telling the maritime, cultural and social history of Padstow, now based at Station House. Inside you'll find interactive exhibits an...
17.1 mi from St Austell
Enys Gardens
Enys Gardens, near Ponsanooth in Cornwall, are believed to be the oldest gardens in the county. Set amid woodland, they're maintained in a natural, enchanting style, offering a pea...
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17.5 mi from St Austell
Pendennis Castle Museum
Device Fort on the west side of the estuary of the River Fal, near Falmouth in Cornwall, England, UK
Theme Parks
12.1 mi from St Austell
Camel Creek Adventure Park
Camel Creek Adventure Park is a family theme park in St. Issey, Cornwall, offering thrilling rides, energetic outdoor fun, all-weather indoor play and animal zones to explore. Ther...
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17.6 mi from St Austell
Adrenalin Quarry
Adrenalin Quarry is a family-owned visitor attraction and adventure park in Menheniot, Cornwall, United Kingdom. It opened in Easter 2009, on the site of an old flooded quarry and... — Wikipedia
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Zoos & Wildlife
13.3 mi from St Austell
Newquay Zoo
Newquay Zoo is a 13-acre wildlife and botanical garden attraction in the heart of Newquay, Cornwall, first opened in 1969. You can wander through lush gardens, watch keeper talks a...
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Where to stay near St Austell
Places to stay within easy reach of these days out.
More around St Austell
Itineraries
Haunted Britain
From the blog
St Austell is a practical base for a Cornish holiday: there's enough on the doorstep for a quiet day, and enough within reach for a week of proper outings. Below is a way of sorting the options by mood and weather, so you're not scrolling through a map at nine in the morning with everyone in the car waiting.
Start with what's closest
Two museums sit in St Austell itself. The Shipwreck Treasure Museum is the bigger draw of the pair, built around the kind of objects that come back up from the seabed, and it works equally well for curious children and adults who like reading every caption. Mevagissey Museum is the smaller, more local-feeling option — fishing, village history, the sort of place you give an hour to and leave knowing more than you expected. Pairing the two makes a sensible half-day if the weather has turned.
Rainy-day options worth the drive
Cornwall has an unusually good supply of small, specific museums, which is handy when the forecast is poor. Around Looe, the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling & Fishing covers the coast's less respectable history, and the Polperro Model Village & Land of Legend sits close enough to combine with it for a gentle afternoon with younger children. The Mayflower Museum is another Looe option for a wet morning.
Towards Bude, there's a cluster worth planning a whole day around:
- Cornwall at War Museum — large, varied, and good for anyone with an interest in military history.
- RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum — quieter and more reflective in tone.
- Davidstow Creamery Museum — an easy, slightly unexpected addition to the same trip.
Over towards Falmouth, King Edward Mine and Michell's Engine House cover Cornwall's mining past, while the Predannick Anti-Aircraft Battery and the Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre make a good pairing for a day with a coastal theme.
Family days out
Animals do most of the heavy lifting here. The Monkey Sanctuary and The Tamar Valley Donkey Park are both near Looe, so they combine naturally into one day — donkeys first for the smaller ones, monkeys after lunch. The Screech Owl Sanctuary is a separate trip and tends to hold the attention of children who have run out of patience with museums.
For something faster-paced, Kernow Adventure Park near Falmouth is the obvious water-park choice, and Spingfields Fun Park and Pony Centre mixes rides with pony time for mixed-age groups. Tinside Lido, over towards Looe, is the one to save for a genuinely warm day.
Castles, ruins and old houses
If you'd rather be outdoors, Restormel Castle is the standout — a circular ruin that children tend to take to immediately. Saint Catherine's Castle is smaller and makes a good target for a short walk rather than a full day. Castle Canyke is an earthwork rather than a building, so manage expectations before you go. Glynn House rounds out the heritage list for anyone who prefers a stately home to a ruin.
Grouping it into a sensible day
Three combinations that work without too much driving:
- Close to base: Shipwreck Treasure Museum in the morning, lunch in town, Mevagissey Museum after.
- Looe day: The Tamar Valley Donkey Park, then the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling & Fishing and the Polperro Model Village & Land of Legend.
- Heritage day: Restormel Castle in the morning, a pub lunch, Saint Catherine's Castle in the afternoon while the light holds.
Where to eat
For breakfast or something to take with you, Malcolm Barnecutt is the bakery to head for — pastries, pasties, the usual sensible things to eat in a car park with a view. Bread & Butter is the stop for a proper sit-down tea and cake, particularly after a cold walk. For evening meals, the Victoria Inn and Try Dowr are both pubs that suit families early and adults later. And Kellaway's Fish and Chips covers the night when nobody wants to cook. All five hold five-star hygiene ratings.
Making it a short break
Three nights is the minimum that makes the driving worthwhile. A workable shape: arrive and keep day one local with the Shipwreck Treasure Museum; give day two to the Looe cluster of animals and smuggling history; and spend day three on castles, or on the Bude museums if it rains. There are 274 places to stay in the region on BritStays, so it's worth filtering by what you actually need — parking, a drying space for wet coats, somewhere to sit outside.
Before you go
Check opening days directly with each attraction, as several of the smaller museums run seasonal or part-week hours. Book animal attractions and water parks ahead in school holidays. Take cash for smaller sites, carry waterproofs even in July, and keep one indoor option in reserve for every outdoor day you plan.
Frequently asked questions
What is there to do in St Austell itself?
St Austell has two museums of its own: the Shipwreck Treasure Museum, which is built around objects recovered from the seabed, and Mevagissey Museum, a smaller local museum covering fishing and village history. Together they make a comfortable half-day, especially in poor weather.
Where can we take young children near St Austell?
The Tamar Valley Donkey Park and The Monkey Sanctuary are both near Looe and combine well into a single day. The Screech Owl Sanctuary is another animal option, while Spingfields Fun Park and Pony Centre mixes rides with pony time. For the Polperro Model Village and Land of Legend, head to the Looe area.
What are the best rainy-day options in the region?
There's a good supply of indoor museums. Around Looe you have the Polperro Heritage Museum of Smuggling and Fishing, the Polperro Model Village and Land of Legend, and the Mayflower Museum. Towards Bude there's the Cornwall at War Museum, the RAF Davidstow Moor Memorial Museum and the Davidstow Creamery Museum. Near Falmouth, King Edward Mine, Michell's Engine House, Predannick Anti-Aircraft Battery and the Lizard Lighthouse Heritage Centre.
Are there castles to visit?
Yes. Restormel Castle is the standout ruin and the most child-friendly of the group. Saint Catherine's Castle is smaller and suits a short walk rather than a full day, and Castle Canyke is an earthwork rather than a standing building. Glynn House is the option for anyone who prefers a stately home.
Where should we eat?
Malcolm Barnecutt is the bakery for breakfast or food to take with you, and Bread and Butter is a tea room for cake after a walk. The Victoria Inn and Try Dowr are both pubs suited to family meals and evening meals, and Kellaway's Fish and Chips covers the night you don't want to cook. All five hold five-star hygiene ratings.
How many nights should we book, and how many places are there to stay?
Three nights is a sensible minimum if you want to cover the local museums, the Looe animal attractions and a castle day without rushing. There are 274 places to stay in the St Austell region listed on BritStays, so it's worth filtering by practical needs such as parking and somewhere to dry wet coats.
More ways to explore
Not booked yet? See the best places to stay in St Austell.