Penlee House, Gallery & Museum

The house itself is the real draw here - a Victorian villa in Penzance with proper views over Mount's Bay. Penlee pulls together art and local history under one roof, which sounds dry until you realise it's basically the story of Cornwall told through paintings and objects. The gallery focuses on work by artists who actually lived and worked around Penzance, particularly the Newlyn School painters who were obsessed with light and seascapes. You'll see their stuff alongside contemporary pieces, which keeps it fresh rather than feeling like a museum piece itself.

Who gets the most from it? Art types and local history enthusiasts, definitely. If you're into Victorian interiors, the house layout is worth a slow walk through. Families with older kids will manage fine - it's not massive, so nobody's trudging around for three hours. Younger children might find it a bit slow unless they're already interested in painting.

The location matters. Penzance itself is worth half a day anyway - decent seafront, proper restaurants, the usual seaside bits. Staying at one of the nearby parks like St. Ives Holiday Village or Foxglove Field puts you within easy reach, and you can combine a Penlee visit with the coastal walks around Mousehole and Newlyn, which are genuinely excellent. Check ahead for opening times and admission costs - websites in this corner of Cornwall aren't always bang up to date.