City Museum & Art Gallery

Plymouth


Plymouth's main museum was closed for a multi-million-pound redevelopment at the time of writing. It's set to reopen in 2020, with the transformation of a clutch of existing buildings into a high-tech history centre. Plymouth's links to the voyage of the Pilgrim Fathers to North America in 1620 will feature strongly, as part of the 400th anniversary of the Mayflower voyage. During the closure, look out for Museum on Tour (www.plymhearts.org) events across the city.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Plymouth attractions

1. Merchant's House

0.37 MILES

It's worth checking whether this fine half-timbered building has re-opened after essential repairs. The largest 17th-century house in Plymouth, it's…

2. Elizabethan Mural

0.41 MILES

Now severely faded, the vast painting covering an entire side of a three-storey house was created by Robert Lenkiewicz (1941–2002; www.robertlenkiewicz…

3. Plymouth Gin Distillery

0.44 MILES

This heavily beamed distillery has been concocting gin since 1793, making it the oldest working producer of the spirit in England. Four to six tours per…

4. Island House

0.51 MILES

On the side of this old harbourside house, look out for a plaque bearing the names of the Pilgrims who set sail on the Mayflower in 1620 for what became…

5. Plymouth Fish Market

0.54 MILES

Around 60,000 tonnes of fish pass through this market, making it the second biggest by volume in England after London's Billingsgate. It's an amazing…

6. Mayflower Museum

0.55 MILES

A child-friendly jaunt through the story behind the sailing to America of the Pilgrim Fathers aboard the Mayflower in 1620. It makes good use of cartoons,…

7. Barbican

0.55 MILES

For a glimpse of ancient Plymouth, head down to this historic harbour area, where part-cobbled streets are lined with Tudor and Jacobean buildings, and…

8. National Marine Aquarium

0.56 MILES

The UK's biggest – and perhaps best – aquarium is lodged beside the Barbican harbour. There's a huge amount to see, but the highlight is the impressive…

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