We went to Poldark Mine a few years back. Most of the site is fully accessible to wheelchair users…read moreexcept of course the tour of the mine itself. However we still had a good few hours looking around the mine museum which was very informative and interesting and my kids loved that. Then my daughter had a go at 'panning for gold' which was a fun activity laid on by the mine staff. She had a lot of fun trying to find 'fools gold', and it was only cheap to let her have a go. There were plenty of things to look around at in the nice grounds and we had some lovely icecream in the pretty cafeteria. There is plenty of free parking onsite

As you would probably guess, the highlight of a visit to the site is actually getting to go down…read moreinto the mind. You are given an informative guided tour and get an idea of how bad it must have been having to go down it every day to work - GRIM! We couldn't even get into the whole mine as part of it had flooded overnight. A warning - be careful not to bang your head on the mine roof - you are given a safety helmet to wear but it still gives you a bump! There are also some amusements at the site and a couple of shops, but none of this really appealed and some of it looked a bit ropey. Apparently it gets its name from an old TV show that was partly filmed there, but I'm not old enough to remember what it is!

The Penwith Galleries is the exhibition space of the Penwith Society of Arts, set up in 1949 by a…read moregroup of artists that included Barbara Hepworth and Ben Nicholson, with Peter Lanyon and Wilhelmina Barns-Graham among the many prominent artists of the time to be associated with the group. Today the gallery runs seasonal mixed exhibitions and is currently offering the Spring show, perhaps one of the best shows I have seen there. Prominent artists on display include the fine impasto pieces of Margrit Clegg, the zany mixed media sculptures of Alan John and Mark Verry's well-honed wood pieces in an abstract vein. Perhaps the best show in town at the moment.

My review encompasses the museum and the restaurant. (There's a "Tate Cafe" entry here on Yelp that…read moreis old, I think that's something else.) St. Ives is super arty, and having a Tate museum in town honors that nicely. But I still get more out of just ducking into the various galleries and studios around the village than I did from my stroll through the Tate. But that's largely because of my taste and my relationship with modern art. I like when art is more playful, art that makes me feel like I'm in on the joke, as opposed to "my lazy paint-roller slappings are important, you wouldn't understand". In that way, this location is a bit less fun than the big one in London. But it's still diverting, and anyone is likely to get at least something out of it. If you have an appetite for modern art and are in St. Ives, you'd likely regret skipping the Tate. I had lunch in the restaurant, "Sea View Restaurant & Bar". It's kind of swanky, with a small menu of pretty expensive entrees including a £27 steak. I got the £24 seafood curry, Langoustine Moqueca. It was really tasty actually, with its slightly spicy curry broth and a variety of seafood chunks. There lot of cool spots to sit and enjoy views while you dine, including a patio. Upbeat staff, very attentive. But wow was that an expensive lunch.

Focusing on 20th century paintings and sculptures of British vintage, Tate St. Ives offers a nice…read moreif limited collection of mostly regional artists, which is not surprising considering that St. Ives has enjoyed the status of an "art colony" since the early years of the last century till the present day. Its most famous artist is probably Barbara Hepworth, who had a studio there (which you can also visit, and you can get a combo ticket for Tate and the Hepworth Museum and save a couple of pounds there), whose rounded wood and stone objects are immediately recognizable; most of them remind me of vaginas somehow. It is a rather smallish gallery (though a bit bigger than when I first visited 8 years ago), and the entrance fee of UKP 9.50 (only for Tate) strikes me as rather hefty considering especially that the London Tate Galleries are both huge and free of charge. The presentation of its limited collection is rather striking though, and the building itself is something to behold. Lots of information on the objects is available, and non-professional photography is allowed - or at least no one stopped me. That's not standard for modern art galleries and should be praised. You will get a very decent overview on art in St. Ives, and if you're an art lover per se it is not to be missed. The location is spectacular (just opposite of St. Ives's main sands), and you will find different kinds of cafés, pubs and restaurants close by. St. Ives is a tourist hotspot, so expect the gallery to get busy during peak hours.

The Arts Centre (now called the Poly) is on the main street in town just past the Falmouth…read morebookshop, they have regular events almost every night ranging from theatre, music and they also have a small cinema that shows a lot of foreign films and art house productions that normally wouldn't get seen. They also show the usual blockbusters etc around a month after their release and because the cinema is so nice we often wait until then to go watch a film, with fewer people it's a much better experience. Also just as you go in the doorway, to the left they usually have a gallery display and to the right they occasionally have a book sale in the evenings after a film, i've picked up some fantastic books from there! Word of advice if you want snacks and nibbles during your film they sometimes have them on the counter but not always and not many, so pop across the road to Threshers and grab yourself a bag of something. List of films and events can be found here: http://www.thepoly.org

Pirate paint ball is a good place to spend a day out with friends. They have two arenas, the woods…read moreand the field and you can do paintballing in one of these places. I have only been to the woods but it was great fun. The group is split in two and the two teams play against each other for about 6 games. I have really enjoyed paintballing here, and have come back several times. The instructors are very helpful and are very careful about health and safety. I has it's own car park and they supply all of the clothing for paintballing.

I have been here twic and cant recomend it highly enough. Fantastic fun! The first time i went i…read morewas severley hungover and lay low for the first couple of games but then got really into it. hiding holes, behind trees diving around. Theres a game where there is a flag in the centre in the field and in the object is to capture the flag and take it to the oppositions base but my friend didnt quite get the idea and ran the flag allway back to our base screaming and celebrating doh!. The second time i went i got stitched up by my friends who half of them did not turn up and the guys at Pirate really helped me out and didnt charge me the full cancelation for which i was really grateful. fantastic place

A welcome addition to Truro. This gallery has some gorgeous pieces ranging from paintings to…read moreceramics and also has a prime viewing location for the busy market below. The cafe is out of this world, one of my favourites in Truro to escape the hustle and bustle. They do great hot chocolate and are fairly kids friendly which is a bonus. The food is great and it is a different offering to the usual places.

Fantastically rich history : this place was designed & built in 1853 by Cornish…read more architect,Sivanus Travail in the English Gothic style.Bernard Leach the potter taught here,as did Ben Nicholson & Barbara Hepworth & was the Centre for British art for many pre war years. Latterly most famous for Terry Frost's work. It is beautifully stituated near the Penlee Art Gallery & gardens, just doors way, & minutes from the sea.

Of all the local British Legions in this area, I think the Heamoor/Madron one is the busiest in…read moreterms of activities. As well as housing the usual members only bar, it has a large hall area to the rear, which is frequently used for functions, bingo nights, whist drives, coffee mornings, disco's, jumble sales and so on. You are able to hire this hall for functions such a wedding receptions, birthday parties and so. Due to its size, it is easily able to cater for these large occasions, and with a small stage at one end, houses the disco perfectly. Plus the benefit of charging less than normal pub prices.