The Shipwreck Treasure Museum at Charlestown
Dive in to the Shipwreck Museum and uncover secrets from the seabed.
Located in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Shipwreck Treasure Museum holds the largest private collection of shipwreck artefacts in Europe, just waiting to be discovered.
Curated over the last 40 years, the museum is a treasure trove of unusual and interesting items, unlike any other open to the public.
The collection houses over 8,000 finds from gathered from over 150 shipwrecks found in seas, rivers and oceans throughout the world. Artefacts range in date from Ancient Egypt and Roman Periods, to surprising modern discoveries - visitors will even be able to view the only intact barrel of coins to ever to be recovered from a shipwreck!
Travel through time and behold artefacts from the Tudor masterpiece, the Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s famous warship which sank in 1545 after being caught by a gust of wind whilst turning. Fast forward to 1707 and learn the fate of the pride of the British Navy, HMS Association which, under the command of Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, was wrecked alongside three other warships off the Scilly Isles, with the loss of up to 2,000 men, including the famous admiral himself.
Discover displays for both World Wars and learn stories about the last words of the captain of the SS Mendi, HMS Edinburgh’s golden bullion and the requisitioned cruise liner SS Aurania’s German submarine chase. You’ll also find contemporary references to shipwrecks, including the most famous wreck of them all - RMS Titanic, where replicas of props from the record-breaking film are on display, including The Heart of the Ocean.
Explore the world of seafaring and commodities in Cargo Corner where visitors can expect to find an unusual assortment of objects which have travelled from makers to markets across the globe. Uncover riches in many of our cabinets of curiosities, and imagine what voyages the delicate china, jewellery and artisan craft products were embarking upon before ending up at the bottom of the sea.
The Shipwreck Museum offers a fascinating insight into the story of shipwrecks, telling the tales of their journeys and discoveries. With an estimated one quarter of a million wrecks around the coast of Britain alone, adventures of seafarers, treasures and diving expeditions are waiting to be told.
Come on… Dive in!