PK Porthcurno, Penzance: Photos, Reviews & Location

Museum explaining the dawn of wireless science in the former global hub of cable communications.

At a glance

#5 of 5 Tourist attractions in Penzance

LocalGuideWorld score: 4.70

0.6 km from the center of Penzance

Rating breakdown

5 ★78%
4 ★16%
3 ★4%
2 ★1%
1 ★1%

Eastern House, Porthcurno, Penzance TR19 6JX, United Kingdom

pkporthcurno.com

+44 1736 810966

Quick facts

What is the rating of PK Porthcurno?: PK Porthcurno is rated 4.7 out of 5 based on 1,764 reviews.
How does PK Porthcurno rank in Penzance?: PK Porthcurno is #5 of 5 Tourist attractions in Penzance by LocalGuideWorld score (rating weighted by number of reviews).
Where is PK Porthcurno located?: Eastern House, Porthcurno, Penzance TR19 6JX, United Kingdom — 0.6 km from the center of Penzance.
How can I contact PK Porthcurno?: Phone: +44 1736 810966 · Website: pkporthcurno.com

An excellent museum for the history of telecommunications. It is a great, historic location, well stocked with exhibits and artefacts from the whole history of the site and the technology. The underground bunker was the highlight for me bringing the war and the importance of the place to the fore. Great for kids with hands-on introductions to some of the principles behind telecoms technologies.

Martin Randall 2024 Sep 22

We stumbled on this little gem of a museum after a recent visit to Land's End. The displays tell the story of the small cove's place in history in global telecommunicaitons - not something you would imagine! The staff were lovely and the cafe served some really nice food. Well worth an hour or two to have a browse around, and be sure to check out the emergency escape exit from the bunkers if you want to get your stair count in for the day.

Cornwall Family Life 2024 Aug 31

Absolutely loved visiting with the boys at the weekend so much to see and do and play with. The staff were really helpful and friendly and the cake in the cafe was lush. Definitely want to visit again as there is so much information to take in.

Steve L 2024 Aug 12

It you would like to know the history of UK telecommunications, this is worth a visit to see the evolution of technology to our current day.

Some One 2024 Jul 04

The museum in Cornwall with the underwater communications cables has such friendly staff! They were knowledgeable and made the visit even more enjoyable. The museum is well-maintained, and the interactive displays are engaging. A must-visit for tech enthusiasts!

Andreea Brad 2024 May 30

Who knew that the history of modern communication started in such a beautiful and remote place like Porthcurno. The first telegraph communications originated at Porthcurno in the 1850s. By WWII this was a well established communication hub that was safely guarded during the war. In just 9 months miners from around Cornwall build an underground bunker in which the telegraph people conducted their work during the war. Going into the bunker was a surreal experience. I felt like in the movie that Benedict Cumbarback decripted the code in WWII.The history and how everything lead to the modern fiber optic and the www is really amazing. If you are ever in the area do not miss this amazing part of history that started 154 years ago and continues to evolve with time.

John Archer 2023 Nov 15

PK should be high on the list of places to visit when touring Cornwall. Such history, importance, and a fantastic way to showcase our global communications heritage. Something for everyone young and old. Not just telecoms veterans who studied at PK back in the 1980s. :-) Highly recommended.

Ian Bugg 2023 Nov 09

Great place to visit for young and old. PK Porthcurno was an integral part of the telegraph system around the world and pivotal during World War 2. There's a wolrd war 2 bunker and an escape route for those that worked there. Highly recommended visiting.

Lee Darby 2023 Oct 11

The Museum of Global Communications (still shown as Telegraph Museum on road signs) is at the location where early under-sea cables came ashore. The social and economic impact of telegraph cables being laid to America and India from the 1860s is shown, as well as the technology that made it happen. Nearly half the Museum in in the underground bunker built to protect the facility during WWII. Lots of stories of the people - here and around the world - who made it all work.

StreetZips 2023 Sep 02

Fantastic beach and surrounding area. Lots of cliffpath walks and coves.
Visit the museum to learn about the communication lines and how they were used in the war. The bunker is great too!
The carpark is pay on exit, quite reasonable prices but usually very busy.

Jamie Thornton 2023 Sep 02

Found this to be a very interesting visit and was surprised to discover the tunnels. Initially our son was hesitant and said it would be boring, but ended up not wanting to leave and could have played with the morse code buzzer for hours. Visited on a wet foggy day, the winding narrow roads leading to the museum was certainly an experience.

Rob 2023 Aug 06

A very enjoyable place for the whole family! You can easily spend a full day here!

Be careful going there, the road to Porthcurno is very very narrow that has plenty of traffic during peak times.

Fr. Matthew Cashmore 2023 Aug 05

This place was so cool! The standard of the museum is stunning - I was not expecting that level of museum at the end of a very long and winding drive into what feels like the middle of nowhere. My 10 year old son absolutely loved it and we happened to luck out and arrive just as a talk on the history of communications was taking place. We loved the world war 2 tunnels and the hunt for pigeons (and breaking their code) as we wandered around. The exhibits are top class and we learnt loads.

Leanne Rossin 2023 May 27

What an experience!! Excellent day out was had by all the family. Interactive and informative displays, and we are planning to return because there is so much to learn! Very knowledgeable and lovely staff, and cafe serves nice coffee and cake. We loved our day here!