Overview

Mini pirates will love going on an adventure through history and heroics at The Shipwreck Treasure Museum. At this incredible place, you’ll find something for all ages to discover, making it the perfect family day out. Weave through 8,000 finds from over a hundred wrecks and discover the divers who brought them all back to the surface. The museum regularly features exhibitions, and returning in Spring 2024 is ‘Shackleton’s Experience’, where you can immerse yourself and learn more about early polar exploration and Shackleton’s exploits.

Things to do

Wannabe pirates will have an absolute whale of a time exploring this museum, packed to the rafters with 8,000 finds from over a hundred shipwrecks. There is some pretty cool stuff to check out. You can see the only barrel of coins ever found intact from a shipwreck. They even let you hold a cannonball and imagine the chaos it could cause in battle. Plus, there are all sorts of other artefacts like gold bars, copper ingots, and manillas that were used to sell people into slavery. These items tell stories of struggle, fear, hope, and the amazing things humans can do when faced with impossible odds.

If you get lucky and go to the museum during a special occasion, they might make your visit even more fun by turning it into a treasure hunt! Kids can get a map that will take them on incredible adventures, with exciting stories of exploration and discoveries around the museum’s cabinets of curiosities. This will satisfy curious little minds and encourage the whole family to take a closer look at the cool stuff on display. Check out their “What’s On” page to know when the next one is happening!

The Shipwreck Treasure Museum regularly has additional exhibitions to explore, and returning for 2024 is The Shackleton Experience. This immersive experience takes you on an icy journey into the past as you descend into a network of tunnels beneath the museum to see how life was for pioneering polar explorers like Shackleton and his crew.

Well-behaved dogs on a lead are welcome to explore the Shipwreck Treasure Museum with you. Use #ShipwreckCharlestown, and they might feature your pooch!

Food & Drink

Hungry tummies will be more than catered for at the museum’s pirate-themed Rebellion Roasthouse restaurant. Here, you’ll find a good selection of food and drink options, including burgers, nachos, steak, chicken and seafood. An under 12’s menu includes chicken or fish bites, burgers, pork stacks, mac ‘n’ cheese and a selection of puds. Yum!