The Story of Emily Wins Three Major Awards in One Month

The Story of Emily in St Ive, near Liskeard, has claimed three major awards in just one month, marking a remarkable moment for the state-of-the-art visitor attraction. The site, which tells the story of Emily Hobhouse, says it is delighted after receiving international recognition from the Themed Entertainment Association.

Global Honour for Outstanding Achievement

The attraction has been awarded an international 32nd Annual Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement in the museum sector. The global accolade, announced by the Themed Entertainment Association, makes The Story of Emily the only organisation or business in the UK to receive an award in this year’s line-up.

The Thea Awards are known for honouring excellence in themed entertainment experiences around the world. They celebrate work that brings to life bold innovation, immersive experiences and industry leading standards.

Success Continues with Cornwall Gold and Architecture Honours

The win follows a Gold New Tourism Business of the Year Award at the Cornwall Tourism Awards in November. It comes alongside further recognition for the attraction’s architect team at Stonewood Design, who received Grand Winner and Little Gem Awards at the Royal Fine Commission Trust Building Beauty Awards last week.

Judges praised the museum as “exquisitely crafted” while celebrating the best of beautiful architecture in the UK.

A Fresh Look at Emily Hobhouse

The Story of Emily brings the life of Emily Hobhouse into sharp focus. Emily was a British woman born in St Ive who campaigned for women and children during the second Anglo Boer war between 1899 and 1902. Her actions, courage and beliefs placed her ahead of her time, yet she was deemed a traitor and largely written out of British history.

The attraction includes a thoughtful renovation of her childhood Rectory home, a RIBA award winning immersive War Rooms experience using cutting edge technology and an authentic heritage South African restaurant. The Story of Emily says it has aimed to defy expectations of what a traditional historical tourist attraction can offer.

“We Are Immensely Proud”

General Manager, Martin Lovell, said:
“we are immensely proud to receive these recent awards. The Thea Award represents industry excellence around the globe, and we are pleased that our creativity, innovation and vision to push boundaries within this cultural space has been celebrated on an international stage. The Building Beauty Award is a fantastic recognition of the stunning attraction that we have created with our contractor Stonewood Design.

“All of our recent accolades recognise the traction that we are so proud to have achieved in a short space of time. The Story of Emily is a long-term contribution to Cornwall’s, and the UK’s cultural landscape, and we are committed to its ongoing success. We are pleased to receive so many visitors who deeply connect and engage with the experience; each visit brings a different perspective to an untold but important slice of our country’s, and South African, history.”

Looking Ahead

The announcement for the Thea Award was shared from Universal Epic Universe in California and the awards will culminate in May 2026 at the 32nd Annual Thea Award Gala in Orlando, which the team will attend.

The attraction is now approaching its second festive season and is preparing to host a weekend of Victorian winter celebrations on the 6th and 7th December 2025.

You can find out more about the attraction at The Story of Emily