Old Penlee Lifeboat Station Announces 2026 Open Day Dates

Plans are being put in place for a series of Open Days in 2026 at the Old Penlee Lifeboat Station at Penlee Point, near Mousehole.

Closed since the early 1980s following the loss of the Penlee lifeboat Solomon Browne just before Christmas 1981, the station offers visitors a rare opportunity to step inside a preserved piece of Cornish and lifeboat history.

A Time Capsule of Lifeboat History

Visitors attending the open days will see what has been described as a time capsule of how a lifeboat station built before the First World War looked when it was last used.

The building and slipway are now Listed, giving protection to them as an important part of RNLI and Cornish social history.

2026 Open Day Dates

The Old Penlee Lifeboat Station will be open between 11.00am and 3.00pm on the following dates:

• Easter Monday 6th April 2026

• Bank Holiday Monday 25th May 2026

• Sunday 28th June 2026

• Sunday 26th July 2026

• Wednesday 12th August 2026

• Bank Holiday Monday 31st August 2026

• Sunday 27th September 2026

The late September date has been added this year following feedback from visitors who asked for an autumn opening.

Organisers hope that by adding the extra date, more people will be able to find a suitable time to visit, whether they live locally, are on holiday, or are travelling especially to see the station.

Visitors Asked to Take Care

Those planning to attend should be aware that the station is reached by a steep set of external concrete steps descending from the pedestrian footpath.

Care should be taken when approaching and inside the building, which was designed as a working lifeboat station rather than a visitor centre.

Visitors will be welcomed on the day and given the chance to experience what organisers describe as the very special atmosphere of this remarkable place.

📷The old Penlee Lifeboat boathouse at Penlee Point