On our recent break to Cornwall we were invited along to Pirate's Quest, an indoor and immersive walk through experience hosted by real life pirates which takes you on a journey to learn all about Cornwall's pirating history.
When we arrived, the children were thrilled to be given a pirate map which gave them an overview of the things that we were going to see, and had some puzzles on the back for them to complete. The puzzles ranged in difficulty making them suitable for all ages, and they chose to look for letter clues along their tour to spell out a pirate word.
We had fun taking some pirate pictures outside while we waited for our tour to start. If I'd thought about it I would have dressed them up in pirate costumes with accessories! (And I promise the grumpy faces are just for the photo!) The gift shop is very well stocked with pirate related items.
After an introductory video we met the pirate that would be our guide, and he was excellent. Our group was quite small, just our family and another with a slightly younger boy, and he pitched his tour to our group perfectly. Harry in particular was a little apprehensive about the attraction, and it was nice that the pirate reassured us very early on that he was a friendly pirate and not scary.
As we made our way through the different areas we didn't just learn about pirates, there was also a room filled with models depicting some of the myths of Cornwall, like the legends of King Arthur and Bolster the giant. We learned some fascinating pirate facts, like the real reason that pirates wore eye patches and why they are known for drinking rum.
There were lots of chances for the children to get involved. Mia had a brilliant time spinning the wheel on the pirate ship and would have sent us round and round in circles, Harry was more deliberate in his wheel control and a much more considerate sailor. The other little boy on the tour was put into the stocks, and they all had the chance to try and pull the sword from the stone.
Towards the end of the tour there is an optional scare section. Harry had studied a leaflet for the attraction beforehand and knew that this was coming up, so he refused to go in and wanted me to stay outside with him. We waited for the others in a nice, quiet corridor while Ram took Mia through. She was absolutely fine and Ram said it wasn't too scary, I suspect because of the young ages of the children the scariness wasn't ramped up as much as it might be for other groups!
We visited on a weekday in early June so it wasn't a busy day for the attraction and we only had one pirate running our tour. We were told that during busier times the tours run more frequently, and so you'll get to meet more pirates as you make your way around. It didn't affect our experience as our pirate was excellent, but it's worth knowing that your experience might differ depending on when you visit.
The tour took just under an hour, and at the end we returned to the gift shop where the children could show their completed treasure maps and receive a little prize. They really enjoyed Pirate's Quest, and it's a great one for a day when the weather isn't good enough for the beach.
Our visit to Pirate's Quest was complimentary in exchange for this review. It's recommended to book tickets in advance as the tours can get busy. The price for two adults and two children is currently £34, you can see all prices and ticket options on the Pirates Quest tickets website.
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