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Fort Cornwallis, George Town

1.7

#8 of 34 in Historic Sites in George Town

Historic Site Tourist Spot

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See a landmark example of colonial British architecture at Fort Cornwallis. Named after the then-governor general of Bengal, the fort was built by the British East India Company in the late 18th century. Constructed to cope with cannon fire, the fort utilizes the star design popularized in Italy during the mid 15th century, yet it has never seen battle. Now a museum, the site offers a wealth of information regarding British colonial presence in the area, notable fortified architecture, and a striking 21 m (69 ft) skeletal steel lighthouse. Plan to see Fort Cornwallis and other attractions that appeal to you using our George Town day trip website .

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Fort Cornwallis Reviews

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TripAdvisor Traveler Rating

1,582 reviews

Google

3.4

facebook

4.4

2,519 likes

• By AlandeWalden

  It's a fort from an earlier period, not intact and open to the tropical sun; so it can be a bit of an effort to keep goingand concentrate on the detail. Good for the background as much as the actual a...  more »

• By AGFootprints

  The entrance fee is way too high for only half of the fort open. The other open half is not worth visiting it at all. Spend your money elsewhere.  more »

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Google

• By cdnichols51

  It's pretty small, not too much to see. But if you're a fan of history you'll probably like it. There are some old cannons in the wall. There is the pill box used to hold all the ammunition and explosives, but that's about it. If you like being in a historical place because of what happened in the past then you'll probably like it.

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• By Alex Groome

  Took me a fair while to walk to this landmark of Penang and to be honest I was pretty disappointed. I walked past the city hall and a little park which was nice on the way there, then you see the high walls of the fort with a few cannons poking out which made me think something inside must be amazing. So I got to the entrance and they charge you 20 RM for entry, so I paid it expecting to be met with loads of old war memorabilia, but instead all I got was an under construction sign and scaffolding stopping you going to one part of the fort. The rest of the fort was pretty boring with a few cannons to look at and an old pill box they used to store explosives. In my opinion I'd save your cash and give it a miss.

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