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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

1,642 reviews

Google

3.4

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4.4

2,519 likes

• By Malcolm H

  I didnt pay to enter but you can get a good feel of the site from the outside . Historic buildings abound in the area - spend an hour or two wandering the area , its well worth it .  more »

• By JohnGP

  Come on guys. This fort also has a 8 foot high wall and an apology for a moat. I doubt that a guided tour and the completion of the renovations could raise the net worth to the average tourist to abov...  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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