Who doesn’t want to be in the centre of things, and here is the heart of Plymouth’s cultural hub. Right in the city centre, The Box is the place to unwrap Plymouth’s many historical delights, including more than 15,000 works of art and two stylish eateries. Since its multimillion pound makeover, the likes of The Box hasn’t been since in any postcode outside central London for, well, ever.

As well as critically acclaimed exhibitions from all over the globe, there are a series of permanent galleries and spaces to explore.

Enter into this triple-storey height glass box and you can’t miss the magnificent display of 14 monumental ships’ figureheads, collectively weighing over 20 tonnes hanging over your head as you buy your tickets. Awesome in scale and engineering, they need to be seen to be believed.

Head up to the galleries to discover Plymouth’s extraordinary history, including 100 Journeys (great explorers and their discoveries, from Drake to Scott and beyond); Port of Plymouth (an immersive cinematic representation of Plymouth’s naval and wartime past); Media Lab (an interactive room featuring the UK’s largest regional film and television archive); Cottonian Collection (illuminated manuscripts, Old Master drawings and fine art) and Active Archives (public access to The Box’s huge archive containing some of the city’s most fascinating documents).

There is much to interest kids here too, including the full-size replica Mammoth, a gleaming gallery devoted to a natural history collection featuring 1,000 pickled marine creatures, and they (and you) are sure to want to linger in the gift shop, a carefully curated zone, full of educational and useful gifts for all ages.

Go lift the lid on The Box! Seriously, there’s no better way to dive under the skin of Devon’s wonderful Ocean City.