Fort Cornwallis is a bastion fort in George Town, Penang, Malaysia, built in the late 18th century. Named after the then Earl Cornwallis (1738–1805), the Governor-General of Bengal at the time of the fort's construction, it is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. The fort never engaged in combat during its operational history.

This is the 3rd time I’ve been here but spread over a time span of about 18 years. It has changed a little bit from my first visit however some of the changes are puzzling. There is a row of concrete rooms easily evident to the left of the entrance. These rooms are labelled on the building itself and the tour map brochures as store rooms. Strange!! When I first came here about 18years ago they were prison cells with ‘ manikins’ inside shackled to the walls and handcuffed. So were they guessing about the building? Are they guessing again? Lots of cannons around but not really much else. Disappointing.

Interesting structure near Penang Cruise Terminal. Although you need to pay to enter the inside of the fortress, you can't actually see quite a lot of it for free by just walking around the outside. There are some nice views of Penang Bay too

The fort itself is rather predictable. there were 3 visitors the whole time we recovered from the heat -40 Celsius. Sitting in the shade, reading the pamphlet and a little more info available. We had a brief look around. Tours are only on weekends. There is a nice cafe onsite, although it wasn’t open while we were there. A tour is possibly necessary to truly enjoy this spot. THE PUBLIC BATHROOMS ARE WONDERFUL! This was a shock. The women’s bathroom was spotless, new, nice architectural touches and overall a jaw dropper. I say this as I sit in Batu Ferranghi where the poolside bathrooms at the Shangri-La Rasa are no way near as nice. On a weekend where you can take a tour, enjoy the highly rated cafe in the shade and relax, this could be a lovely spot.

Offers an insight into Britain’s colonial rule of Malaya during the late 1700s. This well-preserved fort faces the ocean to fend enemies in the event of an invasion but has never seen active combat. There are rooms that you can see which used to store supplies or used as living quarters. There is also a chapel area that can be used for events, such as a BBQ and wine-tasting one when I was there. Just many typical attractions, they use a two-tier pricing system depending on your nationality. For mon-Malaysians, you pay RM20 but half as much for locals.

I would say if you are in the area, have a lot of time and done everything else or you are really into history. As others have commented, there isn't much to see. I was done in 30 minutes. What I did see was interesting and I learnt some useful facts. I would say go early or later in the day as it gets very hot. There were hardly any tourists except me, another couple and one family. They don't take cash for the entrance fee, card only. I did not appreciate the rude guy where you enter to purchase your ticket. Very sarcastic. I had to ask him for a leaflet. Make sure you get a leaflet if you go as this has useful historical information and will help you navigate the fort.