May is Local History Month. We have handpicked five museums in Wales that will help you understand the country better.
People in Wales have been able to visit the museum again since this Monday after it was closed for almost six months.
From prehistoric origins to modern Wales, this country is at least 29,000 years old. The architectural design of a place can reveal the way an area changes over time, while local parks and scenic spots tell people how different groups use urban space. And visiting the various types of local historical museums can help you quickly learn about the history of the area.
In the Local History Month, here are five historical museums around Wales that will help you start a new journey about the history of Wales.
1. St Fagans National Museum of History
In this 100-acre open air museum, you can learn about Wales’ historical past from those re-erected buildings from various ages. Farms, butchers, bakers, chapels and splendid Workmen’s Institutes etc. walking into those buildings, you will see the actual set of the house reflecting the life and work of the time. It’s a good place to gain an insight into the rich heritage and culture of Wales.
Location: St Fagans, Cardiff, Wales, CF5 6XB
Open Hours: 10am-5pm, every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Ticket Price: Free to visit (Tickets need to have booked in advance, and will be released on a weekly basis every Wednesday)
2. National Museum Cardiff
This is a museum about Wales’s national art, geology and natural history collections. In the art gallery, there are all of the notable Welsh artists’ works. Landscape paintings by Richard Wilson, the most distinguished painter of Wales, statues by John Gibson, a Welsh Neoclassical sculptor etc. In The Evolution of Wales, you can learn how life evolved in Wales and which dinosaurs roamed the land.
Location: Cathays Park, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3NP
Open Hours: 10am-5pm, every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Ticket Price: Free to visit (Tickets need to have booked in advance, and will be released on a weekly basis every Wednesday)
3. Big Pit National Coal Museum
This industrial heritage museum is divided into two parts, above and below ground. Above ground, there are winding houses, a saw mill, pithead, baths. Before Covid, you can go 300 feet underground to explore the workplace as a real miner. It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000 in recognition of its international importance to the process of industrialisation through iron and coal production.
Location: Blaenavon, Wales, NP4 9XP
Open Hours: 9.30am-5pm, every Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (currently the Underground Tour will remain closed)
Ticket Price: Free to visit (Tickets need to have booked in advance, and will be released on a fortnightly basis every other Wednesday)
4. National Waterfront Museum
This museum included a major new slate and glass building and an existing warehouse which is formerly the Swansea Industrial and Maritime Museum. The Welsh Industrial Revolution has had a huge impact on its people, society and life, as well as the rest of the world. Here, you can see and hear Wales’ 300-year history of industry and innovation for yourself through modern technology.
Location: Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea, SA1 3RD
Open Hours: 10am-5pm, every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Ticket Price: Free to visit (Tickets need to have booked in advance, and will be released on a weekly basis every Wednesday)
5. National Roman Legion Museum
Wales was the most remote outpost of the ancient Roman Empire. In 75 AD the Romans built a fortress at Caerleon, which guarded the area for 200 years. Children will have the opportunity to try on replica armour and experience the life of a Roman soldier in a full-sized barrack room From the exhibitions and artefacts, people can learn how Romans lived, fought, worshipped and died.
Location: High Street, Caerleon, Newport, Wales, NP18 1AE
Open Hours: 10am-5pm, every Thursday, Friday and Saturday
Ticket Price: Free to visit (Tickets need to have booked in advance, and will be released on a weekly basis every Wednesday)