Housed in building of the Old Library at The Hayes, Cardiff story museum tells the social history of the city through pictures and artefacts
The Cardiff Story Museum is situated in the building of the Old Library at northern end of The Hayes. The building itself has a rich history and was opened in 1882 by the Lord Mayor of Cardiff as the Cardiff Free Library, Museum and Schools of Science and Art. The building is a Grade II listed heritage monument.
Apart from its rich collection of historical objects and pictures, the museum also has a number of interactive platforms which provide detailed information and background about the history of city and its people.
In institutional terms, the Cardiff Story museum is fairly small. After its reopening in September 2021 post the COVID lockdown, only the ground floor is accessible to visitors and a full tour of the place can be completed under an hour.
Starting with the pre historic evidence of human habitation on where Cardiff now stands to the city as a small market town in the 1300’s, the museum will take you on the city’s colourful journey to becoming the capital city of Wales.
There are historical artefacts, maps, pictures, paintings and even statues, each telling its own unique story in its own way.
From the bronze age sword, the miniature version of a house on Cathedral road with remarkable detail to photo wall depicting the history of protest movements in Cardiff, rare paintings and a detailed scale model of Cardiff Docks, the Cardiff Story museum is a rich eclectic mix of history told in many mediums.
“The museum plays a key role in helping visitors understand what Cardiff is as a city and also details its history. The staff are extremely welcoming and the place is surely worth a visit,” said Anurag Hegde who is second year undergraduate student at Cardiff city and was visiting the museum.