Hightlight
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Cafe
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Car Parking
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City Centre
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Family Friendly
The National Museum Cardiff houses Wales’s national art, geology and natural history collections as well as major touring and temporary exhibitions. This Cardiff attraction is situated in the heart of the city centre and is free for everyone wanting to visit, which makes it one the best attractions in the city for those wanting to have some family fun in the city. With exhibitions from art galleries to prehistoric dinosaurs, the National Museum Cardiff will entertain adults and children alike.
World-class art
The art collection at National Museum Cardiff is one of Europe’s finest. You will see over five hundred years of magnificent paintings, drawings, sculpture, silver and ceramics from Wales and across the world, including one of Europe’s best collections of Impressionist art.
The Evolution of Wales
You can follow Wales’s journey as it travels across the face of the planet from its origins billions of years ago, with film, sound, light and spectacular specimens. Prepare for a 4,600 million-year voyage with meteorites, moon rock and fossils on a journey that brings you face to face with dinosaurs and woolly mammoths. Find out how life evolved in Wales and which dinosaurs roamed the land.
Natural history
Witness Wales’s diverse natural history on an expedition that begins at the seashore and ends in the mountains. Experience some of the unique environments that make Wales home to over 900 Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Marvel at the enormous Basking Shark suspended above you. The largest fish around our coasts (up to 7.5m long and weighing in at 4 tonnes).
Even on dry land the Humpback Whale is a stunning sight. The 9m (29ft) skeleton of a young humpback was washed ashore near Barry in 1982.
And found stranded on a beach below Harlech Castle in 1988, witness the largest Leatherback Turtle ever recorded, this male specimen began life as a tiny 3 inch hatchling and is estimated to be over 100 years old. It won a place in the Guinness Book of Records at 916 kg, nearly 3m long and over 2.5m from flipper to flipper.
Opening Hours
FAQ's
Is there on-site parking?
A Visitor Car Park is situated behind the Museum, off Museum Avenue. Visitors parking here will receive a ticket at the point of entry and need to pay £6.50 for the day at a pay-station located at the rear of the car park. Please note that the pay-stations only accept card payments – no cash payments are accepted. Visitors can use any credit/debit cards (except for American Express), or Apple or Android Pay. Parking is free to blue badge holders. Please use the intercom at the exit barrier to verify your blue badge permit. Disabled parking is also available at the front of the Museum, on Gorsedd Gardens Road.
Can we store our bags/luggage anywhere?
Lockers are available for storing luggage during our opening hours of 10am-5pm. They are operated by tokens available from our Reception Desk for a refundable deposit of £1. We also have an additional storage area suitable for large suitcases. To use this, please ask at the Reception Desk. Pushchairs and prams are allowed in the Museum, but they can also be left in a buggy park in the Main Hall.
Is the Museum Accessible friendly?
There is an accessible walkway at the front of the building on the left, with wheelchair access/lifts to all galleries. Accessible toilets are situated in the Oriel Restaurant and there is a variety of seating is available throughout the Museum.
Is there a cafe within or nearby the museum?
There is a Museum café in the Main Hall and is open every day 10am-4pm, offering a range of drinks and snacks. There is also a restaurant, which is open on weekends and bank holidays at 11am-3pm.
