St Fagans National Museum of History

St Fagans National Museum of History in Cardiff is Wales’s most popular heritage attraction for many years. It holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Wales. This is because St Fagans is a people’s museum, where we explore history together through people’s everyday lives. At St Fagans you’re invited to explore the story of Wales, to shape it and share it with others. With houses and buildings from Wales’s history, you’ll get to see how the people used to live and work through the years. From a mill to a public house, you can see how things were made and built in the past. At St Fagans National Museum of History the entrance fee is free, this will allow you to venture around the Castle and Gardens, nose around all the buildings & shops and even give you access to the galleries. A great free family day out in Cardiff

Castle and Gardens

St Fagans Castle is a Grade 1 listed building and one of the finest Elizabethan manor houses in Wales, open to the public since 1 July 1948, the museum stands in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth.

Beautiful garden displays surround this Cardiff attraction, including an Italian Garden (laid out in 1902, restored in 2003) and thyme garden. Fish ponds, fountains, a mulberry grove, vinery and an exquisite Rosery add depth and colour to the Museum’s grounds.

The gardens are perhaps the best-kept secret at St Fagans, from those of the gentry to the cottage gardens that provided food for working families. They give a real insight into the lives of Welsh people throughout history, and complement the historic buildings in their interpretation of the past.

The Galleries

You don’t have to view history, at St Fagans National Museum of History, you can be part of it…

In the galleries you can do this in different ways – through play, sharing online or by making things yourself by hand. The galleries have been created with the help of numerous individuals, organisations and communities across Wales.

Wales Is… In this gallery you will explore the story of Wales from different perspectives. View amazing items from the collections, and the people connected with them, helping understand Wales’s history. And you can share your own feelings and experiences too.

Examine the remains of a young Neanderthal boy who lived in Wales 230,000 years ago. How different was he from a 10-year-old today? Discover what items made by soldiers from the First World War mean to those who have served in more recent conflicts. What do today’s young people think of the 1997 vote on Welsh Devolution?

Life Is… This gallery takes the ordinary stuff of all our lives and shows it to be extraordinary.

Listen to Luigi Rabaiotti talking about the coffee machine his family brought to Wales from Italy in 1921. Examine clothes that people have worn for work, weddings and play – then try some on for yourself and see how you look. You can play games or entertain others at the piano. Discover how people across time have dealt with death and remembered their loved ones.

Gweithdy… celebrates the skills of makers across millennia, and lets you learn some of those skills yourself. Find the maker in you… Discover how people made objects of beauty from the most basic materials to meet their daily needs or see them through hard times.There’s plenty of events and exhibitions throughout the year to see and do, so check what’s going on at St Fagans National Museum of History through the website to plan your visit.