Internal Fire Museum of Power
Museum of working steam, diesel and other engines in Ceredigion, with telephone exchanges, vintage radios and engines running whenever it is open.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Internal Fire Museum of Power was founded in 2003 to show the history and use of large engines in the twentieth century. It charts the development of the steam engine through to modern internal combustion engines, from nineteenth-century steam engines to computer-controlled high-speed diesels.
Its displays are spread over several halls, and most of the engines are kept in running order. Engines run in the museum whenever it is open, and at least eight are usually running at any time. Larger steam engines are run on special steaming days and at the “Crankup” weekends at the start and end of the season.
Besides engines, the museum keeps working GPO electro-mechanical telephone exchanges, whose Exchange Rooms cover a century of telecommunications, as well as vintage radios and an amateur radio station. The collection includes engines by makers such as Tangye, Ruston, Lister, Hathorn Davey and Belliss & Morcom, and several exhibits have won Engineering Heritage Awards from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers.
Highlights
- The museum says it has the oldest running diesel engine in the UK
- Working engines up to 32 tons, run on every open day
- 4,000-horsepower Proteus jet engine
- Working GPO telephone exchanges and vintage radios
- Steam hall with special steaming days and Crankup weekends
Permanent exhibitions
- Working engines and power plant – Steam engines, paraffin, petrol and diesel engines and a jet engine, shown in several halls and run regularly, including the oldest running diesel engine in the UK.
- Telephone exchanges and vintage radios – Working GPO electro-mechanical telephone exchanges in the Exchange Rooms, with telephones from the 1920s and vintage radio apparatus.
- Founded
- 2003
Admission & discounts
| Adults | £10 |
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| Reduced | £9Concessions |
| Children & teens | £4free up to age 4 · Children under 12. Children under 5 are free. |
| Students & apprentices | £6 |
| Groups | –Discount for groups; coaches welcome. |
| Families | £25 |
| Armed Forces | freeNo charge |
Friends of the museum and under-5s enter free. The Last Night at the Museum evening event has no admission charge.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible
- Elevator: no information
- Accessible restroom: no information
- Accessible parking: no information
- Service dogs welcome
- Tactile models & exhibits: no information
- Sign language tours: no information
- Easy-to-read materials: no information
- Audio description: no information
According to the museum’s access statement, the buildings are all on a single level and a standard wheelchair is available. Dogs of all types are allowed on site if accompanied by their owner.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By car
Parking available
Large surfaced car park with overflow parking in the field next to the museum, according to the museum’s access statement.
The museum is signposted from the main road, with the entrance a short way down a side road.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
- Café
- Museum shop
Café serving hot and cold drinks, cakes and sandwiches but no hot food, and the “Parafinalia” museum shop.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Good to know | Engines run whenever the museum is open; steam engines run on special steaming days and event weekends. Group visits should be booked in advance. |
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