Museum of Cardiff

About the museum

The Museum of Cardiff occupies the Old Library at the northern end of The Hayes in the city centre. The building opened in 1882 as the Cardiff Free Library, Museum and Schools for Science and Art, and the library moved out in 1988. After an arts centre in the building closed in 2000, Cardiff Council looked for a lasting new use, and a study in 2002 proposed a city-centre museum about the growth of Cardiff in the last two centuries.

The museum opened in April 2011 as the Cardiff Story, with free entry and a collection of about 3,000 objects, many of them given by local people. It was renamed the Museum of Cardiff in 2019 after a public consultation. In 2023 the council considered turning it into a mobile exhibition, but after protests it stayed in the Old Library and a new lease was agreed.

The museum tells the history of Cardiff from the earliest times, through the industrial coal boom, to the present, with a focus on the people who shaped the city. It uses objects, photographs and interactive displays, and it runs a learning programme for schools and community groups. The galleries are on the ground floor and in the basement, and the building has a lift.

Highlights

• Cardiff’s story from early times to the present, told through its people
• Objects given by local families, such as a teapot that crossed the Atlantic twice
• Interactive displays and audio guides in several languages
• Braille and large-print gallery text, sensory trolley and sensory map
• Free entry

Permanent exhibitions

• Cardiff in Context – A ground-floor gallery that introduces Cardiff’s history through objects, photographs and stories of its people, with an audio soundtrack.
• City Lab and City Showcase – Basement galleries with interactive displays and objects, next to the learning suite.

Founded

2011

Operated by

Cardiff Council

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Entry is free. Self-led school visits cost £1 per pupil and facilitated visits or workshops £4 per pupil, plus 20% VAT (VAT does not apply to Cardiff Council schools).

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description

The Cardiff in Context gallery on the ground floor has level access and wide routes, but low lighting; the tiled corridor is reached by a small step with no ramp. The basement galleries and learning suite can be reached by lift or by stairs with a handrail. The accessible toilet with baby changing is in the basement. Guide and assistance dogs are welcome in all areas. Handheld audio and visual guides are available in several languages, including British Sign Language and enhanced audio description. There is seating throughout, large-print gallery text, a portable audio loop, magnifying glasses, and Braille and Welsh Braille displays in the main galleries. A sensory trolley can be borrowed, and a sensory map and visual story can be downloaded.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Baby changing facilities

The museum has interactive displays, and a baby-changing facility in the basement accessible toilet. Explorer Packs are available for families learning English or Welsh as a second language. Family-friendly events are held during the Welsh Museums Festival (24 October to 1 November 2026).

Getting there & parking

The museum has no car park; the council website gives information on parking and travel. Because of building work the entrance is currently on the Trinity Street side of the building.

Amenities & dining

• Lockers

Lockers cost £5 (small), £8 (medium) or £10 (large), are available from 10am to 3.30pm and take cash only. The learning suites for hire have Wi-Fi; the website says nothing about Wi-Fi for visitors.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Up to 200 guests.

Learning Suite 1 holds up to 50 people, Learning Suite 2 up to 40 and both together up to 100, with screens, sound and Wi-Fi. The Cardiff in Context gallery holds up to 200 people after the museum closes at 4pm and is described as suitable for corporate events and evening receptions.

Plan your visit