National Slate Museum
Museum in the former Dinorwig quarry workshops at Llanberis, telling the story of the Welsh slate industry; closed for redevelopment since November 2024.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The National Slate Museum occupies the Gilfach Ddu workshops of the Dinorwig slate quarry at Llanberis, beside Llyn Padarn. The quarry closed suddenly in the summer of 1969 and its equipment was put up for auction. The quarry's chief engineer, Hugh Richard Jones, helped to stop the sale, and the workshops were bought and developed as a museum within the family of national museums of Wales.
The museum opened on 25 May 1972 and kept the working character of the old workshops, with their large waterwheel, foundry, machinery and tools. It was developed further in the late 1990s with lottery funding. Over the years it has shown skilled workers such as quarrymen and blacksmiths at work and has run workshops for schools. The site is part of the Slate Landscape of North-West Wales, which became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2021.
A report for the Welsh Government in 2017 called for major investment in the museum, and the 2021 World Heritage inscription strengthened the case. The museum closed in November 2024 for a large redevelopment of its Grade I listed buildings, during which its collections were moved to a temporary store. The project aims to renovate the buildings, improve access and interpretation, and make the museum a gateway to the World Heritage Site. Meanwhile staff are showing slate collections and demonstrations at partner places such as Penrhyn Castle, Quarry Hospital in Parc Padarn and Cei Llechi in Caernarfon.
Highlights
- Historic Gilfach Ddu quarry workshops with a large waterwheel (before closure)
- Collection telling the story of slate and the Dinorwig quarry
- Part of the Slate Landscape of North-West Wales World Heritage Site
- Redevelopment planned to make the museum a gateway to the World Heritage Site
- Museum on the Move programme at Penrhyn Castle, Quarry Hospital and Cei Llechi
- Founded
- 1972
- Operated by
- Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Children & teens | –Children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. |
|---|---|
| Groups | –Group visits were free; groups were asked to book by email for a discount in the gift shop. |
Admission to the museum was free before it closed, and donations were welcome.
Accessibility
- Wheelchair accessible: no information
- 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
Trained assistance dogs were welcome in all areas. The museum published an access guide before it closed; access in the redeveloped museum is planned to improve.
Kids & families
- Family tours & workshops
Play sessions for young children are held on selected Mondays in autumn 2026, from 13:30 to 14:30.
Getting there & parking
The museum is in Padarn Country Park at Llanberis, next to Llyn Padarn.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
Before closure there was a gift shop and a coffee shop. A new cafe and learning centre are part of the redevelopment.
Events & venue rental
The National Slate Museum is closed for redevelopment, and a reopening date has not been announced.
Plan your visit
| School programs | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Collection Centre tours, play sessions and walking tours of the slate landscape in Parc Padarn are offered during the closure. |
