Rhondda Heritage Park

About the museum

The museum stands on the site of Lewis Merthyr Colliery in Trehafod, in the Rhondda Valleys. Coal was first mined here in the mid-nineteenth century, and the colliery was developed by William Thomas Lewis, with the Bertie shaft sunk by 1880 and the Trefor shaft in 1890. Coal production ended in March 1983.

A group of local people founded the museum in 1986 to preserve the recently closed colliery as a memorial to the communities who lived and worked with the mining industry. It later became the lead venue of the Heritage Service of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council, which also keeps its collections centre here. The museum has held Accredited status since 2018.

Today the Black Gold Experience takes visitors underground with guides who worked in Rhondda coal mines. Free displays on the ground floor present more than 140 mining and Welsh history objects, the story of Rhondda residents from 1800 to the present, and a recreated parlour. The collection also covers domestic life, fashion, sport and religion, and includes recent material about women, minority communities and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Highlights

• Black Gold Experience underground tour led by former miners
• Dram! ride, a simulated journey back to the surface
• Free interactive exhibition with more than 140 mining and Welsh history objects
• Coal Society gallery with a recreated parlour
• Outside yard with a colliery forge and an Anderson shelter

Permanent exhibitions

• Black Gold Experience underground tour – A guided tour underground with former miners, finishing with a simulated Dram! ride back to the surface.
• Interactive exhibition – More than 140 mining and Welsh history objects with touch screens, archive film, quizzes and timelines, including the Rhondda coal rush.
• Coal Society gallery – The story of Rhondda residents from 1800 to today, with a focus on women, activists and chapels and a recreated parlour.

Founded

1986

Operated by

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council

Admission & discounts

The prices are for the Black Gold Experience underground guided tour, which includes the Dram! ride. The exhibitions on the ground floor and in the yard are free to view during opening hours. Special seasonal events such as Santa’s Toy Mine are ticketed separately.

Accessibility

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

Disabled access is available and a lift serves the first floor. There are disabled parking bays on site. The museum does not say whether the underground tour is suitable for wheelchair users; the council’s accessibility statement can be downloaded from its website.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Hands-on stations

The museum describes itself as a day out for all the family. The ground-floor exhibition has touch screens and quizzes, the cafe has a children’s menu, and there are family tickets and seasonal family events.

Getting there & parking

Satnav postcode CF37 2NP.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

Caffe Bracchi, run by the Chocolate House, serves homemade cakes, food made to order with vegetarian and vegan options, a children’s menu and afternoon teas (booking essential). There is also a Welsh gift shop.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent

The museum and Caffe Bracchi can be hired privately outside normal opening hours; enquiries by contact.

Plan your visit