Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum

About the museum

The Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum is housed in two towers of Caernarfon Castle and tells the story of the regiment, which the museum describes as the oldest infantry regiment of Wales. The museum was founded in 1960. It is run by a non-profit organisation, the RWF Museum Trust.

The displays cover more than 300 years of service, from the campaigns of William III and Marlborough’s wars to the American War of Independence, the Napoleonic Wars, the Crimean and Boer Wars and both World Wars. They also show peacetime garrison duty in places such as Canada, India and Hong Kong, and more recent tours in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. Visitors learn how the regiment won 14 Victoria Crosses and about its customs, such as the regimental goat.

The regiment is also known for the writers who served in it during the First World War, including Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves, Hedd Wyn, David Jones and Frank Richards. Original objects are shown with film, sound and models. In 2006 the Welsh line infantry regiments merged into The Royal Welsh, and the regiment’s heritage is now kept by its successor battalions. The museum’s reserve collection and research library are held at Wrexham Museum and Archives.

Highlights

• Story of 14 Victoria Crosses won by the regiment
• First World War writers: Sassoon, Graves, Hedd Wyn, David Jones and Frank Richards
• Original uniforms, medals and objects with film, sound and models
• Regimental customs and traditions such as the goat and the “Flash”
• Ground-floor gallery on the Second World War and post-war years

Permanent exhibition

• The story of the Royal Welch Fusiliers – Original objects, film, sound and models tell more than 300 years of the regiment’s history in peace and war, including its Victoria Crosses and the First World War writers who served in it.

Founded

1960

Operated by

Royal Welch Fusiliers Museum Trust

Director

Chelsey David

Admission & discounts

There is no separate museum ticket: entry to the museum is free once visitors have paid for admission to Caernarfon Castle. The prices are the castle’s standard admission prices valid from 1 September 2026 to 31 March 2027. Members of Cadw enter free. Blue Light Card holders and members of the armed forces and veterans receive 10% off individual admission at the castle, but not online. Tickets can be booked in advance or bought at the gate.

Accessibility

• Partially 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

The castle entrance has two sets of steps or a ramp that gives wheelchair access from street level. Some parts of the museum involve steep steps and narrow walkways open to the weather and are not accessible to wheelchair users or visitors with limited mobility. The ground-floor gallery on the Second World War and the post-war era is accessible to wheelchair users. Assistance dogs are welcome. A portable induction loop is available at the castle. The museum’s own page says the visitor toilets are reached by two flights of metal steps and are not accessible to wheelchair users.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Toilets with baby-changing facilities are available at the castle. The castle has many steps, so check the access information before visiting with a pushchair.

Getting there & parking

The museum is inside Caernarfon Castle.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

The castle has a gift shop and sells guidebooks; the museum also runs an online shop. The King’s Gate café at the castle is currently closed. The castle operator lists free public Wi-Fi at the site.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit