Museums in Wales
The National Museum Cardiff, the open-air St Fagans National Museum of History, Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon, the National Slate Museum in Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea.
Wales Museum Guide
Our guide lists 49 museums in Wales across 34 towns and cities. You’ll find the widest choice in Cardiff (4), Swansea (4), and Aberystwyth (3).
Broken down by focus, the largest shares go to Science & Technology (43%), History & Cultural History (16%), and City & Regional Museums (12%) – 9 of our 12 categories are represented.
18 museums are free to visit. For the others with a published price, a regular adult ticket costs £9.80 at the median, and the middle half charge between £6.20 and £18.
17 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, 33 offer dedicated programs for families, and 33 have a café or restaurant. These figures come from our ongoing research – museums whose details we haven’t verified yet aren’t included in the counts.
Top 10 museums in Wales
The best-known museums in Wales
National Library of WalesSpecial · Aberystwyth
Cardiff CastleCastles & Palaces · Cardiff
Talyllyn RailwayTechnology · Tywyn
National Museum CardiffArt · Cardiff
Ffestiniog RailwayTechnology · Porthmadog
Smallest House in Great BritainHistory · Conwy
St Fagans National Museum of HistoryHistory · Cardiff
Gwydir CastleCastles & Palaces · Llanrwst
Picton CastleCastles & Palaces · Haverfordwest
Dolaucothi Gold MinesArchaeology · Llanwrda
Museums in Wales with free admission
- National Library of WalesSpecial · Aberystwyth
- National Museum CardiffArt · Cardiff
- St Fagans National Museum of HistoryHistory · Cardiff
National Slate MuseumTechnology · Llanberis
Big Pit National Coal MuseumTechnology · Blaenavon
Castle and Regimental Museum, MonmouthHistory · Monmouth
National Wool MuseumTechnology · Llandysul
Cosmeston Medieval VillageOpen-air · Penarth
National Roman Legion MuseumHistory · Caerleon
National Waterfront MuseumTechnology · Swansea
Museums in Wales with programs for families
- National Library of WalesSpecial · Aberystwyth
- Cardiff CastleCastles & Palaces · Cardiff
- Talyllyn RailwayTechnology · Tywyn
- National Museum CardiffArt · Cardiff
- Ffestiniog RailwayTechnology · Porthmadog
- St Fagans National Museum of HistoryHistory · Cardiff
- Picton CastleCastles & Palaces · Haverfordwest
- Dolaucothi Gold MinesArchaeology · Llanwrda
- National Slate MuseumTechnology · Llanberis
- Big Pit National Coal MuseumTechnology · Blaenavon
Wheelchair-accessible museums in Wales
- National Library of WalesSpecial · Aberystwyth
- National Museum CardiffArt · Cardiff
Hay CastleCastles & Palaces · Hay-on-Wye
Llanberis Lake RailwayTechnology · Llanberis- National Wool MuseumTechnology · Llandysul
- Cosmeston Medieval VillageOpen-air · Penarth
- National Roman Legion MuseumHistory · Caerleon
- National Waterfront MuseumTechnology · Swansea
Glynn Vivian Art GalleryArt · Swansea
MostynArt · Llandudno
Museums in Wales with the highest published visitor numbers
By category
Cities with the most museums
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many museums are there in Wales?
Our directory currently lists 49 museums in Wales across 34 towns and cities.
What are the best-known museums in Wales?
Some of the best known are National Library of Wales, Cardiff Castle, Talyllyn Railway, National Museum Cardiff, and Ffestiniog Railway.
Which museums in Wales offer free admission?
18 museums are free to visit – for example National Library of Wales, National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans National Museum of History, and National Slate Museum.
Which museums in Wales are open on Mondays?
Many museums are closed on Mondays, but according to their regular hours 18 are open, such as National Library of Wales, Cardiff Castle, and Talyllyn Railway.
Which museums in Wales are wheelchair accessible?
17 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, including National Library of Wales, National Museum Cardiff, and Hay Castle. Others are partially accessible – you’ll find the details on each museum’s page.
How much does it cost to visit museums in Wales?
A regular adult ticket costs £9.80 at the median, with prices ranging from £1.50 to £43. Children, students and families usually pay less.
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