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Museum · Cardiff, País de Gales
St Fagans National Museum of History
The open-air museum of Welsh history 6 km from Cardiff, with over 40 buildings brought from around the country and reassembled, from Iron Age houses to a school, a chapel and a working bakery. Admission is not usually charged; check in advance.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
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About St Fagans National Museum of History
The Museu Nacional de História de St Fagans is about 6 km west of central Cardiff, in the park of the castelo de St Fagans, an Elizabethan mansion donated by the family of the Earl of Plymouth in 1946. It is an open-air museum, one of the earliest of its kind in Great Britain, that tells how the Welsh lived, worked and enjoyed themselves over the centuries.
More than 40 buildings were brought from various parts of the País de Gales, dismantled stone by stone and reassembled in the park: farmhouses, a row of iron-miners' terraced houses with each house furnished in a different period from 1805 to 1985, a chapel, a Victorian school, a blacksmith's workshop, a mill, a medieval church with its wall paintings recreated, and Iron Age roundhouses. In some workshops, craftspeople work using traditional techniques, and the bakery sells bread baked in a wood-fired oven.
The main building has galleries with objects of Welsh life, from prehistory to the present day, and a crafts centre. The castelo de St Fagans, with terraced gardens, fish ponds and an Italian garden, can also be visited.
The park covers about 40 hectares; wear comfortable shoes. Admission is usually free, but parking is charged; check in advance.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
3 to 4 hours; with children, a full day.
Best time
From spring to autumn, on a dry day, as almost everything is outdoors. Craftspeople and demonstrations usually run at set times; check on arrival.
How to get there
It's about 6 km west of Cardiff city centre. Buses 32A and 320 depart from the centre and stop at the entrance in about 25 minutes. By car, take the A4232; paid parking is available.
Tip
Pick up the map at the entrance and visit the furthest buildings first, such as the Iron Age roundhouses and the row of workers' houses, returning to the bakery at the end.
Official website
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about St Fagans National Museum of History
What is St Fagans?
An open-air museum with over 40 buildings from different periods, brought from across Wales and reassembled in a park.
Does St Fagans charge admission?
Admission is usually free; parking is charged. Check before you go.
How to get from Cardiff to St Fagans?
By bus, about 25 minutes from the centre, or by car.
How much time should you allow?
3 to 4 hours; with children, a full day.