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The Great Britain Guide

Museums · South Wales

National Museum Cardiff

Also known as: Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd

Modern♿ Wheelchair accessible

National Museum Cardiff — Main site of the national museum of Wales, United Kingdom.

National Museum Cardiff, museums in South Wales

Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1.5 h–3 h
Best time of year
Year-round
Nearest railway station
Cathays · 0.4 km
  • Family-friendly
  • Wheelchair accessible

About

National Museum Cardiff is a museum in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1912. Heritage designation: Grade I listed building. Part of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. Wikidata describes it as: "Main site of the national museum of Wales, United Kingdom". Coordinates: 51.4856°, -3.1771°.

Photo gallery

Heritage listing

National Museum Cardiff (Welsh: Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd), formerly known as the National Museum of Wales, is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. Entry is kept free by a grant from the Welsh Government. In February 2025 the museum announced a temporary closure due to maintenance funding issues.

From Cadw under OGL v3.

Protected designations

  • Ramsar wetland: Severn Estuary

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

National Museum Cardiff (Welsh: Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd), formerly known as the National Museum of Wales, is a museum and art gallery in Cardiff, Wales. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. Entry is kept free by a grant from the Welsh Government. In February 2025 the museum announced a temporary closure due to maintenance funding issues.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

History

The National Museum of Wales was founded in 1905, with its royal charter granted in 1907. Part of the bid for Cardiff to obtain the National Museum for Wales included the gift of the Cardiff Museum Collection, then known as "Welsh Museum of Natural History, Archaeology and Art," which was formally handed over in 1912. The Cardiff Museum was sharing the building of Cardiff Library, and was a sub-department of the library until 1893. Construction of a new building in the civic complex of Cathays Park began in 1912, but owing to the First World War it did not open to the public until 1922, with the official opening taking place in 1927. The architects were Arnold Dunbar Smith and Cecil Brewer,…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
51.4856, -3.1771
District
Cardiff
Parish
Castle
Postcode
CF10 3FJ
Parliamentary constituency
Cardiff South and Penarth
Established
1912
Nearest railway station
Cathays0.4 km
Official site
museum.wales

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is National Museum Cardiff?
National Museum Cardiff is in South Wales, United Kingdom (postcode CF10 3FJ), in the parish of Castle.
When was National Museum Cardiff built?
Built or established in 1912.
Is National Museum Cardiff a listed building?
National Museum Cardiff is officially recognised as Grade I listed building listed.
Is National Museum Cardiff a protected site?
Yes — National Museum Cardiff is part of the Severn Estuary Ramsar wetland.
How do I get to National Museum Cardiff?
The nearest railway station is Cathays, about 0.4 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CF10 3FJ.
How busy is National Museum Cardiff?
National Museum Cardiff draws around 472,544 visitors a year.