CATEGORY · RAINY DAY APPROVED
Museums in Cardiff
Cardiff does museums well, and most of the best ones sit close together. National Museum Cardiff, in Cathays Park, is free and mixes dinosaurs with art under one roof. Down in the Bay, Techniquest has a planetarium and the kind of hands-on science exhibits that keep kids busy for a whole morning. St Fagans, on the edge of the city, is free too, an open-air spread of relocated buildings, a working farm and craft demonstrations outdoors. For something different, there is a free Roman museum out at Caerleon in Newport, with barracks and a garden to explore. Families further afield could stretch to a longer trip out to Weston-super-Mare, where the Helicopter Museum lets kids climb through more than a hundred aircraft from £8.50, ages three to fifteen. If you are watching costs, start with the two free Cardiff museums and save the drives out for a weekend with more time to spare.
9 places 3 upcoming events 4 free to visit
What's on: museums
Places for museums
Being Brunel
Bristol
Step into Brunel's own head, wander a recreated Victorian dining room, then draw on a moving train inside a broad-gauge carriage.
FreeNational Museum Cardiff
Cardiff
Free Cathays Park museum with dinosaurs and art - Soft Play N never.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBreastfeeding friendly+14 more
FreeNational Roman Legion Museum
Caerleon, Newport
Free Caerleon Roman museum with barracks and garden - Soft Play N never.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingDog friendly+13 more
from £8Oakham Treasures
Bristol · ages 6-16
A wander through old shop fronts, vintage tractors and thousands of everyday bygones under one roof.
CaféFree parkingWheelchair accessible
FreePierhead Building
Cardiff
Free entry to Cardiff Bay's landmark building, with a giant floor map of Wales, a trail for 5 to 7 year olds and free tours of the Senedd.
Accessible toiletBaby changeBike parkingBottle warming+13 more
FreeSt Fagans National Museum of History
Cardiff
Free Wales open-air history museum near Cardiff - buildings, farm and craft demos.
Accessible toiletCaféGift shopParking+2 more
Techniquest
Cardiff
Cardiff Bay science centre with planetarium - Soft Play N never.
Birthday partiesCaféGift shopGroup bookings+3 more
from £8.50The Helicopter Museum
Weston-super-Mare · ages 3-15
Over a hundred rotary wing aircraft to climb through, plus a chance to try a pilot's helmet on for size.
Baby changeBlue badge parkingCaféFree parking+7 more
from £5University of Bristol Botanic Garden
Bristol
Wander through zones from Mediterranean to tropical plants, with free entry for under-18s and a Wednesday guided tour thrown in.
Accessible toiletBike parkingBlue badge parkingFood on site+4 more
Good to know: museums in Cardiff
Are any of them free?
Yes, National Museum Cardiff, National Roman Legion Museum, Pierhead Building and St Fagans National Museum of History are free to visit.
What does a paid visit cost?
Paid entry starts from £5 at University of Bristol Botanic Garden. Prices, ages and facilities are listed on every place page, taken from each venue's own published price list.
Whereabouts are they?
You'll find museums in Bristol, Cardiff, Caerleon and Weston-super-Mare. Every place we list is in or around Cardiff, and each listing has the full address and directions.
More ways to plan a day out
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