International Museum Day

18th May 2018

Every year since 1977, International MUSEUM DAY has been organised worldwide in May. As this day is an occasion to raise awareness of the importance of museums, I thought it would be interesting to learn more about some museums in Cardiff. I did some research and decided on the following three museums as my personal top three:

1.National Museum

Probably, the best known and easiest to reach is the National Museum. It’s only a two-minute walk from Celtic and the nearest train Station is Cathays Station, which is approximately a five-minute walk from the museum. It combines Wales’ national art, geology and natural history collections with several temporary exhibitions.

What I thought is really interesting and unique is that the museum asks people to decide what is should be displayed. Normally, only a few people are allowed to make these decisions, but from 29^th October 2017 until 2^nd September 2018 the public has the chance to vote for your favorite so that it is put on display. People can choose from a large collection of paintings, sculptures, films, prints and drawings that the museum has acquired over the past 10 years.

You can come and visit the museum on Tuesday-Sunday from 10am-5pm. And you know what’s best? The entry is always free.

2. St Fagan’s National Museum of History

St Fagans is one of Europe’s leading open-air museums and Wales’ most popular heritage attraction. Visitors get the chance to experience what it was like to live and work in Wales in the past by exploring one of many re-erected historical buildings.

The museum contains over forty original buildings from different historical periods, these are houses, a farm, a school, a chapel and a splendid Workmen’s Institute. Visitors can gain an authentic insight into the rich culture of Wales by workshops in which craftsmen demonstrate their traditional skills. Even the Welsh Language can be heard being spoken by the craftsmen and interpreters.

You can reach the museum very easily by bus, the journey from Cardiff City centre to St Fagans village takes only 25 minutes. The museum is open from 10am-5pm daily. The entry is free again.

3. The Cardiff Story

The Cardiff Story museum tells the story of the formation of the city of Cardiff as we know it today. Starting as a little market town in the 1300s, to one of the world’s biggest ports in the 1900s to today’s cosmopolitan capital.   

The museum is housed in one of the oldest buildings in Cardiff, the old library.

Visitors gain unique and personal insights into the city’s history through stories from people, who have actually lived and worked here over the past centuries. It is the first museum, where visitors can discover the story of the city through the eyes of those you know it best: Its citizens.

The Cardiff Story is only a 10-minute walk away from Celtic. The opening hours are from 10am-4pm daily and again: free entry!