St Fagans National Museum of History

St Fagans National Museum of History

A walk around Wales – from Celtic times to the present day…

St Fagans is one of Europe’s leading open-air museums and Wales’s most popular heritage attraction and admission is free!. Open to the public since 1948, the museum stands in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth. Since 1948 over forty original buildings from different historical periods have been re-erected in the 100-acre parkland, among them houses, a farm, a school, a chapel and a splendid Workmen’s Institute.

Traditional crafts and activities bring St Fagans alive, in workshops where craftsmen still demonstrate their traditional skills. Their produce is usually on sale. Native breeds of livestock can be seen in the fields and farmyards, and demonstrations of farming tasks take place daily. Visitors gain an insight into the rich heritage and culture of Wales, and the Welsh language can be heard in daily use amongst craftsmen and interpreters.

St Fagans Castle

St Fagans Castle is a Grade I listed building and one of the finest Elizabethan manor houses in Wales. Open to the public since 1948, the museum stands in the grounds of the magnificent St Fagans Castle and gardens, a late 16th-century manor house donated to the people of Wales by the Earl of Plymouth.

Beautiful garden displays surround the Castle including an Italian Garden (laid out in 1902, restored in 2003) and thyme garden, while there are many features original to the site. Fish ponds, fountains, a mulberry grove, vinery and an exquisite Rosery add depth and colour to the Museum’s grounds.

The gardens are perhaps the best-kept secret at St Fagans, from those of the gentry to the cottage gardens that provided food for working families. They give a real insight into the lives of Welsh people throughout history and complement the historic buildings in their interpretation of the past.