St Fagans Museum – Popular among local tourists
St Fagans Museum is located a bit outskirt of Cardiff city, about 15 mins drive. The museum is popular among the local tourists, especially for families with young kids and school excursion. We are the only foreign visitors on that day.
The museum is an open air museum which also has quite a big compound to walk around and we were lucky as it was a sunny day, at least no rain. It would be horrible if raining as there are a lot of walking to do in this open air museum.
The open air museum is big as it has about 40 buildings in this jungle surrounding. We were excited and can’t wait to discover one by one. There is a map selling at GBP 0.5 if you needed one, alternatively you could use your phone to take a picture of the map at the entrance, which is what we did, FOC.
There are 40 buildings including some farmhouses, together with sheep and cows, barns, watermill, school, an 18th century Unitarian chapel and shops.
I especially love the animals on site with lovely weather and this place is completely out of town which is totally peaceful and calm place to relax, no disturbing noise from motor vehicles at all.
You will find different color of houses, which is actually small museums open to public to go in and check out the artifacts and furniture. Every small houses has different surprises await you to discover.
Traditional farming located at one of the farming site, back to basic life.
Here you could understand how the Welsh people live, admire their architecture and the thing they used in their houses. These museum were only established in 1948.
Some houses look quite old style but is very well kept, you are welcome to walk in to have a fascinating glimpse into the past.
It was a weekday and we saw few primary school children were having excursion in this open air museum. School children were having terrific fun here and gathered at one of the lollies shops in St Fagan Museum. Looks like they loved the lollies shop so much and stayed there for a long time.
Gwalia Stores
There are other shops open to public, selling things that are quite old and sentimental, back to the 50’s I think. Shops are decorated neatly and very clean. “Gwalia Stores” was a popular name for grocery stores in Wales during the early 20th century!
You are welcome to enter and have a closer look at the products that they are selling, quite interesting.
Old fashion telephone booth can be found in this place, I checked the phone inside, still usable. Not sure anyone would still use the public telephone these days, may be is the changing room for superman 🙂
Oakdale Workmen’s Institute
This is one of the best looking building out of the 40 buildings in this area. This building is a focal point of the community and has a library, billiards room and meeting hall back in the olden days. But it also look like a haunted house-Adam’s family house.
School children favorite spot should be at this colorful mini funfair playground and game stalls.
These interesting houses were actually transported from their original location and re-erected on this 100 acre jungle land.
Blaenwaun Post Office
Traditional farm house
Well, the buildings have been chosen because of their relevance to ordinary people from different social backgrounds and from different eras. Old grannies and grandpas who visited this place would definitely have a nostalgic experience.
Admission is Free
The admission is free of charge, open from 10 am to 5 pm daily. You will find a information booth at the entrance, where you could purchase for map if you wish to have one.
Admission is free but there is a GBP 5 to pay for the parking fees whole day. The machine only receive coins and no changes is given. Have plenty of coin while in UK for parking purposes, a lot of the machine don’t accept paper note. Plenty of parking lots in this open space area which I was really happy about. Pay and Display!
On the way back to the city, I saw beautiful sheep farms just outside St Fagans National Museum. They are cute, aren’t they?
St Fagans Museum Cardiff in Wales
- Gwalia Stores
- Open Air Museum in St Fagans Cardiff
- Traditional Welsh Houses
- Old fashion farm houses
- Oakdale Workmen’s Institute
- Blaenwaun Post Office
- Mini Funfair playground
- Free Admission
- Parking Fees GBP 5 for whole day
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