National Museum Cardiff
National Museum Cardiff
4.5
Art GalleriesNatural History MuseumsArt Museums
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Witness one of Europe's finest art collections. Five hundred years of magnificent paintings, drawings, sculpture, silver and ceramics from Wales and across the world, including one of Europe's best collections of Impressionist art. The building also has galleries showing the diverse natural history of Wales, as well as a journey taking you through the Evolution of Wales (with dinosaur displays) from the very beginnings of time to the present day.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • Craig S
    5 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great Place to Visit
    We visited St Fagans on the way back home and were pleasantly surprised at the number of exhibits that were on show. Really nice to see how the Welsh buildings have developed over the years and the open museum is set in lovely grounds. Staff were friendly and informative and the cafe offered a wide variety of choice. Best to visit on a dry day but definitely needs to be on the "To Do List". Free entry and ample parking which was £6 per vehicle.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written September 22, 2023
  • grumpymum77
    Cottingham, United Kingdom69 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bargain day out
    Amazing exhibits and far more to see than I expected. I didn't visit the art gallery section, art isn't really my thing and we ran out of time. You really need a full day to go round and really see everything. The only downside is the cafe, there was no menu to see what was available, it was rather limited in choice and seemed disorganised. I don't blame the staff for that, they can only work with what they have. Other than that, the staff in all areas of the museum were friendly. Very much worth a visit and the only fees to pay are parking which in itself was quite reasonable.
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 23, 2023
  • Barry C
    Salisbury, United Kingdom60 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent natural history museum and art gallery.
    The National Museum has three main focusses: animal life, palaeontology and art. The largest hall was called Evolution of Wales, covering the geology and palaeontology of Wales up until the end of the ice ages, which was very interesting. At the start, they show examples of the oldest rocks on earth, in the UK and in Wales and from that point, you walk through section by section in chronological order, seeing examples of life forms that lived in Wales. The natural life section shows the plant and animal life in various habitats in Wales, as well as some examples from further afield. Finally, the art galleries on the upper floor has a good selection of historical art - I'm not a great fan of modern art, so it is always a shame for me when space is taken away from expertly produced items of beauty to display things of "originality" instead. Although some of the galleries were closed for repair, there was still plenty of nice things to see up here, including a collection of ceramics. We spent about two hours here, the museum is free of charge.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 29, 2023
  • Malibu_Jenny
    Reading, United Kingdom454 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Absolute Gem!
    This is one not to miss if you’re visiting Cardiff with kids in tow! We were greeted at the door by a really friendly and helpful member of staff, who took the time to talk us through the exhibits and recommended the best route for the limited time we had. The Natural History galleries were spectacular and so interesting. Dinosaurs, wolves, earthquakes, sea shells, a whale skeleton, a shark ready to eat its prey. The depiction of the coal forests - swamps that once covered South Wales - was fascinating. It’s not often that this type of museums showcases something so locally specific. It was a couple of hours very well spent. This combines the attractive slickness of a modern museum with all the natural history elements that children have always been interested in.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written October 29, 2023
  • judemgard
    Shrewsbury, United Kingdom172 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Art on show here is spectacular!
    The paintings and sculptures are thoughtfully and sensitively displayed, and I enjoyed 2 hrs plus of total immersion! The downstairs was overrun with kids but looked great too. There’s a good shop and cafe as you’d expect!
    Visited November 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 5, 2023
  • Paul F
    Chesterfield, United Kingdom4,632 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Art collection!
    All round a fantastic museum with a world classic Arts gallery filled with local and international pieces from some of the world most renowned Artists. The Musuems Architecture is grand, opulent and gives a real sense of space as you wonder around. The natural history, Geology and animal sections are very well put together and don't look tired. Cafe in the central aatrium is lovely
    Visited September 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written November 12, 2023
  • Charlom1
    Cardiff, United Kingdom28 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Interesting couple of hours
    Beautiful building, evolution of Wales and natural history sections interesting but in need of updating with more scope for interactive exhibits. Cafe and Oriel restaurant both disappointing - no food in the Oriel restaurant just before 12 and no menu in the foyer restaurant with an odd display of sandwiches with no descriptions. There could also be better signposting as to what’s on near the main entrance.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled with family
    Written February 18, 2024
  • Selma
    Dublin, Ireland28 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Museum at the centre of Cardiff
    This is a beautiful building with a fascinating museum. The museum is free to visit but sometimes special exhibitions inside are paid. There are natural history as well as art exhibits here and one can easily spend two to three hours taking it all in.
    Visited March 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 1, 2024
  • Michael B
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Art of the Selfie
    Congratulations to the NMW for the Art of the Selfie exhibition. Although and understandably, relatively small in number, the pieces chosen form an interesting, diverse and inspiring collection. Many may well go solely to see the Vincent Van Gogh painting which is sited opposite the door and is the first piece to be seen on entering the room. Siting it so does tend to remove any aspect of anticipation for the visitor but that shouldn't detract from the experience. For what it's worth, I found my first visit to the exhibition to be almost an emotional experience. No matter how many times I had seen the painting on some sort of screen or in a magazine etc, seeing it in person and being able to get close enough to see the detail, intricacy and intimacy of the brush strokes, provoked a response in me that was something I wasn't prepared for. And, as much as I found the Van Gogh wonderful, I found the Francis Bacon painting unexpectedly breathtaking and beautiful. Hope that all doesn't sound too pompous or precious!
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 2, 2024
  • M L
    6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    More Waterlilies
    I always love to see every towns Art Museum and Gallery and this was no disappoint. With art spanning from 1900 to modern, there was something for everyone. I hope it doesn’t close. Cardiff is a large Welsh city, it doesn’t really have much going for it as a tourist destination, but this and the castle and a quick visit to a Cardiff Bay can justify spending a day there.
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written April 16, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles2,742 reviews
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753
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Terrible
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Ali
15 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2021 • Couples
We booked tickets to visit and assumed that this would mean that there would be a limited number of people visiting at the same time. However, this was not the case and the museum was actually pretty busy despite this. There was also a one way system in place as part of the COVID measures, but the staff were not monitoring the flow of people, meaning we quite often reached huddles of people around some of the exhibits (especially in the dinosaur area). This not only made us feel uncomfortable for reasons associated with social distancing, but also meant that there were a number of times during which we were unable to see some of the exhibits very well.

Despite this, we did enjoy walking around and seeing the variety of pieces held at the museum. We particularly enjoyed the photography exhibition and the Italian paintings.

We felt that more could be done to make the museum an interactive experience as the natural history section mainly consisted of lots of rocks coupled with signs to read. It was interesting in the beginning, but did become repetitive.

Overall, we enjoyed our visit but I don't think that we will be returning soon, unless there is an exhibit that is of interest to us. However, considering that the trip was free, I would say that it is worth a visit and with the castle so close by, you could make a day of it.
Written September 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

anneG3095UF
Aberystwyth, UK10 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
We were told to allow 2 hours to see everything but took 4 & we still didn’t finish in the art gallery. We would go back another time. Had a coffee in foyer but didn’t go in restaurant. Wet day so carried our raincoats etc all round with us then on the way out noticed there are lockers. Free to get in so we made a donation. Good day out.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Emma B
Cardiff, UK55 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Friends
I love this building and spent a lot of time here when i was a child. I love how real everything seems which certainly brings history to life as cheesy as it sounds. The sheer size of each section and vast amount of interesting articfacts inside was super impressive before i left wales and saw more. There is a cafe on site and some kind of room to accommodate school trips/learning as well as another gallery which constantly changes its feature. I could still spend hours in here and not have seen everything probably. I would highly recommned for a day out, tourists, families,cute dates, just stuck in town on a rainy day. Can be reached by bus/train, nowhere to park close by usually without paying. Free entrance and disabled access also.
Written February 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

HistoricHotelFan
Philadelphia, PA107 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
On my 1st visit to the museum, I was there from 10:15 AM to 1:15 PM including lunch on the main floor cafe. The prices for the sandwich, carrot cake, and beverage were too overpriced. I would have liked to have tried local specialties in the downstairs restaurant, but that was still Pandemic closed. I suppose that the overpriced lunch was worth it since the museum is free & there is free Wifi. There were some interesting exhibits upstairs in the Art galleries, but I found most fascinating the Natural History galleries! Staff in the Natural History galleries were also very enthusiastic & knowledgeable, even asked if I had seen certain items like the moon rock. Don't visit expecting much great art, but if you like Natural History, this museum is a must-see!
Written June 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

H3373CBmichaelj
Northamptonshire, UK50 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We went mainly to catch a glimpse of Dippy the Dinosaur that was at the museum for a few more days at the time of our visit. This is an excellent museum particularly in the sections showing geology and fossils. They have a small piece of rock collected from the surface of the moon and a huge number of samples of other rock types from the wider Wales. We were there for about 3 hours and actually needed a lot more time as we didn't get to see the art sections.
Written January 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

John A
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We came here twice during a short visit to Cardiff and probably spent about 4 hours looking at displays.
We particularly enjoyed the display about the geological history of Wales, which made a very complicated subject much easier to understand.
We were also stimulated by the extensive art collection, which includes some very famous French Impressionist paintings,
And we spent time looking at three very different photography displays.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

One_of_the_BOFs
Cheltenham, UK7,020 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
We occupied our morning here before the train journey home after an overnight stay in Cardiff and were both very impressed with the high quality of the displays. Dippy was obviously the star attraction for young children, but some of the permanent exhibitions are amazing, especially the impressionist artwork donated by the Davies sisters.
An absolute 'must go to' for anyone spending time in the city!
Written January 30, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

hayfield35
Bradford on Avon Wilts38 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
This was a 3 or 4 hour visit (with a light lunch in between activities) for two wrinklies. The parking alongside the building - sadly obscured by scaffolding - was easy enough and a satnav takes you right there.
Friendly receptionists indicate where to go in this magnificent space. Evolution and history and dinosaurs and woolly mammoths downstairs and art and ceramics upstairs. What I liked was the careful selection of masterpieces so that every period and genre were represented. No shortage of big names - Picasso ceramics, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, Velasquez and more modern art to take us into the 20th century. The Davies sisters' collection is particularly fine.
There is a useful coffee shop and a friendly café downstairs.
Look out for fabulous 15th and 16th century ceramics and silver.
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cerys T
Cardiff, UK90 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020
Let's be honest, there's not an awful lot to do out there at the moment is there! So I thought I'd make my first visit to the museum in over 20 years. Covid guidelines means that it's now on a ticket system to keep numbers small, so if you don't have a ticket, you're not getting in. Tickets are easily booked via the website and are still free, so no issues.

Lots on renovation work going on at the moment, can't be helped. Certain attractions have obviously been cornered off and made redundant as to be expected. So the whole experience probably isn't as 'interactive' as you might remember from a visit 6 months ago, but still well worth going. It's just as educational and interesting there, you're just done a wee bit quicker.

The shops in the center of the foyre are the only ones open, I picked up a couple of bits and there are signs up not to handle merchandise if possible. The restaraunt is open, I didn't need to visit it though so can't comment. It's a free afternoon out to support your local arts and culture, get down there 😊
Written November 21, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Reed6772
Deal, UK27 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2020
Great museum and free to the public, but booking online is a must or you won't gain entry. Excellent that they have managed to reopen to the public again due to COVID-19. There are restrictions in place so you can not see the whole museum and they expect you to see all exhibits within an hour, which to me is not quite long enough. But still a great place to explore.
Written August 29, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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