Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Pinal Airpark
Note the chrysanthemum crests.
Hachiman Bridge
Clarendon War Memorial.
Clarendon War Memorial
This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.
Gai Tord Jae Kee
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Wales Saint Fagans St. Fagans National History Museum

St. Fagans National History Museum

Stroll through Welsh history in a village of reconstructed structures.

Saint Fagans, Wales

Added By
Douglas
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Excavated, reconstructed 16th century cottage   Douglas Worley
Reproduction Iron Age village   Douglas Worley
20th century factory built tract housing, moved to St. Fagans.   Douglas Worley
Old post office   ggrobertson50 / Atlas Obscura User
The Cockpit - late 17th century. It once stood in the yard of the Hawk & Buckle Inn, Denbigh   SomersetGirl / Atlas Obscura User
  SomersetGirl / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

St. Fagans is home to the Welsh National History Museum, a three dimensional outdoor museum where visitors can take a first-hand look at buildings representing Welsh history and culture from across the ages.

The goal of the Welsh National History Museum is to represent the original look and feel of these houses that people like you and me lived in hundreds to thousands of years ago. Like any historic site or cultural museum, school buses full of ten-year-olds are commonplace.

Many of the structures at St. Fagans are historic and have been excavated, moved and rebuilt to exacting standards to give the best possible interpretation to visitors. One of the most powerful elements of this museum is the ability to walk inside and touch the buildings, including the wooden support beams that were felled when King Henry VIII was looking for his next wife.

Even the gardens attached to each of the houses are period; using heirloom breeds of crops that are no longer common but would have likely been used by the inhabitants of the house. Other structures like the Iron Age village, are reproductions, but they are based on the archaeological record and are impressive in their detail.

Regardless of the individual structure, the interpreters are knowledgeable and patient, and scattered across the grounds to answer questions. They have extensive knowledge about the buildings, Welsh history and language, ancient technology like how the paddle wheel gristmill works, or how to make a basket out of plants growing outside in the garden.

Inside the modern museum building are a series of galleries and exhibitions as well as a large restaurant and shop. 

It would be easy to make a full day of exploring the museum and surrounding area that features the Parish Church of St. Mary and the site of the English Civil War Battle of St. Fagans. Across Crost Y Genau Road (out the front gate from the castle grounds) and up a bit is Plymouth Arms Pub, a nice spot to have lunch and a pint before heading back.

A restored pub will be opening on site in 2024, adjacent to the fish and chip shop. 

Related Tags

Museums Open Air Architectural Oddities Eccentric Homes Mazes Repositories Of Knowledge Ruins Architecture Homes

Know Before You Go

Parking at the site is a flat rate of £6 per vehicle, which is good value for money for families, as entry is free. 

By bus from Cardiff Central Bus Station (at the main rail stop) Coach Stand D3 offers buses 32 and 322 that go directly to St. Fagans.

Much of the site is level and accessible (except upstairs in the historic buildings), although the outdoor museum and castle grounds are vast, which might affect some people with limited mobility. 

Community Contributors

Added By

Claymore

Edited By

jooniur, rbenn250, SomersetGirl, ggrobertson50

  • jooniur
  • rbenn250
  • SomersetGirl
  • ggrobertson50

Published

December 21, 2011

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_St_Fagans
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_Fagans_National_History_Museum
St. Fagans National History Museum
St. Fagans
Saint Fagans, Wales, CF5 6EA
United Kingdom
51.486944, -3.272611
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Castell Coch (The Red Castle)

Tongwynlais, Wales

miles away

The Pumping Station

Cardiff, Wales

miles away

The Arab Room at Cardiff Castle

Cardiff, Wales

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wales

Wales

United Kingdom

Places 136
Stories 21

Nearby Places

Castell Coch (The Red Castle)

Tongwynlais, Wales

miles away

The Pumping Station

Cardiff, Wales

miles away

The Arab Room at Cardiff Castle

Cardiff, Wales

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wales

Wales

United Kingdom

Places 136
Stories 21

Related Places

  • Rome, Italy

    Porta Alchemica

    An alchemist's "magic door" stands in the middle of a Roman park.

  • Melnik, Bulgaria

    Historic Melnik

    This tiny Bulgarian town offers a stunning location in the mountains and a storied history.

  • Sudogda, Russia

    Muromtzevo Castle

    Abandoned castle was once a grand example of Russian privilege, built exclusively to win a frivolous bet between noblemen.

  • Wallachia, Romania

    Poenari Castle

    The legendary cliffside castle of three-time Voivode of Wallachia, Vlad the Impaler.

  • 2020-10-28

    Cefalù, Italy

    Aleister Crowley's Abbey of Thelema

    Where Aleister Crowley taught magick in "La Chambre Des Cauchemars," his "Chamber of Nightmares."

  • Sasamón, Spain

    Museo Salaguti

    Salaguti's live-in museum: a fortress against criticism and consumer art.

  • Magic Garden

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia's Magic Gardens

    A layered tribute to the work of mosaicist Isaiah Zagar.

  • The bright yellow front of Yusupov Palace.

    Saint Petersburg, Russia

    Rasputin Museum at Yusupov Palace

    Palace where the nearly un-killable Rasputin was murdered.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.