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Trip Planner:   Europe  /  UK  /  Wales  /  North Wales  /  Snowdonia National Park  /  Llanberis  /  National Slate Museum

National Slate Museum, Llanberis

4.7
#1 of 8 in Museums in Snowdonia National Park
Must see · History Museum · Museum
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Inside the disused 19th-century workshops where miners once toiled is National Slate Museum. The museum is part of the National Museum of Wales and sits along the European Route of Industrial Heritage. Inside the workshops, refurbished rooms set up to evoke the quarryman's daily life. Learn the history of slate and the process by which it's mined. The heavy slate was transported between buildings by the water-powered tram still functioning in the courtyard. A visit to National Slate Museum represents just the start of the adventure when you use our Llanberis trip tool to plot your vacation.
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National Slate Museum reviews

TripAdvisor traveler rating
TripAdvisor traveler rating 4.5
2,054 reviews
Google
4.7
TripAdvisor
  • A great free museum which was a good day out. Many things indoors to view with knowledgable craftsman demonstrating their skills. If you time your visit to coincide with the talks and historic video.....  more
    A great free museum which was a good day out. Many things indoors to view with knowledgable craftsman demonstrating their skills. If you time your visit to coincide with the talks and historic video.....  more »
  • We had journey on the narrow gauge railway so decided to visit the museum on our return journey. There is no charge to visit the museum but most people leave a donation in the shop on the way out... 
    We had journey on the narrow gauge railway so decided to visit the museum on our return journey. There is no charge to visit the museum but most people leave a donation in the shop on the way out...  more »
  • Stopped here whilst on holiday and it was great. Watched the intro video and then wondered around the site which was full of information and examples of the industry. Great place to start a few walks....  more
    Stopped here whilst on holiday and it was great. Watched the intro video and then wondered around the site which was full of information and examples of the industry. Great place to start a few walks....  more »
Google
  • Really interesting place to visit, loved learning about slate mining in Wales. Plenty to see, really enjoyed the trip back in time visiting the miners cottages. The staff were very friendly and informative. The cafe was very good, the soup was delicious. There is a nice gift shop with a reasonable range of items. Entry to the museum is free.
  • Thought provoking museum with lots of static exhibits and live displays, giving an insight into the Welsh slate industry and the lives of those it employed. The three miners' cottages, large water wheel and workshops were fascinating to see. While there wasn't the same level of signage and information boards as in some other museums, the extent to which the workshops and equipment had been preserved gave a real sense of the working conditions people would have faced. Parking is paid but entry to the museum is free.
  • We visited the Llanberis national slate museum recently. It was our second visit to the museum. Its such an interesting place. Upon arrival the staff are very welcoming and offer a free guide leaflet listing all the interesting parts of the museum. You get a real sense of hard the working life was of the slate miners. There is a café located on this site. We stopped over for coffee and cakes 🎂. This museum is well situated close to the centre of Llanberis a short walk 🚶‍♀️ from all the local amenities. You must definitely pop in . It's free but please offer a donation to support the upkeep. We had an excellent visit 😀 👍🏻
  • Visited in August 2019, when I had my holiday in Wales. I spent a whole day in Llanberis, taking the railway to the summit and look around in the village. To be honest, it wasn't the best museum I've seen, but at some point was interesting. Even to see tools they used a few decades ago or see the photos and videos, the decorated showrooms, was shocking, pulled me back in time , when people had more difficult life than we have nowadays. Seeing that extremely heavy work and the conditions those people worked in, the almost nothing health and safety really made me feel sad about them. We should appreciate better what we have today: easier jobs and lifestyle. True that we can learn there a lot about mining and good that it is free.
  • Brilliant! A large museum at Llanberis with various demos and lots of information and examples of the former slate mine operations. There's a huge waterwheel (overshot?) - with stairs or a lift to get up to it, also various workers cottages and loads of patterns for the foundry. Great cafe too. Free entry but donation boxed are placed around the site. Bonus - it's on the same site where the lakeside train sets off from. Parking is nearby, £5-ish for the day. Toilets are very clean and free. A great day out!

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