Families

There's plenty for families and children to enjoy at National Museum Cardiff, whenever you visit and whatever your interests!

A firm family favourite is our

Evolution of Wales gallery where you can journey through time, from the Big Bang and the formation of the earth. You will see moon rock, meteorites, volcanoes, dinosaurs, trilobites and woolly mammoths - up close!

You can also explore the Natural History of Wales, through woodlands and to the seashores in the

Natural History galleries. See if you can spot the basking shark, the fox, the hump-backed whale and the world's largest leatherback turtle! Which animal is your favourite?

The

Art galleries are home to amazing paintings, drawings and sculpture from the last 500 years. Take a look - and remember to collect an activity booklet to help you explore the collections.

Don't miss the Clore Discovery Centre where you can open up the drawers to discover and handle hundreds of museum objects. Investigate bronze age weapons, dinosaur bones, tropical insects, or ceramics – whatever takes your interest! Use the microscopes and magnifiers to get the big picture, and if you are a budding scientist or have a treasure at home, bring in your mystery objects and we’ll help you identify them.

In addition to all of this, look out for family trails and activity sheets to help you explore the galleries and make sure you pick up a copy of Whats On which lists all of the family events and activities we hold throughout the year.

If you have any other questions - just ask! Email us at post@museumwales.ac.uk or call 029 2039 7951. We look forward to seeing you soon

Food and Drink

Make yourself at home in our Oriel Restaurant, situated on the lower ground floor. Whether you want to re-fuel you and your little ones with a snack or sit down for lunch as a family, our welcoming restaurant has a menu for all tastes and ages. Choose from a range of sandwiches, home-made soup, hot lunches, cakes, fresh fruit and drinks. Child portions are available for smaller tummies, or you can choose a pick n mix lunch box. Our children’s play area and activity sheets will keep your little ones busy — while you get to finish your lunch!

Our coffee shop is a great spot to relax and take in the atmosphere of the beautiful Main Hall. Here you can enjoy variety of home-made cakes and sandwiches and also hot and cold drinks.

High-chairs are available at both the restaurant and coffee shop. We sell jars of baby food and you can warm your own bottles too — just ask. Baby changing facilities are also available.

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The Museum Shop

Call in to our gift shop which has a section especially for toys, educational material and activity kits. A wide range of books, prints and postcards are also available.

Too much to carry?

Don’t worry about wrestling buggies, bags and coats around the galleries. You can always leave your buggy in our buggy park and we have lockers too which are plenty big enough for all your coats and bags. You’ll just need a £1 coin, which is refundable at the end of your visit. Please note that children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Kids parties

Why not consider hosting your child’s birthday celebration here? There's plenty of entertainment to keep them amused for hours — from dinosaurs to various activities and hands-on fun with museum objects in the Clore Discovery Centre. The catering can be taken care of with a selection of either hot or cold meals, puddings and drinks.