Press Releases

Since opening its doors in April 1983, Big Pit has welcomed nearly 3 million visitors. It has told the story of the coal industry in Wales, and has also borne witness to the struggles and demise of the once great industry.

Peter Walker, Mine Manager said:

"When Big Pit opened nobody ever believed how soon this industry would more or less disappear and we are proud to help keep the stories of miners and their families alive. We have been through difficult times but in the last ten years we have completely redeveloped the colliery site, been named as the UK's favourite museum and had our Pithead Baths voted as Wales's favourite national treasure.

"Big Pit has remained so successful because visitors get to meet real miners and hear stories first hand about what working life and home life was like in the mining valleys. We are now the most-visited tourist attraction in the greater Gwent area and welcome over 155,000 visitors every year from all corners of the globe."

To mark the 25th anniversary Big Pit is hosting a weekend of celebrations for the local community on 5 and 6 April between 11 am and 4 pm. Activities include community displays, talks and tours, book launches and signings, the final of the ‘Create Big Pit's Anniversary Cheese' competition in partnership with Blaenafon cheddar company and food writer and broadcaster Angela Gray, live outside broadcast with Valleys Radio, ‘Coming Home' an exhibition of photographs from yesteryear by local photographer Walter Waygood, performances by chorus members from the Welsh National Opera as well as a free shuttle bus running over the weekend between Big Pit, the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway, the Blaenavon Ironworks and the newly opened World Heritage Site Visitor Centre.     

Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales operates seven national museums across Wales. These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront museum, Swansea.

Entry to each museum is free thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.