Press Releases
Big Pit hits another Big milestone
Date:
2009-05-13On Friday 15 May Big Pit: National Coal Museum is expecting to welcome its 3-millionth visitor since it opened its doors to the public twenty-six years ago. The special visitor will be greeted with a memorable souvenir to mark the occasion.
Many factors have contributed to the increase in popularity of Big Pit over the past ten years, including the Welsh Assembly Government backed free entry policy introduced in 2001 and subsequent multi-million pound improvement to the visitor experience.
Peter Walker, Keeper of Big Pit said: "Reaching this milestone is important to Big Pit because it marks the increased success over the last ten years, where we have been consistently exceeding visitor records and winning awards for our exceptional visitor experience.
"The underground tour has always been very popular, but the recent Welsh Assembly Government and Heritage Lottery Fund sponsored redevelopment has given us surface buildings and exhibitions to be equally proud of. This development has helped us achieve such accolades as winning the Gulbenkian Prize for Museum of the Year, being named the UK's best interactive museum and Wales' favourite national treasure."
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.