Museum of Cardiff facts for kids
| Amgueddfa Caerdydd | |
.JPG) The entrance to the Museum of Cardiff in January 2016 |
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| Established | 1 April 2011 |
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| Location | The Hayes, Cardiff, Wales |
| Public transit access | Cardiff Central  Cardiff Queen Street Cardiff Bus  1,2,8,9/A,11,12,13,28,29/BCardiff Bus 35,36,38,39,44,45,49,50 |
The Museum of Cardiff (which is Amgueddfa Caerdydd in Welsh) is a fun place in Cardiff, Wales. It shows the amazing history of the city. The museum first opened its doors on April 1, 2011. The best part is that it's completely free to visit! The museum has about 3,000 items. Many of these cool objects were given by people who live in Cardiff.
Contents
History of the Museum Building
The Old Library: A Historic Home
The Museum of Cardiff is located in a special building called the Old Library. This building is at the top end of an area known as The Hayes. It first opened way back in 1882. It was originally called the Cardiff Free Library, Museum and Schools for Science and Art. It even had an art gallery inside!
The Schools of Science and Art moved out in 1890. They went to buildings that were part of the University College. The main library then moved to a new building in 1988. This left the Old Library building open for new uses.
Creating the Cardiff Story Museum
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After the library moved, Cardiff Council wanted to find a new purpose for the Old Library. They wanted to create something special for the city. In 2002, experts looked into the idea of a "Living Museum of Cardiff." They thought it would attract about 130,000 visitors each year if it was free.
They decided the museum should be in the city center. It needed to focus on the last 200 years of Cardiff's growth. Most importantly, it had to be interactive and have fun things for kids to do. This included sounds and films.
Many people in Cardiff were excited about the idea. A survey showed that over 80% of citizens would likely visit a museum about Cardiff's history.
In 2005, Cardiff celebrated being a city for 100 years. This helped fund the museum project's first exhibitions. One popular exhibition was Moving Stories, which showed how Cardiff changed from 1905 to 2005. Over 20,000 people visited it! These early shows were based on real people's stories. They were educational and interactive.
In 2006, the South Wales Echo newspaper started a campaign called Our Cardiff Museum. They asked readers what they wanted to see in the museum. People shared their ideas and even offered objects and stories. This showed strong support for the new museum.
By 2008, the plans for the museum were almost complete. Many suggestions from the public were included in the designs.
The Museum of Cardiff Today
In 2019, the Cardiff Story Museum changed its name to the Museum of Cardiff. This new name came after people shared their thoughts in a public survey.
In early 2023, there was a discussion about the museum's future. Some ideas suggested moving it out of the Old Library. However, many people protested, wanting the museum to stay. Because of this, the council decided to keep the museum in its historic home. A new five-year agreement for the building was made in July 2023.
Past Exhibitions at the Museum
Before it officially opened as the Museum of Cardiff, the building hosted several interesting exhibitions.
- Moving Stories 1905–2005: This was the first exhibition for the Cardiff Museum Project. It ran for six months and had over 16,000 visitors.
- Cardiff’s War: 1939–1945: This exhibition in January 2006 showed what Cardiff was like during World War II. Over 10,000 people visited in just six weeks.
- River and Rail: This show, which opened in October 2006, explored how the famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel helped shape Cardiff.
- Roots to Cardiff: From February to June 2007, this exhibition shared stories of people who came to Cardiff. It even featured a Gypsy caravan!
- Bats, Boots and Balls: This exhibition, which closed in November 2007, celebrated the highs and lows of sports in Cardiff. Visitors voted for their favorite Cardiff sporting hero. The winner was Colin Jackson.
- Fury of the Waters: This exhibition opened in December 2007. It looked at how Cardiff dealt with floods, including the Great Flood of 1607. It even featured the skeleton of Billy the Seal!
- When We Were Young: This exhibition opened in July 2008. It shared stories about growing up in Cardiff over the last 150 years. It covered school, work, and home life.
Official Opening
The Cardiff Story Museum officially opened in April 2011. Its first exhibition was called Big Little City. This show featured memories, stories, and photos sent in by local people. The museum was officially opened by the Duchess of Cornwall in June 2011.
