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 (also known as Amgueddfa Caerdydd in Welsh) is a cool museum in Cardiff, Wales. It shows you all about the city's amazing history! The museum first opened its doors on April 1, 2011, and guess what? It's completely free to visit! Inside, you'll find about 3,000 interesting items. Many of these special objects were given by people who live or used to live in Cardiff.
History of the Museum of Cardiff
The Old Library Building
The Museum of Cardiff is located in a historic building called the Old Library. You can find it at the top end of The Hayes street. This building first opened way back in 1882. Back then, it was known as the Cardiff Free Library, Museum, and Schools for Science and Art. It even had an art gallery!
The schools moved out in 1890. The main library then moved to a brand new building in 1988. This left the Old Library building open for new uses.
Creating the Cardiff Story Museum
After the Cardiff Centre for Visual Arts closed in 2000, the city council wanted to find a new, permanent use for the Old Library. They thought a museum about Cardiff's history would be perfect.
Experts studied the idea in 2002. They found that a museum focusing on the last 200 years of Cardiff's growth would be very popular. They also suggested it should be interactive, with lots of fun things for kids to do, like using sound and film.
Many people in Cardiff were excited about the idea. A survey showed that over 80% of citizens would likely visit a museum about their city's history.
Cardiff celebrated its 100th birthday as a city in 2005. This helped fund the first museum exhibitions. One popular show, Cardiff’s Century, showed how the city changed from 1905 to 2005. Over 20,000 people visited it! These early exhibitions were based on real people's stories and had interactive parts.
In 2006, the local newspaper, the South Wales Echo, started a campaign called Our Cardiff Museum. They asked readers what they wanted to see in the new museum. People shared their ideas and even offered objects and stories.
Many different groups helped plan the museum. They discussed what the museum should be about, who it was for, and how it should look. Public meetings were held in 2008 to get more ideas from everyone. All these suggestions helped shape the final museum design.
New Name: Museum of Cardiff
In 2019, the Cardiff Story Museum changed its name to the Museum of Cardiff. This new name was chosen after asking the public for their opinions.
Past Exhibitions and Displays
Before it officially became a full museum, the Old Library building hosted several interesting exhibitions. These shows helped test out ideas for the future museum.
Moving Stories: 1905–2005
The very first exhibition was Moving Stories 1905–2005. It attracted nearly 17,000 visitors in six months.
Cardiff's War: 1939–1945
In January 2006, the Cardiff’s War: 1939–1945 exhibition opened. It showed what life was like in Cardiff during World War II. Over 10,000 people visited in just six weeks.
River and Rail
River and Rail opened in October 2006. This exhibition explored how famous engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel helped shape Cardiff with his railway and dock projects.
Roots to Cardiff
From February to June 2007, Roots to Cardiff told stories about different communities in the city. It even featured a real Gypsy caravan! This show highlighted the long history of Gypsy families in Cardiff.
Bats, Boots and Balls
Bats, Boots and Balls celebrated the highs and lows of sport in Cardiff. It closed in November 2007 after more than 14,000 visits. Visitors could even vote for Cardiff's Sporting Great. The winner was Colin Jackson, a famous athlete.
Fury of the Waters
The Fury of the Waters exhibition opened in December 2007. It looked at how Cardiff faced floods, especially the Great Flood of 1607. It explored whether it was a tsunami or a storm. The exhibition also featured the skeleton of Billy the Seal, a local legend.
When We Were Young
When We Were Young: growing up in Cardiff opened in July 2008. This exhibition shared stories about what it was like to grow up in Cardiff over the past 150 years. It covered school, work, playtime, and home life.
Grand Opening
The Cardiff Story museum officially opened its doors in April 2011. Its first big exhibition was called Big Little City. This show featured memories, stories, and photos sent in by local people. The museum was formally opened by the Duchess of Cornwall at the end of June 2011.
