Big Pit National Coal Museum

Big Pit National Coal Museum

Big Pit National Coal Museum
5
Speciality MuseumsHistoric Sites
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Take a unique underground tour of a real coalmine, where hundreds of men, women and children once worked to extract the precious mineral that stoked furnaces and lit the household fires of the world.
Duration: 1-2 hours
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  • Dave H
    South Wales, United Kingdom239 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must do attraction for anyone visiting south Wales seeking a taste of our heritage.
    Visited during half-term having previously visited many years ago. It's a great all weather attraction with plenty to see and do both inside and outside. About as real as it gets during the underground experience and the improvements to topside exhibitions since my last visit are staggering. We took our grandchildren and they loved it. Our guide was superb, very friendly and knowledgeable. Our visit lasted around 3 hours but we rushed through a few things due to another engagement. We'll be back sooner rather than later. Wonderful visit to a huge slice of Welsh coal mining history.
    Visited February 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 February 2024
  • Darcy W
    Gloucestershire, United Kingdom27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent for a History of Welsh Coal mining
    Very informative. All round excellent experience. The underground trip is a must. Our underground guide (Martin) was exceptionally knowledgable. Unfortunately he is retiring in a few weeks. Make sure you visit the King Coal mining experience and the Pit Heads bath exhibition. Well worth a visit and its free!
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 March 2024
  • Kazza K
    London, United Kingdom58 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Excellent place to visit
    Excellent place to visit. Very informative and the opportunity to go down the mine shouldn’t be missed. We visited when there were lots of school groups so queue system was a bit haphazard but well worth the wait.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 March 2024
  • steve945
    Birmingham, United Kingdom6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Big Pit
    What an amazing visit to the Big Pit, even in the rain. Tom our guide was exceptional in his knowledge of the workings of the mine, and explained it all in a professional yet funny way. He made it so enjoyable. All staff at various locations around the workings were so pleasant to talk to , and with their knowledge.made it an incredible experience. Many thanks to you all.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 29 March 2024
  • peterbrooks17
    High Wycombe, United Kingdom11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Experience
    Brilliant experience with an Amazing guide Mark. So informative and funny. Visited many years ago with my children returned with three grandchildren ages 17 to 11. They loved it. All friendly staff a place not to be missed
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 2 April 2024
  • wild_kayak
    Reading, United Kingdom70 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great place and don’t forget the Heritage town near by
    Great place. The underground tour was excellent. Ours was lead by a former miner what shared great information. The inside authentic and is as it was left when they stopped mining. Be prepared for some low walk ways! The local town of Blaenavon is a heritage town and is close by and a good example of a mining town. The local fish and chip shop (Heritage Plaice) is excellent for a pick lunch or post visit stop.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 2 April 2024
  • Explorer67229765586
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Brilliant day out.
    Our guide Peter was amazing,with both adults and children. I took my three grandchildren down and he explained everything so well to both adults and children. My grandson Macsen can't wait to go again, but in his words only if Peter takes us haha.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 5 April 2024
  • Morris73
    44 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A must go..
    I had booked for my partner as a surprise as we like to experience lots of different things. The great thing about the Big Pit is you actually do experience being in a coal mine. The history is fantastic, the knowledge from the guides is fabulous, our guide was Steve and we could have spoken to him all day. The section where the pony's were really brought home to us the strain working in that environment. Highly recommended.
    Visited March 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 10 April 2024
  • Dazza996
    Perth, Australia134 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A Very Interesting Free Tour of Coal Mine
    Was an awesome tour. Ian our tour guide was great, he had a good sense of humour and once being an actual worker in the mine was so informative, nothing was too much for him. There were kids on our tour and he got them involved and was so polite and encouraging. It was a real experience walking through the mine with our helmets and headlights on and getting a feel of what it was like 300mtrs below the ground. A lot of ducking our heads also gave you an idea of what it was like and we had a few laughs with hearing some of our helps making contact with the beams. Also amazing to hear about all the horses that worked underground back in the day and how they were looked after better than some of the miners. Overall a great tour and its free, thanks heaps Ian for a great tour and a few laughs along the way 😃 The Aussies, Daryl & Shane Thursday 10th April
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 11 April 2024
  • Mais
    88 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Unforgettable experience and a brilliant cheap day out!
    Had an absolutely brilliant day out at the Big Pit. Parking is £5 for the day and you can pay by contactless when you arrive. When we arrived we went straight for the underground tour and were not disappointed ! It’s off season so we only waited about 20 mins for a tour but I think you can wait a lot longer in the summer but could pay £5 per person to fast track the queue I believe. The tour was great, make sure you’re prepared to have you phone, watch, keys etc locked away for safety so unfortunately no photos underground. Such a fun experience to get kitted up with the hard hat and head lamp to head down 90metres. Our tour guide Mike was brilliant so knowledgable and engaging. Was so interesting to learn about history and some of the science behind the mines. The newer exhibition about mining in the 80s and 90s was also great and very much enjoyed. Views are so nice from the picnic area at the top where we stopped for lunch. It’s a nice walk too down to the town centre where there is an interesting heritage centre. Gift shop has some really nice bits too with things made from coal and also beers from the brewery next door. Definitely a recommended day out.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 April 2024
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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles2,986 reviews
Excellent
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235
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31
Poor
9
Terrible
25

Kelly J
Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2024 • Family
Getting there: easy without SatNav
Entry: free, parking is £5, if you wish to go down the pit then you pay £5.
I was advised to book and the only times are 1130 and 1530(3:30pm) for booking but they do sell tickets if you just turn up. Had i known this I would have probably visited earlier that December 30th 2024.

Tour Guide (cannot remember her name) other than Smithy was very knowledgeable and was very welcoming. She involved everyone and made sure that the retired Coal Miner, Glen George, was recognised for his hard work and dedication as a miner when younger. She was so warm and considerate of his needs. This was a highlight of the trip as being 300ft with someone who had worked in the coal mines and seen the place in action. Respect to him and his family for doing the tour with visitors.

My youngest child (8) enjoys looking at History and finding out information about different things. We spoke about mining one day and now he wanted to be a miner (of diamonds) and I suggested visiting Big Pit Pwll Mawr. As an interracial family living in the UAE this means that not all experiences are available to us.
My both sons armed with warm coats, hat and gloves happily arrived at Big Pit Pwll Mawr. We walked around the exhibits and had discussions on different things.
They questioned why there were no shower curtains and why the men were able to see each other's bottoms 🙉🙈🙊
My sons loved the interactive part with pulling the cart.

We visited the coffee shop to our purchase some snacks and a coffee, we would have stayed longer but needed to go meet family.
The gift shop was small but had a good selection.

Suggestion to Big Pit: add more times to be booked online for customers to purchase.
Written 31 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tom M
Rhyl, UK29 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Family
This is an absolute must visit, so much to see an learn about not just this mine but the mining industry as a whole from pit ponies, to children workers an so much more. As a museum it's free entry of course but we donated £5 each an believe that is a proper bargain for an attraction of this size and importance to welsh cultural history. We were lucky to get a fella called Steve for our underground tour (which is also well worth the £5 fee they've had to introduce due to funding cuts.) on our underground tour Steve was fun but informative with genuine passion for what he talked about he was knowledgeable of course an kept the flow of the tour really well. Engaging the whole group with ease at all times including my 8 and 11yr old daughters who haven't stopped talking about it since, wow Steve thats amazing 👏🏻. After the tour there is lots of other areas to see and explore but be prepared as the path is all up hill though however worth the effort to see some of the exzibits up there. There is a nice little cafe in the lower area and a canteen at the too (which was closed today, I'm not sure when it'll be open)

We absolutely loved our day at the big pit we spent some money in the gift shop on the way out including 2 penny press coins which we always love and I even donated on the auto £5 card reader machine which is a very convenient way to be able to do it if you don't have cash.

Parking is £5 but considering you don't actually have to pay to go I think that is fair tbh.

If you get in the lift.,... sorry cage definitely not a lift or an elevator and the guide introduces himself as Steve you are in for a real treat for sure. Not that the others arent great too everyone we spoke to or were in contact with was spot on.

10/10 MUST VISIT!!!!
Written 19 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Anne C
Llandrindod Wells, UK138 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Couples
I recently visited this wonderful museum with my hoomans. It was a cold January day but was made to feel most welcome. Entrance is free and there is a small cafe serving a limited menu. Tip: bring a packed lunch

Unfortunately the shop was closed and I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t bring home a companion Butty Bear. I need not have worried though as there was a lovely lady, Emma Long who was in charge of the King Coal Mining Experience and she said she would find a way for me to purchase him. Emma was very knowledgeable about the museum having personal connections to the area.

I didn’t go on the mining tour as it wasn’t running that day. The Pit Head Baths Exhibition was very informative explaining what life would be like as a miner and his family.

We will be coming back to revisit in the springtime - thank you again to Emma and the lady who enabled me to bring my bear friend home.
Written 22 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Iain B
1 contribution
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Family
Have visited 20+ times over as many years and this time things were different sadly. Stung for parking, then stung again for an entry fee. Obviously this is normally expected, but knowing the funding stream of the attraction it feels odd to have to pay. Sat in the waiting room for 90 minutes as large school parties and other 'groups' came in after us and were able to jump the queue. The tour was good, our guide was very chatty and knowledgeable and looks to be the next generation of passing the knowledge on to visitors. The tour did however feel like a shorter route to normal. Once out we would normally head straight up to the canteen for a hot meal before doing the rest of the museum but we were disappointed to find that it was closed. The new cafe had a very small variety of sandwiches which wasn't what we were after. We straight lined to the exit and likely won't return.
Written 23 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Timberdog
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Family
Simply love this place. Must've been 15 times in last 10 years if not more. Living in the Welsh valleys for the last 14 years I've been fascinated with it's industrial past. Every time I come I learn more about the past of this place. My daughter loves coming with. As all museums in Wales (England take note) it is free apart from parking, well free until July 20th this year when they will start charging. They so need to as I can imagine nothing more authentic that this mine tour. The history regarding kids as young as 5 working as 'trappers' always makes my spine tingle with regard the tough practises from way back when. Do visit, do leave a cash gift/eat in the cafe/buy from the shop as places like this need to stay open.
Written 7 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ben
Newport, UK47 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Business
Every Welsh person should experience our industrial mining heritage once, and big pit is an incredibly valuable way to do this, from the above ground museum pieces in multiple buildings to the underground mine tour. Such an excellent and educational experience.

A few tiny comments on some areas not being fully open and the cafe taking an age to make a coffee (and being quite abrupt when I’d asked how long it would roughly take, after 10-15 minutes of waiting), but would recommend a visit here to everyone. Thanks to our guide too for being both knowledgeable and entertaining!
Written 28 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mrs J Car
Greater London, UK36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2024 • Family
Awesome place to visit, shame we couldn’t get down the pit due to lift failure. But the guide for the mock-up tour was good. Lots of Welsh modern history learnt. Parking is £5.

Can also walk to the Big Pit train station and surrounding few bits and pieces for photos!
Written 25 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

mikehoare@sky.com
Hampshire, UK115 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
We were very lucky, arriving at 3.15 for the last underground tour of the day at 3.30. There were just us two and two other ladies. Entry is free but parking is £5.00. Our guide collected us and fitted us with our helmets, lamps and respirators. You have to hand over anything electrical/battery operated such as mobiles, fitbits, car key fobs for safety reasons and these are returned when you leave. Our guide was an ex-miner, courteous and informative. The tour is about 45 minutes and thoroughly enjoyable. If the underground tour was reviewed separately, it would be 5 star but as it is reviewed with the rest of the museum which is not very inspiring and poorly maintained, I've scored it as 4. The gift shop on the way out is overpriced which is a shame - I'm sure these places would make more profit if they lowered their prices and visitors would actually buy something.
Written 17 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Welshkiwi79
Nelson, New Zealand28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Great place. Very informative and sobering to see the conditions people were expected to work in. The tours are a queuing system and run every 15 mins or so. They have around 4 groups underground at one time so the queue does move fairly quickly. You can buy a ticket for a specific day/time if you prefer. Our tour was led by a ex miner who was very friendly and experienced. The baths exhibition was very well done and well worth a look.
Took my kids 4 and 7. It states on the website that kids need to be over 1m tall and be able to carry 5kg of equipment through the mine but I think this may not be relevant now. My 4yr old was given a smaller battery pack for her helmet which weighed much less than 5kg and she carried it all the way around with no problems.
Free entry and just £5 for car parking. Donation boxes dotted around.
Cafe serving sandwiches, home made soup/cawl, hot meals, tea, coffee etc.
Would highly recommend this place to understand what the miners faced everyday.
Written 5 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Catherine Rose
Caerphilly, UK72 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2024 • Friends
It gave me great insight and compassion for those that worked in mining communities. I had no idea about the difficulties and dangers they endured. The whole family had to work twelve hours a day to earn a significant income. They could only afford a candle for one member in the family, the rest had to work in total darkness. The only education they had was Sunday School with the Bible.

You cannot take anything battery operated into the mine, you had to leave watches, panic alarms and phones with the staff. I felt there could have been a better system than tossing them into a tote bag. But that was my only concern.

The experience completely changed my view of those working in mines and I would highly recommend. I felt a bit anxious over half way through but the staff were helpful and encouraging. Please note that the passageway does get progressively lower and darker as you go through.
Written 16 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BIG PIT NATIONAL COAL MUSEUM (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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