National Coal Mining Museum
National Coal Mining Museum
National Coal Mining Museum
5
Monday
Closed
Tuesday
Closed
Wednesday
9:45 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:45 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:45 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:45 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:45 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Explore Caphouse, a modern colliery which witnessed more than two hundred years of coal production. Hear stories directly from former-miners about their careers and understand the roles men, women, children, animals and machinery played in the operation of the mine. Then let off steam in the Adventure Playground
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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5.0
4,234 reviews
Excellent
3,738
Very good
410
Average
54
Poor
8
Terrible
24
stella e
1 contribution
Jul 2024 • Family
What an absolutely fantastic day out and experience all round. This is the fourth time we have been in about three years and absolutely love it here. Each time we visit we try and book the underground mind tour which I cannot recommend enough. The reason we keep doing the tour is not only to support this museums cause, but because each miner that takes you on the tour has a very different story to tell. The guides are clearly extremely passionate about their time as miners and make the experience truly memorable for adults and more so, the children. My son was 5 when he first went down, this last weekend he was 7. (Recommend wearing warmer items or clothing, even if it's hot outside, it's much cooler down there. We out jumpers on and my son changed out of shorts into joggers.
We did the 3pm tour on Sunday 21st July,2024.
Our guide, I believe was called David. He was fab and I wish I'd got his photo with my boy and group. His stories, the history and tour were excellent. I was laughing so much I almost had a coughing fit 🤣 he's still a young lad at heart especially when reminiscing about working with his fellow miners.
Staff on reception are wonderful and knowledgeable.
There is a great outdoor playground for the kids. During the summer holidays there is a "beach area" where the kids can play in the sand and make sandcastles. There is a cafe outside next to here.
You can visit the pony's whilst also do some crafts (summer holidays)
If coming during the summer there is a £5 car park charge but with this you can travel on the paddy train as many times as you wish (this is usually £2.50)
Honestly, I love this place and intend to keep going and learning and spending more time reading (you need the whole day there and some) as it's jam packed with information.
Keep up the great work. Highly recommend :) ❤️
We did the 3pm tour on Sunday 21st July,2024.
Our guide, I believe was called David. He was fab and I wish I'd got his photo with my boy and group. His stories, the history and tour were excellent. I was laughing so much I almost had a coughing fit 🤣 he's still a young lad at heart especially when reminiscing about working with his fellow miners.
Staff on reception are wonderful and knowledgeable.
There is a great outdoor playground for the kids. During the summer holidays there is a "beach area" where the kids can play in the sand and make sandcastles. There is a cafe outside next to here.
You can visit the pony's whilst also do some crafts (summer holidays)
If coming during the summer there is a £5 car park charge but with this you can travel on the paddy train as many times as you wish (this is usually £2.50)
Honestly, I love this place and intend to keep going and learning and spending more time reading (you need the whole day there and some) as it's jam packed with information.
Keep up the great work. Highly recommend :) ❤️
Written 22 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.
Hans S
22 contributions
Nov 2024 • Family
The National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield, Yorkshire, offers an immersive journey into the heart of coal mining history, led by former miners who share their firsthand experiences. Visitors can descend 140 meters (about 460 feet) into an actual former coal mine in Caphouse Colliery, outfitted with hard hats and lamps. These tours, running for about 75 minutes, take guests through the damp, dark tunnels, where they experience the same pathways that miners used to navigate for generations. As each guide shares unique stories and insights, visitors gain a vivid sense of what life underground was like, including the labor-intensive conditions miners faced from Victorian times through the industrial era.
The museum also provides rich learning opportunities above ground. Families can explore exhibitions on mining’s technological evolution and see the powerful machinery once used in the pits. Visitors are invited to stand on a reinforced glass-topped furnace shaft, peering down to the mine's bottom, or to visit the Miners' Memorial Garden and the museum’s resident pit ponies, which served as vital labor animals underground. Other family-friendly activities include an outdoor playground and interactive displays that make the visit engaging for all ages.
While entrance to the museum is free, the underground tours require a nominal donation, which helps support the museum's preservation efforts. Tours operate Wednesday through Sunday, with pre-booking recommended to secure a spot, especially on weekends and holidays. This journey is both educational and moving, preserving the legacy and resilience of Yorkshire’s mining communities.
For more details on visiting, check the museum's website or guides such as Top Dog Days and the official museum page.
The museum also provides rich learning opportunities above ground. Families can explore exhibitions on mining’s technological evolution and see the powerful machinery once used in the pits. Visitors are invited to stand on a reinforced glass-topped furnace shaft, peering down to the mine's bottom, or to visit the Miners' Memorial Garden and the museum’s resident pit ponies, which served as vital labor animals underground. Other family-friendly activities include an outdoor playground and interactive displays that make the visit engaging for all ages.
While entrance to the museum is free, the underground tours require a nominal donation, which helps support the museum's preservation efforts. Tours operate Wednesday through Sunday, with pre-booking recommended to secure a spot, especially on weekends and holidays. This journey is both educational and moving, preserving the legacy and resilience of Yorkshire’s mining communities.
For more details on visiting, check the museum's website or guides such as Top Dog Days and the official museum page.
Written 2 November 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.
Ian Gearing
Horsham, UK251 contributions
May 2024 • Family
The National Coal Mining Museum is a fascinating look at the UK’s mining heritage. The tour underground is the highlight.. about 1 hour, 140 metres down with a volunteer ex-miner guide who takes you through the history of mining.
In theory you can turn up and go, but it is best to pre-book as on the day we were there it was sold out before lunchtime. The museum itself is free, but you are asked to make a £7.50 per person donation if you want to go underground. For this you get to keep a souvenir “check” used to record that you are in the pit.
Lots of things to see and do with the family, although you have to be over 5 years old to go down the pit.
There is a cafe and small gift shop as well as indoor and outdoor picnic areas.
In theory you can turn up and go, but it is best to pre-book as on the day we were there it was sold out before lunchtime. The museum itself is free, but you are asked to make a £7.50 per person donation if you want to go underground. For this you get to keep a souvenir “check” used to record that you are in the pit.
Lots of things to see and do with the family, although you have to be over 5 years old to go down the pit.
There is a cafe and small gift shop as well as indoor and outdoor picnic areas.
Written 30 May 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.
Gillian M
6 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Very nice day out with lots to interest for family members of all ages. We arrived during the afternoon, so main focus was the tour down the mine. You spend around an hour which involves descending in the lift down to coal face and being walked through the way in which the coal was extracted from the 1800s until the time the mine closed in 1985. Ian D, our guide, had been a miner down the mine so was able to give a real-life feel to the workings in later years. Very informative and engaging, answering questions from our 12 person group of mixed ages (7-70). The only thing missing was genuine sound effects to add to the experience. You need to have a certain amount of mobility to bend low for lift and some low ceiling areas - helmet essential. Quite narrow in places and uneven underfoot. All gave a real feel for what conditions were like!
£5 parking gets you access to the whole site and a ride on the train between the two pit-head areas - not bad for a car-load of 4 adults. The mine tour is available for an additional £7.50 per person donation and you get to keep a souvenir check coin! Well worth the money.
There are "sheds" which house various machinery throughout the site, some with interactive exhibits to re-enforce and entertain. Demonstrations are also available at certain times of the day. There is ample inside and outside picnic facilities as well as a cafe/coffee shop. A very nice site just to wander around, it also has a lovely playground area and "beach" with Sand Pit, Deck Chairs and Beach Huts. All in all a great place to spend the day.
£5 parking gets you access to the whole site and a ride on the train between the two pit-head areas - not bad for a car-load of 4 adults. The mine tour is available for an additional £7.50 per person donation and you get to keep a souvenir check coin! Well worth the money.
There are "sheds" which house various machinery throughout the site, some with interactive exhibits to re-enforce and entertain. Demonstrations are also available at certain times of the day. There is ample inside and outside picnic facilities as well as a cafe/coffee shop. A very nice site just to wander around, it also has a lovely playground area and "beach" with Sand Pit, Deck Chairs and Beach Huts. All in all a great place to spend the day.
Written 19 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.
Sickonthebus
Derbyshire, UK17 contributions
Aug 2024 • Couples
Really enjoyed the visit, Ian D took us down the mine and was funny but very interesting. He helped make what could have been a scary trip down for some light hearted but regularly updated everyone on safety aspects and explained the different eras of mining well. As my grandfather had been a Welsh miner from 1946 to 1979 Ian brought back my memories. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the trip too. A lot of machinery around but also a great little train to get from one part of site to the other. Whilst no more pit ponies around the little horses there were lovely. The displays inside were well presented and men on hand to tell you about their experience as well as explaining various mining methods etc. staff seemed to love being there and talking to visitors. Pit head baths great - sad to see everything gone now but this experience gave a good example of what life was like for so many across the UK. The whole visit was well worth the money and donating seemed the right thing to do to keep our history alive. Food was excellent too. Will be back!
Written 8 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.
Kate M
9 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
Brilliant day out for a multi generational family outing. The underground tour was excellent - led by Ian - who gave an educational tour with additions of his personal experience from working down the mines. Cafe is reasonable and the site was accessible for the member of our party who needed to borrow a wheelchair. Children aged 10,9,8,6,5,2 found it very engaging.
Written 20 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.
JTJD
United Kingdom1,058 contributions
Sept 2024 • Couples
Don’t miss out …it’s a fantastic experience! The site is huge with lots to do & see so we’d recommend a full day there with lunch at the really fab cafe! We took the underground tour which was roughly 2hrs & so, so interesting!! Our guide was Ian, an ex miner who was so informative & made the experience absolutely fascinating with his extensive mining knowledge. Ian was also extremely humorous & had the whole group laughing out loud.
We loved every minute of our time at the museum & will definitely return to look at some of the exhibitions we didn’t get to see this time.
Please note that entrance to the site is free of charge (amazing!) but the underground tour needs to be booked in advance, has age restrictions & is charged for….but worth every penny!!
We loved every minute of our time at the museum & will definitely return to look at some of the exhibitions we didn’t get to see this time.
Please note that entrance to the site is free of charge (amazing!) but the underground tour needs to be booked in advance, has age restrictions & is charged for….but worth every penny!!
Written 4 February 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.
Voyager14182985715
United Kingdom2 contributions
Jul 2024 • Friends
If you want to do the underground tour, it is best to book in advance, it was very interesting and educational; our guide Dean was very knowledgeable and friendly. There is so much more to do on the surface too, including a good adventure playground for kids and in a different area there is a picnic area with a huge sandpit for toddlers to play in. Currently their is an exhibition about the Miners strike of 84/85 which is worth a look. Entrance to museum is free, you are asked to make a small donation for car park. The underground tour costs £7.50 per person to book, but this is refundable if you really need it (otherwise it is kept as a donation)
Written 18 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.
Matthew W
1 contribution
Jun 2024 • Family
We live locally and have visited the museum lots of times but never done the underground tour - today we did.
Colin, the guide we had today, was fantastic. He engaged brilliantly with adults and children and particularly with my 6 year old son who was nervous in the mine but very interested.
The whole place is very well set up for a family visit and I would highly recommend making the effort, especially on a day with good weather where outside play and wandering is an option.
Colin, the guide we had today, was fantastic. He engaged brilliantly with adults and children and particularly with my 6 year old son who was nervous in the mine but very interested.
The whole place is very well set up for a family visit and I would highly recommend making the effort, especially on a day with good weather where outside play and wandering is an option.
Written 9 June 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.
Thank you, Matthew, we're pleased that you are frequent visitors and enjoyed your first Underground Tour experience with Colin. We look forward to seeing you all again very soon.
Written 10 June 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Daniel L
1 contribution
Mar 2024 • Couples
We went for the mine tour but saw so much more than we ever thought was there! We completed the tour, which was led by Colin, which was incredible! The current exhibition on the 84/85 strikes was extremely moving and was really informative. As a child of the 80s, I only saw what was on TV at this time of the strikes, so to actually read and hear how things were from the miners affected was insightful. A lot of other great facilities such as the train ride and café which I will definitely be returning to experience. The gift shop was more than reasonably priced, and for the whole day to only cost a £5 donation to go down the mine with everything else being free was an absolute steal!
Written 24 March 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.
Thank you Daniel for taking the time to write an excellent review. We're thrilled that you enjoyed our exhibition, Underground Tour and other attractions that we have on site. Hope to see you again soon!
Written 2 April 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Would be 4 year old be allowed on the underground tour and is there enough there to keep younger children interested (age 6 and 4)?
Written 14 February 2023
Personally I wouldn’t take a four year old down the mine.
I actually think they have an age limit, best to phone and check.
I do know at Christmas when Santa is there younger children can go down, see Santa but then have to come back up.
Written 16 February 2023
Do have to book a time slot to go on the nature trail?
Written 27 September 2020
The nature trail was open today when we went around. October 30th.
Written 30 October 2020
hi can you take dogs here on a lead as we are on a family holiday and cant leave her anywhere?
Written 18 August 2020
In certain areas yes there are lovely nature walks ,, you can’t go in the actual museum with a dog but a great day could be had
Written 19 August 2020
Is this a worthwhile trip for just adults or is it more aimed towards children? My father is an ex miner so thought it would be nice to take him
Written 11 December 2019
Ideal for adults, My wife and I visited without the kids and really enjoyed the experience as Grandfather was also a miner.
Written 12 December 2019
Do the children on a school trip have to go underground?
Written 14 November 2019
Sorry only just picked this up. No one has to go on the tour underground and there are age restrictions if I remember rightly.
Written 24 February 2020
Hi I was going to visit tomorrow 27/08/19 can anyone tell me can you still use the brass token to go down as we previously donated and got this to use again and again on our first visit, just checking it still applies thanks in advance kids looking forward to going 😄👍
Written 26 August 2019
Yes, you can re-use the tokens. Hope you had a great visit.
Written 3 September 2019
Can I ask, is this tour suitable for less mobile, ie crutch.
Written 27 July 2019
Personally, I wouldn't recommend for those less physically able. There is a lift to get into which is quite difficult (after all this is an old working mine) and once inside the mine itself, it is cramped and has uneven floor surfaces.
Written 5 August 2019
Most of the site is wheelchair friendly you can go down the mine but it is a shorter tour because of limited access hope this is helpful.
Written 30 May 2019
Never knew there was a nature trail, is it suitable for prams ??
Written 17 May 2019
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