A library that outgrew its books
Shoppers walk past this building every day without going in. The Old Library is a Victorian building of carved pale stone at the junction of The Hayes and Trinity Street. Most people heading into St David’s Centre treat it as a landmark and keep walking.
It opened as Cardiff’s public library in the 1880s and was extended in the 1890s. The books have long since moved out. Today the building holds the Museum of Cardiff, which tells the city’s own story with modern, hands-on displays inside the grand old rooms.
What the galleries cover
The museum is about one city, and it sticks to that. You follow Cardiff from a small market town to one of the busiest coal ports in the world, and then on to its role as the Welsh capital. The displays are built to be touched, opened and listened to, not only read.
The themes to look for:
- The coal boom, when the docks shipped valley coal around the world
- The Bute family, whose money and land shaped the docks and much of the centre
- Tiger Bay and Butetown, one of Britain’s oldest multicultural communities
- Modern Cardiff, from becoming capital to the Bay redevelopment
The museum is a good primer before you visit Cardiff Castle or Cardiff Bay. Once you know the coal-port backstory, the Pierhead Building and the castle’s Victorian interiors are much easier to make sense of.
The building as an exhibit
Give the architecture some attention too. The Old Library is known for its Victorian tiled corridor. Its glazed, patterned walls are among the most photographed interiors in the city centre, and it costs nothing to stop and look.
Look up in the larger rooms, where the high ceilings and tall windows still give away the building’s first job. The building is shared with other city uses, including Welsh-language activity. You may hear Welsh spoken in the foyer, which suits a building devoted to the city’s identity.
Getting there on foot
You will walk here, because the centre is compact and mostly pedestrianised. From Cardiff Central station, head north up St Mary Street or through the Hayes. It takes under ten minutes. From Cardiff Queen Street station, walk south-west down Queen Street towards St David’s in about the same time.
Close by:
- St John the Baptist Church, whose tower stands just across Trinity Street
- Cardiff Market, the Victorian covered market a short walk west
- The arcades: Royal Arcade and Morgan Arcade, running off The Hayes
- Cardiff Castle, around ten minutes north up St Mary Street and High Street
- Principality Stadium, a few minutes west towards the River Taff
Fitting it into a day on The Hayes
Treat the museum as the first stop of a city-centre day, not something to squeeze in late. It opens at 10am Monday to Saturday and shuts at 4pm sharp. On Sundays it is closed, and that catches out weekend visitors who plan around the shops’ longer hours.
The museum is still under the radar compared with the castle. Even so, school groups can fill the galleries on weekday mornings during term time. Families tend to come on Saturdays. A weekday visit after the late-morning school slot usually gives you the interactive displays to yourself.
Some practical habits:
- Check entry details on the museum’s official website before you go. Exhibitions and special events can change what’s on.
- Pay by card. Contactless works almost everywhere in central Cardiff, including the shop and the market stalls nearby.
- Pair it with lunch at Cardiff Market afterwards. Welsh cakes from the griddle stalls are the classic order.
- Say “diolch” (thank you) if you want to try some Welsh. Staff and the people around you will notice.
How long to give it
Plan on 60 to 90 minutes for the galleries and the tiled corridor. Families stopping at every interactive display can easily stay two hours. If you’re short on time, go straight for the docks and Tiger Bay material. It explains the most about the city you’re about to explore.
Arrive by 2pm at the latest so the 4pm close doesn’t cut you short. From here you can be under the castle walls within ten minutes, or among the arcades in two.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is the Museum of Cardiff?
It is in the Old Library on The Hayes, at the corner with Trinity Street, opposite St David's Centre (postcode CF10 1BH). St John the Baptist Church stands just across the street.
When is the Museum of Cardiff open?
Monday to Saturday, 10am to 4pm. It is closed on Sundays, so plan any weekend visit for Saturday.
How do I get there from Cardiff Central station?
Walk north up St Mary Street or through The Hayes. It takes under ten minutes. From Queen Street station, walk south-west towards St David's Centre in about the same time.
How long should I spend there?
Allow 60 to 90 minutes, or up to two hours with children who want to try every interactive display. Arrive by about 2pm so the 4pm close doesn't rush you.
What's nearby to combine with a visit?
Cardiff Market, the Royal and Morgan arcades and St John the Baptist Church are all within a few minutes' walk. Cardiff Castle and the Principality Stadium are around ten minutes away on foot.
Plan your trip to Cardiff
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