National Slate Museum

The National Slate Museum is a museum about the Welsh slate industry located in the Padarn Country Park near Llanberis in Gwynedd, North Wales.

Located on the shore of a picturesque lake this attraction consists of a number of 19th Century workshops belonging to the Dinorwig Slate Quarry. Visitors can learn about the way of life for the workers at quarry. The buildings are presented complete with artefacts and tools as if the workers had just finished work for the day.

There is a Chief Engineer's House staged in 1911, the clerk's office and stores, the barracks, the iron and brass foundry, the pattern loft, the forge, the yard and cropping shed, a repair workshop, a machine workshop and a locomotive shed with 'Una' a working 1905 0-4-0 61cm gauge steam engine which is regularly in steam. A row of four terraced workers cottages are laid out in 3 different time periods: 1861, 1901 and 1969. Other things at the quarry are the incline with wagons, working water-powered machinery, powered by 15.4 metre diameter water-wheel built in 1870 and 3-D presentation telling the story of the quarry's development.

There are daily demonstrations, talks and tours including slate splitting demonstrations, a ½ hour tour with a carpenter about the use of wood around the quarry, demonstrations of the incline in use and guided tours of the workshops and forges. Activities for children include a sand pit and a children's play area with zip wire.

• Free entry attraction.
• Car parking (charge).
• Museum shop selling toys, books, postcards and gifts.
• Caffi'r Ffowntan café.
• Dogs on leads welcome.

Opening Times & Ticket Prices:

• Please visit the National Slate Museum website for opening times and prices.

Before you start your journey to the National Slate Museum for your day out, we recommend that you check their website or contact them to confirm opening times and admission prices.

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