Wales’ National Slate Museum has closed for more than a year for a £21m redevelopment to safeguard its building and collection.
Per a press release, the museum in Llanberis, northwest Wales is being transformed into a world-class visitor attraction and will reopen in 2026.
Its Grade I-listed buildings will be conserved and renovated, and the visitor experience will be enhanced with a new learning centre, play area, shop and café.
Jane Richardson, Amgueddfa Cymru’s chief executive said the redevelopment will “safeguard our museum and globally important collection so that future generations and communities can experience and enjoy the incredible story of slate”.
“This redevelopment will transform how we tell the story of slate, making our visitor experience even more exciting,” she added.
The museum is closing temporarily “to make sure all conservation and renovation work can take place safely”, Richardson said.
Before closing to the public, the museum’s curatorial team recorded the entire collection and moved 8,000 objects into their temporary new home.
During the closure, the museum will offer pop-up events. Elen Roberts, head of the National Slate Museum, said: “In 2025, we’ll be taking the museum ‘on the road’ and working with our partners at nearby attractions and community events.
Slate museum to enhance guest experience
“We’re very excited about doing things a little differently and going beyond the walls of the museum, learning from and engaging with visitors and local communities in re-telling the story of slate.”
Opened in 1972, the National Slate Museum is housed in a complex of Victorian buildings, which previously served as workshops for the nearby Dinorwig slate quarry.
Highlights in the museum include the UK’s largest working water wheel, and slate splitting demonstrations.
The National Slate Museum is overseen by Amgueddfa Cymru (Museum Wales), a family of seven national museums across Wales. The group welcomes around 1.8 million visitors a year and has more than 5 million objects in its collections.
Lead image credit: Aled Llywelyn
