St Fagans National Museum of History has been voted the best in the UK. The Cardiff museum has been voted as the top museum in the UK by Which? magazine. More than 40 attractions across the UK were rated by over 4,000 visitors, with St Fagans coming out on top.
The magazine described the museum, which has a total of 40 buildings from various historical periods, as "satisfyingly recreating how Welsh people have lived throughout history, and providing equally appealing opportunities for the nosey and the curious." Coming in first place, the open-air museum beat out Beamish: The Living Museum of the North, County Durham and the National Railway Museum in York.
The magazine wrote that "the story of Wales is vividly brought to life through domestic architecture" at the museum, listing some of the highlights Gwalia Stores which is "packed to the rafters with original packaging on mahogany shelving", the aluminium prefab, working forge and the clog-maker's house.
READ MORE: Park full of cosy private cinema pods set to open after viral TikTok success
Founded in 1948, the museum's buildings are set within 100 acres of parkland and is very close to a battlefield where hundreds of people died. Other buildings at the site include a Tudor merchant's house, a Victorian country school, and a bakers. The museum, which also includes the St Fagans Castle manor house, is completely free to look around.
But this isn't the first time that the museum has been named the best in the UK. Back in 2019 it was named Art Fund Museum of the Year, winning a £100,000 award. Prior to this, the last Welsh institution to win the prize was the Big Pit National Coal Museum in 2005.
The Cardiff National Museum also came in sixth place on the list, with two Cardiff museums making it into the top ten. Which? asked 4,283 members to rate galleries and museums across the UK, noting that renowned galleries and museums such as the Tate Britain and London's Science Museum didn't make the list.
In a tweet following the news that they had come top of Which?'s list, St Fagans wrote: "Still can't believe we made it to number one. Thanks to all the members who voted for us! Here's to the other amazing museums on the list".
