National Slate Museum

The National Slate Museum in Llanberis offers a vivid and immersive journey into the heart of North Wales’s slate mining heritage. Housed in the original Victorian engineering workshops of the vast Dinorwig Quarry, the museum preserves the tools, buildings, and stories of the people who once powered one of the country’s most important industries.

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Historical Attractions

Llanberis, Gwynedd, Wales, LL55 4TY, United Kingdom

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The Adventure Highway

The museum’s enormous waterwheel -one of the largest in mainland Britain - still stands as a powerful reminder of the site's former energy and scale.

Inside, visitors can explore a working foundry, pattern shop, and machine floor filled with original tools and machinery that once kept the quarry running. Regular live demonstrations of slate splitting and blacksmithing give insight into the incredible skill and strength required for the work.

One of the highlights is the row of re-created quarrymen’s cottages, each staged to reflect a different time period in workers’ lives, from the 1800s to the 1960s. These homes paint a moving picture of the social history behind the slate industry and how entire communities were built around the quarry.

There are also interactive exhibits, films, and archive collections that explain the science, craft, and culture of slate quarrying including the often harsh working conditions and the strong sense of identity among the Welsh-speaking quarrymen.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Eryri's (Snowdonia’s) mountains and Llyn Padarn, the National Slate Museum offers a rich and authentic glimpse into the industrial past that helped shape modern Wales. Admission is free, making it an essential stop for families, history lovers, and anyone wanting to understand the true scale and legacy of the Welsh slate story.