Why you need to visit the National Museum of Wales

Why you need to visit the National Museum of Wales

Hello fellow budget hunters

Today I have been walking around my home city and while it was raining, I went into my favourite place.

The museum in Cardiff. I love the museum here as it is a great mix of art and natural history, all in one building! I will explain about the sections and how it transforms and feels like two different buildings.

The Natural History

This section is my favourite. There’s three main areas in this part – but I would recommend the evolution of Wales first. In this display, you go on a trip through the evolution of how the world was formed. It starts with the geology and the different time periods, before transitioning into the dinosaurs.

I love dinosaurs, I have spent many hours looking and fossils and bones of these crazy creatures. Their display is a lot smaller than the Natural History Museum, but it is very insightful, with very detailed displays.

There is then a section on extinct animals, like the wooly mammoth and a type of bison.

In the next gallery, there is a collection of displayed butterflies and other taxidermy animals.

In the final room of the natural history section, there is more animals and focus on the landscape of Wales. Up the stairs there is an underwater animal exhibit, with a junior humpback Whale skeleton. There is also a lot of other sea animals and interactive videos to watch about leatherback turtles. If you carry on through all that, there is currently a temporary exhibition on worms.

I find worms and all creepy crawlies so interesting, it was my favourite part of this most recent visit. (I’m not going to pretend it is my first trip here – more like 5th)

The Art Gallery

The gallery is located on the upper floors of the National Museum of Wales.

I was really surprised the first time I came in here, that the quality of the art is amazing.

 

Currently they are running an exhibition called ‘Who decides?’, which is based on the concept that someone has to decide on what is art and what needs to be displayed. I was impressed with the different materials used in this display. There was over 30 different masterpieces.

Speaking of masterpieces – as I have been here a few times, I know where the masterpieces are. At school, I studied a lot of impressionism and then cubism. So I was very surprised the first time to see 4 different pieces of art by Monet. It houses a few from the waterlilies selection, as well as the famous charing cross bridge.

There was also a few paintings by Cezanne in the impressionist gallery.

In terms of cubism I also saw a Picasso, which I had seen the formation pieces for while in Barcelona’s Picasso Museum.

There was also a Rembrandt portrait on loan, with an interesting x ray beside it – which depicts the original painting beneath.

 

There is other galleries of ceramics and of Welsh Art – but these are my favourite paintings.

Not only does it have awesome dinosaurs, art and galleries – it is free.

This is a great place for families, art or history lovers and just anyone curious to explore.

You are allowed to take photos throughout for personal use and I have used the commercial images from their website for the rest.

I hope you enjoyed this account of the National Museum of Wales.

Until next time,

The Great Ambini

X x x

I also wrote these posts about Cardiff –

• Cardiff’s top 5 coffee shops 
• Why Cardiff should be your next mini break destination 
• Visit Cardiff’s indoor market

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