Access to Wales’ coal mining history should not be put behind a paywall, according to a Senedd Committee.
The Culture Committee’s report on charging for exhibitions asks the Welsh Government to fund Amgueddfa Cymru - Museum Wales enough so that that underground tours at Big Pit National Coal Museum can be free of charge.
A charging trial in place since April set the ticket price at £8 per person – or cheaper on the day or with concessions.
It follows the Committee’s previous report which showed that, after a decade of funding cuts, Wales spent the second smallest amount per person on culture compared with other European nations.
Delyth Jewell MS, Chair of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee, said:
“Free entry to national museums has been a successful policy and we want to see it continue – as a matter of principle, no one should have to pay to enjoy collections that belong to the people of Wales.
“As the custodians of our nation’s history, the Welsh Government has a responsibility to fund our national institutions adequately so that they can afford to provide free entry to everyone.
“But it has not been meeting this responsibility.
“Over a decade, the Welsh Government has cut public funding for culture in Wales to the extent that it’s one of the lowest levels in Europe. Ministers even made suggestions that charging for entry to museums was ‘on the table’.
“There have been some welcome increases for culture in the latest budget, but it does not obscure the real terms cut in funding the sector has had to endure, and the Welsh Government is yet to find a way to provide sustainable funding that recognises the worth of our culture.”
Big Pit National Coal Museum in Blaenavon, Torfaen, is one of Amgueddfa Cymru’s seven museums. It offers underground tours led by former miners so visitors can explore the original mine shafts and machinery.
From April 2025 to July 2026, tickets for the underground tour at Big Pit must be purchased in advance for £8 per person.
Limited tickets are available on the day for £5. Concession tickets are available without the need for evidence to be shown.
The Committee notes that most visitors were happy with the amount they paid – but as a matter of principle, recommend that underground tours should remain free of charge.
The report made another four recommendations, including that income from temporary exhibitions should not replace the need for adequate public funding for museums, and that the Welsh Government should explore ways of helping organisations host more temporary exhibitions to improve the range of exhibitions on offer.