St Fagans voted best free day out in UK-wide poll

A national survey has revealed the UK’s 17 best-rated museums, galleries, cathedrals and other historical sites that are free to visit for cheap days out in summer 2025, with St Fagans National Museum of History coming in at number one.

More than 4,000 people took part in the Which? survey of the UK’s best museums, and more than 3,000 told us about their favourite historic attractions.

The results were surprising – not just because many of Britain’s favourite places are little-known gems, but also because many of them were completely free.

Which? ranked more than 100 museums, galleries and attractions to find the country’s finest and best-value days out. The top-rated museum (St Fagans in Cardiff) and gallery (Kelvingrove in Glasgow) don’t charge for entry. Several of the best historic attractions are also free – perfect for budget-friendly days out over the summer.

In some cases, such as the Houses of Parliament, you’ll need to plan ahead. It’s only free for UK residents – and you have to book through your MP. But many destinations are open all year round with no advance booking required. Check the destination website first.

Many of the attractions also have special appeal for kids, with tours and games tailored to families, as well as playgrounds.

10 of the 12 best museums and galleries in their survey are free – but they aren’t all familiar names. Their list beat famous attractions such as the Natural History and Science museums and the Tate Modern to be named best in the country.

Wales and Scotland are particularly well represented, with five in the top 10 between them.

St Fagans

Coming in at number one is St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff which scored an incredible 94% in the rankings.

Which? write: “This open-air museum has a reconstructed historic street as well as demonstrations of traditional crafts such as blacksmiths and clog-making. Farm animals and the large play area will be popular with children.”

St Fagans National Museum of History , commonly referred to as St Fagans after the village where it is located, is an open-air museum in St Fagans, Cardiff, Wales, chronicling the historical lifestyle, culture, and architecture of the Welsh people. The museum is part of the wider network of Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales.

It consists of more than forty re-erected buildings from various locations in Wales, and is set in the grounds of St Fagans Castle, a Grade I listed Elizabethan manor house. In 2011 Which? magazine named the museum the United Kingdom’s favourite visitor attraction.

A six-year, £30-million revamp was completed in 2018 and the museum was named the Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2019.

History

The museum was founded in 1946 following the donation of the castle and lands by the Earl of Plymouth. It opened its doors to the public in 1948, under the name of the Welsh Folk Museum. The museum’s name in Welsh (also meaning “Welsh Folk Museum”) has remained unchanged since that date, whereas the English title was revised to Museum of Welsh Life, thereafter St Fagans National History Museum, and again to its current title.

The brainchild of Iorwerth Peate, the museum was modelled on Skansen, the outdoor museum of vernacular Swedish architecture in Stockholm. Most structures re-erected in Skansen were built of wood and are thus easily taken apart and reassembled, but a comparable museum in Wales was going to be more ambitious, as much of the vernacular architecture of Wales is made of masonry.

The museum comprises more than forty buildings representing the architecture of Wales, including a nonconformist chapel (in this case, Unitarian), a village schoolhouse, a toll road tollbooth, a cockpit, a pigsty, and a tannery.

The museum holds displays of traditional crafts, with a working blacksmith forge, a pottery, a weaver, a miller, and a clog maker. It also includes two working water mills: one flour mill and one wool mill. Part of the site includes a small working farm which concentrates on preserving local Welsh native breeds of livestock. Produce from the museum’s bakery and flour mill is available for sale.

The medieval parish church of Saint Teilo, formerly at Llandeilo Tal-y-bont in west Glamorgan (restored to its pre-Reformation state), was opened in October 2007 by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and still serves as a place of worship for Christmas, Easter, and Harvest Thanksgiving. A Tudor merchant’s house from Haverfordwest was opened in 2012. A relocation of the historic Vulcan public house from Newtown in Cardiff to St Fagans was completed in May 2024.

Although the museum was intended to preserve aspects of Welsh rural life, it now includes several buildings that depict the industrial working life that succeeded it, that being almost extinct in Wales. There is a row of workers’ cottages, depicting furnishing from 1800 to 1985, from Rhyd-y-car near Merthyr Tydfil, as well as the pristine Oakdale Workmen’s Institute. A post-war prefabricated bungalow (below) represents later domestic lifestyles.

From 1996 to 2012, the museum hosted the Everyman Summer Theatre Festival when it re-located from Dyffryn Gardens. This festival, which includes a Shakespeare play, a musical, and a children’s show, has become part of the Welsh theatrical calendar since its founding at Dyffryn in 1983.

Scenes from the Doctor Who episodes “Human Nature” and “The Family of Blood” were filmed at the museum.

Based on archaeological findings, a reconstruction of Llys Rhosyr, a thirteenth-century court of the princes of Gwynedd,was completed and opened to the public in October 2018. Called Llys Llewelyn (‘Llewelyn’s Court’), it was opened with the intention that schoolchildren would be able to stay in the buildings overnight, from spring 2019.

The Gweithdy (‘Workshop’), a sustainable building designed by Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, was first opened in July 2017; a café was later added. The new gallery was opened in October 2018, housing improved facilities for visitors while supporting the study of collections and hosting demonstrations and workshops by traditional craftsmen.

Other entries

And at number 5 is Cardiff National Museum at 87%.

Which? shared: “Turner, Monet, Rodin and Van Gogh are all represented, as well as celebrated Welsh artists such as Augustus and Gwen John.

“The Evolution of Wales gallery, featuring dinosaurs and woolly mammoths, is most popular with children.”

The third and final entry, in the historic attractions section, is St David’s Cathedral, St David’s at 80%

They write: “Britain’s smallest city is home to one its most ancient sites of worship. There have been services here since the sixth century, and the current purple-stoned building dates back to Norman times.

“You can visit without a ticket, but there’s a suggested donation of £5 per visitor.”

Money saving tips

To further help families, Which? provide a number of tips to save even more money on days out, sharing: “Even if you want to visit theme parks or other expensive attractions, there are ways to reduce the cost.

“From getting two-for-one tickets to using reward cards for discounts, you can see some of our best tips below.”

1. Get cheap entry with a train ticket

You can get two-for-one entry to many of the UK’s top attractions just by taking the train and showing proof of your ticket. Read how in their guide to planning cheap days out.

2. Eat out for less by finding restaurant deals

In many of your favourite city-break destinations, such as Liverpool, Edinburgh and London, you can get 50% off food just by dining early – find out how in their city-break restaurant deals guide.

3. Become a seat filler

Planning a day out at the theatre? You can often get free or heavily discounted tickets if you sign up as a seat filler – Which? explain how in their guide to planning cheap days out in 2025.

Read the article in full here.

See the Which? full table of the best museums and galleries in the UK.