Big Pit National Coal Museum

The Big Pit National Coal Museum is a mining site in Blaenavon, Wales, that allows visitors to enter original underground workings. Guided tours lead groups 91 meters below the surface through tunnels and chambers used during the working years of the mine.

The mine extracted coal from 1880 until its closure in 1980, employing around 1,400 workers at its height in 1923. After closure, it opened as a museum and preserves the machinery and structures from its working period.

Former miners guide visitors through the underground sections and explain work methods and safety measures used in Welsh coal extraction. Their accounts provide direct insight into the daily routines and challenges faced by those who worked in the shafts.

Visitors must be at least one meter tall to enter the underground sections and are provided with protective gear. A full tour of the site and underground areas takes around three to four hours to complete.

The site preserves facilities such as the Fan House, Explosives Magazine, and the Pithead Baths built in 1939 in their original state. Much of the mining machinery and equipment remains in working order as it was during operation.

Location: Blaenavon

Inception: 1983

Official opening: 1983

Elevation above the sea: 384.7 m

Operator: National Museum Wales

Part of: Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales

Address: Blaenafon NP4 9XP

Phone: +441495790311

Website: https://museum.wales/bigpit

GPS coordinates: 51.77240,-3.10500

Latest update: December 5, 2025 22:27