What to see at Carmarthenshire Museum
Discover the stories of the people of Carmarthenshire, and what makes this such a special county.
The county museum tells the stories of people, power, and protest across Carmarthenshire, from the arts and crafts they created to the tools and techniques they used.
Across two floors of the Old Bishop's Palace, you will discover Carmarthenshire's rich heritage on a journey that offers a treat for the whole family. From a peaceful chapel to a dim old kitchen, there is plenty to enjoy at the Palace, set in a beautiful park—the perfect spot for a summer picnic.
Facilities
Access
For information about facilities and resources for people with accessibility needs, please see the Accessibility page.
Toilets
We have one accessible toilet (which is also a gender-neutral toilet) on the ground floor, and separate male and female toilet facilities on the ground floor.
Baby changing facilities
Available in the accessible toilet and the women's toilet on the ground floor.
Buggies and Pushchairs
The museum is accessible to single buggies and pushchairs. Buggies designed for more than one child may be too wide for some of the historic doorways.
We have a lift, accessible via a corridor at the far side of the Main Hall, which provides access to the first-floor galleries for everyone.
Filming and Photography
Filming
Short videos for personal use are permitted only, provided that permission is sought from on-site staff first. Videos of up to 5 seconds are allowed.
For all other types of filming, including commercial productions, please request filming permission from the Carmarthenshire County Council Marketing and Media team by completing this form. Please let us know at info@cofgar.wales if you have submitted a filming application form.
Photography
You are welcome to take photographs for personal use. And, if you post them on social media, don't forget to tag us @cofgar.wales and #CarmarthenshireMuseum.
Flash photography is not permitted anywhere inside the Museum. Signs will indicate if photography is restricted in certain exhibitions.
A fee is charged for commercial or wedding photography at the museum and park. Contact us to find out more at info@cofgar.wales or check our Venue Hire pages.
All money raised through these charges helps us keep Carmarthenshire Museum looking beautiful and continue to host amazing events and exhibitions.
At the museum
Here's a look at what you'll find at Carmarthenshire Museum
The Old Kitchen
Yr Hen Gegin (the Old Kitchen) is one of the original rooms of the Old Bishops Palace of St David's.
Agricultural Gallery
This gallery introduces you to the farming tools and traditions that shaped – and continue to shape – many families’ lives around the county.
Mining Gallery
The Mining Gallery explores the realities of life in Carmarthenshire's collieries.
Welsh Life Gallery
Explore the customs, creativity and symbols that have shaped Welsh identity in Carmarthenshire.
Elsa's Cottage
Step inside Elsa’s Cottage and experience rural life in Carmarthenshire.
Arts, Crafts and Traditions
Explore the creativity, skills and customs that shaped everyday life in Carmarthenshire and Wales.
18th and 19th Century
Step into Carmarthenshire during the 1700s and 1800s, a century of contrast where everyday life for ordinary people continued much as before, while wider changes slowly reshaped society.
20th Century
Find out how everyday life in Carmarthenshire was transformed during the 20th century.
Commemorate
Who gets to be remembered and why? Find out more in this brand new exhibition.
Discovery Gallery
See a museum in a gallery. This room is a place to play, explore, and of course - discover!
Create, Commission, Collect
Why do we create art? Why is art commissioned? And why do museums collect some art and not others? This new exhibition explores those questions!
Romantic Wales: Turner and his contemporaries
Explore Wales through J M W Turner and his contemporaries, featuring rare sketchbooks, landscapes and Neo‑Romantic art.
Protection and Healing
From folk remedies and charms to medicinal science, this display looks at how the ways we heal and protect ourselves have changed over time.
Y Capel
Y Capel (The Chapel) is the most atmospheric room in the building - with a history of over 400 years.
Visit
Find out all you need to know to get the most out of your visit to the home of stories in Sir Gâr.
Learn moreUncover Folklore, Myths, and Legends
Stories give meaning to the objects in our care. And Sir Gâr inspired some of the best-known stories in Wales and beyond. You’ll find many of these represented in Carmarthenshire Museum.
Perhaps the most famous are the connections between Sir Gâr and the tales of King Arthur. Merlin, the legendary wizard who acted as Arthur’s mentor, is said to have planted an oak tree in nearby Carmarthen that protected the town. Merlin prophesied that Carmarthen would be destroyed if the oak tree fell. The Museum conserves and displays some of the last remaining pieces of Yr Hen Dderwen (the Old Oak) to ensure this never happens!
Some Arthurian legends may have been inspired by the Mabinogion – a medieval collection of Welsh stories that probably date from much earlier oral tales. For instance, the story of Culhwch and Olwen features Arthur and his sword Excalibur, a name derived from the Cymraeg word Caledfwlch (meaning hard breach/cleft/cutting). You’ll find scenes from this story depicted in a painting by Sir Gâr artist Ken Etheridge on display in the Create, Commission, Collect exhibition.
Cauldrons are common objects in myths and legends. One on display in the Healing and Protection exhibition was found in the Sir Gâr village of Myddfai. Often used for boiling medicinal herbs and plants to treat diseases, cauldrons like this one may have been used by the legendary Physicians of Myddfai, said to have been a local family who passed on healing practices for hundreds of years. Folklore tells us that they were descendants of a ‘lady of the lake’ who appeared from the depths of Llyn y Fan Fach in the nearby Bannau Brycheiniog.