Staff at Rhondda Heritage Park Museum were thrilled to welcome Jack Sargeant MS, Minister for Culture, Skills and Social Partnership during National Museums Week in October. Accompanied by Rhondda Cynon Taf Councillors Ros Davies and Gareth Caple, Mr Sargeant enjoyed a comprehensive tour of the museum which included journeying underground on the unique Black Gold Underground Tour. Led by Tony, one of the venues ex-miner tour guides, Mr Sargeant went underground to find out all about mining life – a tour that is always filled with historical facts and the guides own recollections of life underground.
Rhondda Heritage Park Museum is based on the footprint of the old Lewis Merthyr Colliery and is a living museum, dedicated to showcasing the era when coal from the world-famous Rhondda Valleys powered the world.
In addition to going underground, Mr Sargeant viewed the brand-new interactive exhibition where footage from the archives and over 400 artefacts really bring history to life.
He said:
It was a real pleasure to visit Rhondda Heritage Park Museum and to see how the venue is making itself accessible to all – not only through its various exhibitions and tour, but through events held across the year. It is always fantastic to see first-hand how Welsh Government funding is benefiting our museums and their communities, allowing them to better welcome anyone who wants to come to these exciting events and exhibits.
The tour was really informative and the interactive exhibition, also supported by Welsh Government funding, has quizzes, puzzles and original footage from the archives on topics ranging from the Spanish Civil War to the Miners’ Strike. It’s something that can be visited many times as there’s always something new to discover – something that is key to bringing visitors into the many museums we have here in Wales.
During Museums Week, the venue was one of 40 museums in Wales which took part in the Wales History Trails Passport Challenge asked children to collect a passport and get it stamped and then take part in some activities during their visit.
Throughout the year, Rhondda Heritage Park Museum runs research groups where all are welcome, events such as Halloween Spooktacular and Santa’s Toy Mine and its doors are open all year round for free exhibitions and the Black Gold Experience Underground Tour.
For more information, please visit www.rhonddaheritagepark.com.
