Palace in a Park

See fascinating exhibitions, hear the Carmarthenshire story, and experience the atmosphere of an Old Bishop's Palace.

The county museum tells the stories of people, power and protest across Carmarthenshire, from the arts and crafts they made to the tools and techniques they used.

Based in the 700-year-old former Palace for the Bishops of St David's, you'll find reminders of that history throughout your visit. From a peaceful Chapel to a dark Old Kitchen, you'll find plenty to enjoy at the Palace in a Park.

1 January - 25 March

Open Wednesday to Sunday, 11am - 4pm.

26 March - 21 July

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 5pm.

23 July - 1 September

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 6pm.

3 September - 31 December

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 5pm.

1 January 2025 - 30 March 2025

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10am - 5pm.

Entry to the museum is free.

Carmarthenshire Museum reopened in January 2022. The last two years have seen important changes. If you've visited regularly we think you'll be amazed by the improvements. The roof no longer leaks.  The chimneys are repaired. The windows have been painted. A couple of galleries need some extra work before we open them up for you to enjoy. This includes our new family-friendly Discovery Gallery.

But this is just the start. You’ll see more exciting changes in the future. For now, some of our objects are taking a break for a while, like our Prehistoric and Roman archaeology and our Welsh Christian memorial stones. They’ll be back when we can give them fabulous new displays.

Many people know that the museum was once the palace of the bishops of St.Davids. And if you visit, you'll still see much that was familiar to them, including the large kitchen and their private chapel. And despite being a museum, people like that the palace's rooms and connecting spaces aren't huge and were intended as a home.

The Bishop’s Park looks fantastic thanks to the Tywi Gateway Trust's restoration work. A walk around the grounds is a real pleasure and their new café is now open for great coffee and great cakes.

Where are we?

There is a Google Location map at the bottom of this page. But you can find us just off the A40, in the village of Abergwili, two miles east of Carmarthen town centre. The town has a railway station, a bus station and several taxi firms. You can reach the museum on foot, by bicycle, by public bus and by car. Buses stop  immediately outside the Bishop's Park and close to the car park. See here for more details.

Car parking

The car park only holds about 20 vehicles at the moment and we are without designated spaces. The good news is that planning permission has been granted for improvements.

Arrival

From the museum car park head straight to the Bishops Park visitor centre and its brand new cafe. The museum entrance is just the other side.

If you prefer to leave the coffee and cake to the end of your visit, it's only a short walk to the museum entrance using the footpaths. At present we advise visitors to avoid using the vehicle drive as the surfaces are uneven. 

Instead, we encourage you to follow the new path that runs clockwise from the car park around the outside of the building. It's a little bit longer to the entrance, but there are great views across the Tywi valley, with benches along the way.