Essential information for delegates attending the Museums Association’s Conference 2025 at Sain Ffagan Amgueddfa Werin Cymru – St Fagans National Museum of History, Cardiff and online (6-9 October 2025).
Jump to:
- Getting to the venue – Museums Association-provided coaches
- Getting to the venue – independently of the Museums Association
- Cardiff
- Discounts on train fares
- Hotels
- Social events
- Tours
- Accessibility
- Guide to the spaces at St Fagans
- The Welsh language at St Fagans
- Catering
- Swapcard (conference platform and app)
- Online delegates
- Sustainability
Getting to the venue – Museums Association-provided coaches
- The Museums Association is working with Mainline Coaches to provide transport for delegates between Cardiff city centre and St Fagans on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October.
- On Tuesday 7 October, 10 coaches will leave from National Museum Cardiff and five coaches will leave from Cardiff Central Station between 0815-0930 – this will enable delegates to arrive at St Fagans for our 0900-1000 coffee and networking, and ahead of the 1000 opening session.
- Also on Tuesday 7 October, 10 coaches will be provided between 1800-1900 to transport delegates from St Fagans back to National Museum Cardiff for our evening party. Five coaches will depart during the same period for Cardiff Central Station.
- On Wednesday 8 October, 12 coaches will leave from National Museum Cardiff and three coaches will leave from Cardiff Central Station between 0815-0930 – this will enable delegates to arrive at St Fagans for our 0900-1000 coffee and networking, and ahead of the 1000 opening session.
- Also on Wednesday 8 October, 10 coaches will be provided between 1800-1900 to travel back to National Museum Cardiff. Two coaches will depart during the same period for Cardiff Central Station. Both locations are a short walk away from our evening event at the Museum of Cardiff.
- All of the above coaches will depart when they reach capacity. Delegates are asked to be patient while people board/exit coaches.
- Four of the coaches are subject to Public Service Vehicles Accessibility Regulations, which means they have space for a wheelchair user.
- The pick-up and drop-off point at Cardiff Central Station is the rear car park.
Coach timetable
| Date | Time | Number of coaches | Departs from | Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 7 October | 0815-0930 | 10 | National Museum Cardiff | St Fagans |
| Tuesday 7 October | 0815-0930 | 5 | Cardiff Central Station | St Fagans |
| Tuesday 7 October | 1800-1900 | 10 | St Fagans | National Museum Cardiff |
| Tuesday 7 October | 1800-1900 | 5 | St Fagans | Cardiff Central Station |
| Wednesday 8 October | 0815-0930 | 10 | National Museum Cardiff | St Fagans |
| Wednesday 8 October | 0815-0930 | 2 | Cardiff Central Station | St Fagans |
| Wednesday 8 October | 1800-1900 | 10 | St Fagans | National Museum Cardiff |
| Wednesday 8 October | 1800-1900 | 2 | St Fagans | Cardiff Central Station |
- Our coach numbers include those that have wheelchair access – you can watch a short recording of how chairs are lifted onto the coach.
- In addition to the above coaches, the Museums Association has asked Mainline Coaches to provide shuttle buses between Cardiff Central Station, National Museum Cardiff and St Fagans throughout the day. These have a capacity of 32 people and will leave at specified times regardless of whether they are full or not.
Shuttle bus timetable (leaving Cardiff city centre)
| Date | Time of pick-up at Cardiff Central Station | Time of pick-up at National Museum Cardiff | Time of arrival at St Fagans (subject to traffic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October | 1000 | 1015 | 1045 |
| Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October | 1200 | 1215 | 1245 |
| Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October | 1400 | 1415 | 1445 |
| Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October | 1600 | 1615 | 1645 |
Shuttle bus timetable (leaving St Fagans)
| Date | Time of pick-up at St Fagans | Time of arrival at National Museum Cardiff (subject to traffic) | Time of arrival at Cardiff Central Station (subject to traffic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October | 1100 | 1130 | 1145 |
| Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October | 1300 | 1330 | 1345 |
| Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October | 1500 | 1530 | 1545 |
| Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October | 1700 | 1730 | 1745 |
Getting to the venue – independently of the Museums Association
- St Fagans is four miles west of Cardiff city centre, just off the A4232. For satellite navigation purposes use the postcode CF5 6XB.
- If you are arriving by car, please be aware that parking costs £7 per day. There is free parking for disabled blue badge holders and motorbikes. Cars may be left in the car park overnight but you must let the venue know by emailing stfagans@museumwales.ac.uk.
- Bike racks are available. The main cycle route to the museum from Cardiff city centre is via the Ely Trail. The signposted section between Fairwater and the museum is traffic-free and follows a pleasant riverside route. More information is available via Amgueddfa Cymru.
- The nearest rail station is Waun-Gron Park, two miles from St Fagans. Services are operated by Transport for Wales. Waun-Gron Park Station is located next to the main bus route to St Fagans.
- The Cardiff Bus 32 service stops in the museum car park, while First Cymru 320 service stops in St Fagans village, which is around half a mile from the museum (approximately an 11-minute walk).
- More information on public transport is available via the Traveline Cymru website or by calling their helpline on 0800 464 0000.
Taxis
- Cardiff has several taxi companies, including Veezu, Capital Cabs, Uber and St David’s Cars.
- Taxi ranks can be found around the city – these are served by black Hackney carriages with white bonnets and roof lights.
- More information on taxi services in the city can be found via Visit Cardiff.
Cardiff
- Cardiff is the closest urban area to St Fagans with lots of hotels and other city amenities. Visit Cardiff has lots of information about things to see and do in the city.
- Many train routes go through the city’s main train station, Cardiff Central. Access information for this station is available via the National Rail website.
Discounts on train fares
- Great Western Railway is offering conference attendees a 50% discount on anytime return tickets from London Paddington to Cardiff Central. You must book tickets via its conference fare booking platform.
- Please note you will be asked to produce a confirmation of conference attendance by the train manager. Conference fares are available from most stations on the GWR network. Outbound tickets are fixed, times and dates cannot be changed. The return journey is fully flexible.
- CrossCountry Trains is offering conference delegates and speakers a 20% discount on Advance First Class and Standard tickets for travel on CrossCountry’s network only.
- To take advantage of the 20% discount on CrossCountry, you must request a unique PIN by email to promo@crosscountrytrains.co.uk and include the event date in the communication.
- Bookings can only be made directly through the CrossCountry Trains website using the assigned unique PIN and not through any third-party websites.
- Rail bookings need to be made by 30 September for travel to and from the 6-9 October conference. The offer cannot be combined with any Railcards.
Hotels
You can now book your hotel for MA Conference 2025 at a preferential rate through our booking partner.
Social events
Tours
- All delegates and speakers are invited to join our free tours on Thursday 9 October.
- Find out more about the Thursday tours on our dedicated page.
- Please note that some tours must be booked in advance. Others are first come, first served.
Accessibility
Below is a non-exhaustive list of what we will offer online and in-person delegates.
- All sessions will be captioned for in-person and online delegates.
- Sessions taking place in the Atrium and Lecture Theatre will be streamed for online delegates and recorded.
- Reserved seating in all rooms – signs will be placed at the end of aisles, on the front row and in wheelchair accessible seating. If you want help finding a seat, please let venue staff and volunteers know.
- A dedicated quiet room for in-person delegates. Please do not use this space for conversations with others or phone calls. If you use electronic equipment, please ensure the volume is turned off or use headphones with the volume turned down to ensure you don’t disturb others.
- A prayer room – a dedicated space for individuals to engage in prayer, reflection or quiet contemplation.
- Wheelchair accessible coaches – see section on coaches above.
- An accessible catering point – see section on catering below.
- We welcome assistance dogs at our events – please let us know in advance so we can ensure they are fully accommodated.
- Speakers are briefed to ensure that slides follow good accessibility guidance, based on advice from VocalEyes.
- Our Code of Conduct, which was created to ensure our spaces are safe, welcoming and inclusive.
Useful access information for St Fagans available to download:
- A digital map for St Fagans
- St Fagans’s access information
- A visual guide to Conference (pdf)
- A visual guide to Conference (PowerPoint)
Further access information for St Fagans:
- St Fagans is a large open-air museum and due to the historic nature of the museum, there are uneven floors and surfaces. Some of the paths on the castle side of the museum are steep and uneven.
- The MA Conference will be largely based in the main museum building. The entrance to the museum is via the entrance building, next to the museum car park. There is level access to the building and you can exit out onto the museum site via the level exit on the ground floor or take one of two lifts to the third floor and exit via the rear doors to the outdoor grounds of the museum.
- There are toilets on the ground floor and the second floor.
- There are accessible toilets near Rhyd-y-car Terrace, in the castle grounds; in Oakdale Workmen’s Institute; and downstairs in Gweithdy. The toilets in Gweithdy are located in the basement and are accessed via a lift.
- The site has two Changing Places toilets – one on the ground floor in the main building and another in Gweithdy.
- Temperature and lighting levels vary from historic building to historic building. There may be a fire in some of the buildings you visit. Lighting levels are low in many of the historic buildings as the lighting reflects the time period.
- Manual wheelchairs are available free of charge from the welcome desk in the main building. Mobility scooters are welcome inside the museum but are not available to hire.
- Induction loops are available at the welcome desk in the main building, in the museum shop, and in the reception of the Weston Centre for Learning on floor 2 of the main building.
- More details on the above information can found online on the St Fagans website.
- A dedicated prayer room is currently being developed at the site. If you require a space to pray, please let us know.
If you require further accommodations, someone to attend the event with you to provide support or have any questions about the above, please email events@museumsassociation.org.
Guide to the spaces at St Fagans
A site map for St Fagans is available to download.
The main museum building (number 1 on the map) is where much of conference will take place. This building includes:
The cafe, located on the ground floor and the entry point for most delegates. We will be using this space in a number of ways:
- The MA Help Desk is located immediately after you enter, so if you need to collect a badge or have a question please visit us here. Our mental health first-aider and access contact will also be based here.
- We have reserved an area of the cafe for relaxed networking, an area to chat with others or take some time out.
- Lunch will be served in our networking marquee, about a four-minute walk from the main museum building into the St Fagans site. If you prefer a quieter place to get your lunch, we will be providing an accessible catering point in the main museum building cafe.
A free cloakroom will be located at the rear entrance to main museum building (first floor).
The Atrium is where core conference sessions will take place – this is the large entrance foyer to the main museum building. Seating will be theatre-style with a capacity of about 600. These sessions are recorded and streamed for online delegates.
The Lecture Theatre is where our 40-minute In Practice sessions and 20-minute sponsored sessions take place, on the first floor of the main museum building. There is step-free access to this room, with accessible seating immediately at the front and tiered seating up some built-in steps. The capacity is 125 people. These sessions are recorded and streamed for online delegates.
Stiwdio 1 is where we will run training sessions. The capacity is about 60 people and sessions will be repeated on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sessions in this room are not streamed or recorded. This room is located on the first floor on the main museum building.
Stiwdio 2 is where we will run breakout sessions. The capacity is about 60 people. Breakout sessions are not streamed or recorded. This room is located on the first floor of the main museum building. Please note that we will be providing Welsh-to-English translation in this room.
Stiwdio 3 is where we will run breakout sessions and lunchtime sponsored sessions. The capacity is about 80 people. Sessions are not streamed or recorded. This room is located on the first floor of the main museum building.
The temporary exhibition space is where we will hold our workshop sessions. The capacity is about 60 people seated at round tables. Sessions are not streamed or recorded. This room is located on the first floor of the main museum building.
A quiet room will be located on the first floor in the museum’s conservation studio. Please do not use this space for conversations with others or phone calls. If you use electronic equipment, please ensure the volume is turned off or use headphones with the volume turned down to ensure you don’t disturb others.
A prayer room is located on the first floor for individuals to engage in prayer, reflection or quiet contemplation.
The rest of the St Fagans site
Gweithdy (32 on the map) is a gallery and workshop space and the base for many of our ‘getting to know St Fagans’ fringe tours and sessions.
Our main catering point and all our sponsor exhibitor stands will be located in a marquee approximately four minutes’ walk from the main museum building – the entrance to the marquee is located next to 20 on the site map.
Please note that access to the marquee includes crossing a gravelled area of ground, as shown here:
The back room of The Vulcan pub (26 on the map) is where we will run some of our networking sessions. This is a historic building and may not be suitable for all delegates. Please note that the front of the pub will be open to visitors to the site, selling alcoholic drinks.
The Welsh language at St Fagans
- We will be providing Welsh-to-English translation in Stiwdio 2 throughout conference. Delegates who require this will be provided with headsets.
Catering
- We will serve coffee/tea with a choice of dairy, soy or oat milk between 0900-1000 on Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 October.
- A vegetarian/vegan lunch plus hot drinks will be provided during conference (7-8 October only). To make the most of the site, lunch will be picnic bags with sandwiches, crisps, fruit and something sweet.
- Lunch will be served in our networking marquee, about a four-minute walk from the main museum building into the St Fagans site. If you prefer a quieter place to get your lunch, we will be providing an accessible catering point in the main museum building cafe.
- Delegates with dietary requirements should provide details when booking their place.
Swapcard (conference platform and app)
- This is a hybrid event (in person and online) and we are using the Swapcard platform to host our conference programme, delegate list and stream some sessions to online delegates.
- Swapcard is available to use both in your internet browser (the WebApp) and on smartphones via the MA’s conference app, which you can download from the iOS App Store or the Google Play store depending on your device.
- All delegates need to create an account on Swapcard to access streamed sessions, the online programme and delegate list. You will be sent details of how to do this as part of your delegate joining instructions shortly before Conference – please note the email will come from events@museumsassociation.org.
- When requesting a magic login link or other account functions from the app, emails you receive will come from noreply@swapcard.com. Please be sure to whitelist this email address and check your junk or spam folder if you’re expecting an email and can’t find it in your inbox.
Online delegates
- Some sessions will be streamed and will be marked on the website programme as “all attendees welcome”. You can also browse the list of streamed sessions on our website.
- Recordings of the streamed sessions will be available after the conference via the MA website – please note that you can only watch streamed sessions live via Swapcard, and they will not be available for immediate playback during Conference.
- Swapcard provides a chat function that online delegates can use to ask questions to speakers and chat to each other.
Sustainability
We are committed to reducing our impact on the environment.
Below is a non-exhaustive list of ways we are working to improve the environmental sustainability of MA Conference 2025.
Catering
- Lunch and any food served at social events will be a mix of vegetarian and vegan food.
- Non-dairy milk alternatives are offered during coffee breaks. Coffee and tea are Fairtrade.
- Hot drinks will be served in compostable takeaway cups.
- Delegates are asked to bring their own reusable hot drink cups and water bottles.
- Drinking water and paper cups will be provided to delegates throughout the event.
Printed materials and plastic
- We provide a digital programme and delegate list and no longer publish printed versions (apart from in cases where delegates with access needs request these).
- We print badges on sustainable paper. Lanyards are reusable and made from bamboo. We do not provide plastic wallets for badges.
- We no longer provide delegate bags with printed material inside.
- Signage is only printed when the venue is unable to offer digital signage.
Travel
- We encourage delegates and speakers to travel by public transport where possible.
- We provide international and some UK-based speakers the opportunity to join via Zoom.
- Museums Association staff travel by train or other modes of public transport whenever possible.
- Our hybrid approach to Conference means more people can access the event without the need for travel.
Venue
- We work with partners who share our commitment to environmental sustainability.
- Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales has information about its commitment to sustainability on its website.