National Coal Mining Museum for England

Set in a rural site, the National Coal Mining Museum for England is a unique collection of buildings, displays and galleries which reveal the hidden world of mining through the centuries, telling the stories of mining methods and machinery, the miners and their families. Admission to the Museum and underground is free.

Put on your hard hat and battery lamp, step into the cage and descend 140m underground; follow your ex-miner guide through the chilly, dark tunnels to find out how coal was mined and moved to the surface by men, women, children, ponies and machinery. Return to the surface after just an hour and, as you emerge into the daylight, you’ll wonder just how they survived - and understand why so many didn’t. Explore two collieries (Caphouse and Hope), the pit-head baths, wages office and the huge winding wheels, then visit our galleries and displays to see how mining communities lived, worked and relaxed. Peep into the 1940s kitchen; discover how events such as World War II and strikes affected whole families and communities; discover the hazards and hardships of working underground and the impact of technology and economic change on the mining industry. Hop on the ‘paddy train’ for a trip to the newly conserved Hope Pit complex, to find out how a small pit would have operated. Track down plants, birds and insects on our nature trail, meet the ponies and Finn, the Clydesdale horse.

Enjoy a break in the café, drop into the under-fives’ play area and pick up your souvenirs and gifts in the well-stocked shop.

The National Coal Mining Museum is located on the A642 halfway between Wakefield and Huddersfield with easy sign-posted access from the M1. 

There is ample free car and coach parking for Museum visitors.