Rhondda Heritage Park
Rhondda Heritage Park is based at the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery and is one of the top heritage and cultural visitor attractions in South Wales. The Rhondda Heritage Park provides a fun and interesting day out for individuals, groups, school children and students.
Our Underground Experience Tours are fully guided by ex-miner guides and take approximately 40 minutes, did you know coal from the Rhondda was used to power the Titanic? It is advisable to book your tour prior to visit. On the surface visit the Visitor Centre where admission is free. Here you will find an indoor reconstruction of a period village street displaying the domestic and commercial life of the Valleys. Pop into our traditional Welsh Gift Shop and take home a special memento of your visit, we stock everything from local interest books and cards to the more unique items which are synonymous with the Rhondda Valleys – such as coal sculptures and replica Miners’ Lamps. Packed with traditional toys, jewellery, ceramics, and much more, the Welsh Gift Shop is also stockists of traditional Welsh costumes and rugby jerseys, as well as seasonal gifts during the festive season. When visiting the Rhondda Heritage Park why not then pop into Caffe Bracchi, a tribute to the strong Italian influence still here in the Rhondda, more than a century after the first migrants were welcomed to our valleys from the Bardi region. The new arrivals from Italy opened cafes and ice cream parlours – known as Bracchi – many of which still trade today. The Bracchis were opened by men and women who moved to the South Wales Valleys as part of the industrial boom, capitalising on the coal and iron industry and the close knit communities that formed around collieries.