Cardiff's historic Vulcan Hotel to open in St Fagans

The Vulcan Hotel was built on Adam Street in Cardiff in 1853 to serve the mainly Irish community of Newtown.

During its long history it saw major changes as the city grew to become an industrial powerhouse and then the nation’s capital, finally closing its doors for the last time in 2012.

Scheduled for demolition, huge public outcry eventually saw the venue relocated brick by brick to St Fagans National Museum of History in 2012 .

The pubs owners formally offered the building to Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales – in 2012.

Now, the pub which was voted Cardiff Pub of the Year in both 1997 and 2009, will reopen to visitors at St Fagans National Museum of History on May 11 2024.

The Vulcan Hotel will be displayed as it was in 1915, an important year for the pub.

At this time, it had just undergone a major refurbishment that saw the distinctive green and brown tiles added to the frontage, as well as a redesign of its interior.

The Vulcan Hotel will be displayed as it was in 1915 (Image: Amgueddfa Cymru)

When it opens to the public, The Vulcan will serve exclusive beer brewed by Glamorgan Brewing Co. Visitors can now pre-book a table in the pub ahead of the opening.

They can also pre-order a beer flight containing a third pint of three beers, including a Vulcan Pale and Vulcan Ale, developed by Glamorgan Brewing in partnership with Amgueddfa Cymru.

Bethan Lewis, Head of Museum at St Fagans National Museum of History said: “We are very excited to open The Vulcan Hotel in May 2024.

“We know how much people have been looking forward to seeing The Vulcan open at St Fagans and it will be a great addition to our collection of historic buildings.

“Our team of historic building experts and curators have been hard at work meticulously recreating the 1915 pub and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to experience this iconic piece of Cardiff history.”

“The Vulcan is the latest addition to over 40 historic buildings re-erected at St Fagans National Museum of History. “

The 100-acre site features buildings from all over Wales which showcase how people have lived, worked and spent their leisure time through the ages.

St Fagans was awarded Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2019 and was voted best museum by Which? members in 2023.

Jane Richardson, chief executive at Amgueddfa Cymru said: “St Fagans National Museum of History is an award-winning museum, and we welcome over 500,000 visitors annually.

“The Vulcan Hotel is a significant addition to the collection as it allows us to tell the story of Newtown and the Irish diaspora who lived there.

"Visitors to the pub will be able to experience what life was like in 1915 and we look forward to welcoming the first customers in May.

“I am also looking forward to raising a glass to celebrate and visitors will be able to enjoy a drink of our Vulcan beer on site.”

“Amgueddfa Cymru would like to thank the Simon Gibson Charitable Trust, The Swire Charitable Trust and The Radcliffe Trust, as well as individuals and families, whose generous support has made re-erecting The Vulcan possible.”