Wales’ new national football museum has moved a step closer to opening its doors with a behind-the-scenes preview of its nearly completed galleries and exhibits.
The Football Museum of Wales is due to open to the public in summer 2026.
The new museum sits just half a mile from the Cae Ras, home of Wrexham AFC and the Wynnstay Arms Hotel where the Football Association of Wales was founded in 1876.
Minister for Culture, Jack Sargeant, was given an exclusive look at the gallery spaces, interactive exhibits, immersive films and newly landscaped well-being garden as the project team finalise the displays. He also helped install some of the first objects into display cases.
When it opens, it will be rich in stories and artefacts and will include interactive elements that will involve all the family.
Some of the exhibits will include:
- Great Wales Goals – an interactive where people can watch and vote for their favourite goal
- The Timeline – a case full of objects from 1876 to the present day, telling the story of the national teams
The Minister was able to see some of the first objects being put into cases, ready for opening, including:
- The original Wales v Scotland team sheet from 1876 (Wales’ first international game)
- The cap and shirt of footballer Wyn Davies, who won 34 caps for Wales and passed away last year
The Welsh Government has awarded grants totalling almost £6 million towards the football museum since June 2023, with total investment in the wider project exceeding £6.78 million.
Jack Sargeant said:
“The Football Museum of Wales has been a major cultural commitment of this Welsh Government and I am thrilled – especially as a lifelong football fan myself – to be able to visit and see what an asset this will be, not only for Wrexham, but for Wales as a nation.
“We recognise the key role museums play within communities and culture across Wales. Their contribution in terms of health and wellbeing, economic impact as visitor attractions, and as resources for schools and lifelong learning should not be underestimated.
“It’s been great to see the films and content of the galleries and to hear how much communities across Wales have been involved in the creation of the museum, with real care taken to ensure the collections and displays genuinely reflect the breadth of Welsh football's cultures and histories.”
The wider project will also redevelop the adjoining Wrexham Museum's local history galleries, bringing previously under-used areas of the building into public use and transforming the visitor experience for the city and its visitors.
The project has also been supported by the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Wolfson Foundation, the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and Wrexham County Borough Council.
