Football Museum of Wales opens in Wrexham with city history galleries

The Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum opened to the public on Friday 25 September in Wrexham’s County Buildings, giving the Welsh Football Collection its first permanent display space alongside galleries about the city’s history. Entry is free, but visitors need to book a ticket in advance through the museum website.

The Grade II-listed building brings two collections together. Its football galleries follow the game in Wales from grassroots clubs to the national teams, while the Wrexham galleries cover the city’s mining past and the communities that shaped it. Wrexham Council said timed entry slots were limited when booking opened.

What visitors can see in the football galleries

The Welsh Football Collection was established in 2000 and had previously reached the public through temporary exhibitions, according to National Lottery Good Causes. Its permanent home includes the team sheet from Wales’s first international, against Scotland in 1876, and the shirt John Charles wore for his Wales debut in Wrexham in March 1950.

A telegram releasing Charles to play for Wales at the 1958 World Cup is also on display. BBC Wales reported that about 70% of the football material shown at the museum had not been exhibited before. Visitors can watch and vote for a favourite goal using the Great Wales Goals interactive, according to National Lottery Good Causes.

One restored object comes with a question still open. A football made by Llangollen saddler Tom Hughes carries a label linking it to a Wales–England international. The museum believes it was used in the 1920s, but research suggests it could be older, BBC Wales reported. Its precise date has not been established.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund lists a cap awarded to Welsh football pioneer Billy Meredith and match programmes dating back to 1901 among the collection’s objects. Its account also describes games, hands-on experiences and interactive displays. National Lottery Good Causes says the collections address women’s football, the Welsh language, LGBTQ+ communities and minority ethnic experiences of the game.

How the Wrexham Museum galleries fit alongside football

The local history galleries occupy previously underused parts of County Buildings, according to National Lottery Good Causes. They trace Wrexham’s story beyond the pitch, with interactive displays, immersive films, a well-being garden and a café. The Heritage Fund describes themed galleries spanning prehistory to the present day, including objects and personal stories.

Local communities helped curate object displays, Wrexham Council said. That work gives residents a role in how the city is represented alongside the national football collection. The opening also falls in the 150th anniversary year of the Football Association of Wales, founded at Wrexham’s Wynnstay Arms Hotel on 2 February 1876.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund describes its contribution to the museum as £2.8 million; National Lottery Good Causes says it awarded more than £2.7 million. Those rounded figures describe the fund’s contribution, not a confirmed total cost for the project. Wrexham Council also names the Welsh Government, the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, the Wolfson Foundation, the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and the council among its supporters.

Booking a free visit

Wrexham Council and National Lottery Good Causes both say admission is free and tickets must be booked in advance through the museum website. The announced public opening was at 10am on 25 September. The cited announcements do not establish regular daily opening hours or current ticket availability, so visitors should check the museum’s booking page before travelling.