The museum was founded in 1946 following the donation of the castle and lands by the Earl of Plymouth.[6] It opened its doors to the public in 1948, under the name of the Welsh Folk Museum. The museum's name in Welsh (also meaning "Welsh Folk Museum") has remained unchanged since that date, whereas the English title was revised to Museum of Welsh Life, thereafter St Fagans National History Museum, and again to its current title.[2][7]
The brainchild of Iorwerth Peate, the museum was modelled on Skansen, the outdoor museum of vernacular Swedish architecture in Stockholm. Most structures re-erected in Skansen were built of wood and are thus easily taken apart and reassembled, but a comparable museum in Wales was going to be more ambitious, as much of the vernacular architecture of Wales is made of masonry.[3][6]
2017 refurbishment
A redeveloped main reception building was opened in July 2017.[8] The six-year, £30-million redevelopment of the site, which was funded by a number of sources, notably the Welsh Government and the National Lottery, was completed in October 2018.[9][10]
The £30-million redevelopment project provided many benefits, including three new galleries showcasing Wales’ history, improvements to buildings such as the Iron Age farmstead, Bryn Eryr, and Medieval Prince’s court and Llys Llywelyn, as well as a refurbished main entrance building and a new restaurant, play area and learning spaces.[11] One of the new buildings, the Gweithdy ('workshop'), features stone age tools and stick chairs.[12]
In June 2019, St Fagans was named UK’s Museum of the Year 2019 by the Art Fund, which commended the facility's "exceptional imagination, innovation and achievement".[13] The Art Fund is a charity which helps to support museums and galleries.[14]