The best attraction visitors can enjoy for ‘free’ in Wales has officially been crowned and it is closer to home for many than some might expect.

Blaenavon’s Big Pit has officially been named as the best free family attraction in Wales by the retail giant, Go Outdoors. The outdoor and camping giant scores its list based on review scores and UK search data and the former coal mine, situated inside the UNESCO World Heritage site of Blaenavon, scooped a score of 9.83 out of 10 on the judges’ matrix.

While visitors can access the National Coal Museum of Wales for free, those who are hoping to head underground will only be able to get so far without spending a penny. It costs £8 per person to book an advance ticket for a tour of the coal mine itself, or £5 on the day for the next available slot.

The museum made the move to start charging for the tour after it said there wasn’t enough funding from the Welsh Government to be able to run the tours for free and maintain the attraction for visitors all year round.

Pay and display parking has also recently been launched at the site, which costs a further £5 per car upon arrival and is enforced by a new ANPR system. As a result, it has prompted some critics to argue whether Wales best free day out is actually ‘free.’

Before the party won the 2026 Senedd election, Plaid Cymru made it a manifesto commitment to look at a new approach for all of Wales’ national museums, including the National Coal Museum of Wales as well as the National Museum of Wales, in Cardiff and others around the country.

Although its unclear whether the new Welsh Government will go further to introduce more funding aimed at making the attractions less costly, but the new Culture Minister has said that culture and heritage are clearly a priority for the First Minister.

“We can't promise huge investment overnight, but I will clearly put together a plan where we can see that increased investment year-on-year,” Heledd Fychan MS told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast last week.

In their manifesto, Plaid Cymru stated it would consider its options for making cultural provision and statutory requirement for public bodies including local authorities, health boards and national parks through a new Culture Act.

Whether this could amount to a return for free admission to Big Pit’s underground tours or free parking is uncertain.

It currently remains a committed policy for free entry to Wales’ National Museums for Plaid Cymru, and it also said it would work with the Urdd and Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru to make sure free tickets are available for low income families at first before a potential expansion to the whole of Wales.