Football Museum of Wales Wrexham Opening Date Confirmed 2026

Key Points

• The Football Museum of Wales Wrexham and the redeveloped Wrexham Museum are due to open on Friday, 25 September 2026.
• The museums are scheduled to open at 10am at the historic County Buildings in Wrexham city centre.
• Visitors will need to book free tickets, with details of how to book expected to be announced in the coming days.
• The attraction will bring together Wales’s football heritage with Wrexham’s local history, communities and stories.
• The redevelopment has created a larger, modernised museum while retaining the character of the Grade II-listed County Buildings.
• Funding has come from the Welsh Government, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, Wrexham Council and other named organisations.
• Hoarding around the building is expected to be removed in late August as final preparations continue inside.
• Wrexham Council said it has received interest from visitors in the UK and overseas.

Wrexham (Wales Times) August 25, 2026 — Football Museum of Wales uk/local/wrexham/">Wrexham is set to open to the public on Friday, 25 September 2026, with the new combined visitor attraction due to welcome its first visitors from 10am. The opening will see the redeveloped Wrexham Museum and the Football Museum of Wales brought together in the historic County Buildings in the city centre.

In its opening-date announcement, Wrexham Council confirmed that arrangements for free ticket booking will be published in the coming days. The authority asked prospective visitors to watch for further updates on how to secure entry to the new museum, which will focus on football history, local heritage and the communities connected to both.

The opening date marks the next stage of a redevelopment project which has transformed the former Wrexham Museum into a larger and modernised venue. According to Wrexham Council, the attraction will provide a shared home for the national football collection and displays reflecting the history of Wrexham and the surrounding county.

The Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum will open on Friday, 25 September 2026. Wrexham Council said the museum team expects to open the doors at 10am on that date, following the completion of internal preparations.

The council said passers-by would begin to see more signs that the project is nearing completion, with hoarding panels around the site due to be removed in late August. The authority did not provide a detailed timetable for the release of tickets but said further information on the opening, visitor experience and booking arrangements would follow in the weeks ahead.

Free admission booking will be required, according to the council announcement. People intending to visit will need to wait for the museum’s published process before making plans to attend the new venue.

What will visitors find at the new Wrexham museum?

The new venue will bring the Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum together in a single museum experience. Wrexham Council said the development will cover Welsh footballing heritage alongside the people, places and stories that have shaped Wrexham and its communities.

The authority described the scheme as a substantially expanded and modernised museum within the County Buildings. It said the redevelopment preserves the character and heritage of the Grade II-listed building while adding a contemporary visitor experience intended for local residents, football supporters and visitors from Wales and beyond.

The project places particular emphasis on Wrexham’s connection with Welsh football. In the council’s announcement, Cllr Mark Pritchard, leader of Wrexham Council, said the city had been chosen as the home of the Football Museum of Wales after competition from other places in Wales.

Cllr Pritchard said: “There was a great deal of competition across Wales to find the right home for the Football Museum. We are proud that Welsh Government trusted Wrexham – the birthplace of Welsh football – to celebrate its heritage for national and international visitors to enjoy.”

He added that the redevelopment of Wrexham Museum and the establishment of the Football Museum of Wales had created “a destination venue right here in Wrexham”.

What have Welsh Government and council leaders said?

Heledd Fychan, cabinet minister for culture and sport, described the opening as a significant point for the project. In Wrexham Council’s announcement, she said the museum would bring Welsh football heritage to life while recognising the history and communities of Wrexham.

Ms Fychan said: “This is a fantastic milestone – the Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum will be a landmark attraction, bringing our nation’s footballing heritage to life while celebrating the rich history and communities of Wrexham.”

She said Welsh Government support had contributed to making the project possible, alongside funding from other organisations. Ms Fychan also said she looked forward to visiting after the doors open and encouraged people in Wrexham and elsewhere in Wales to experience the venue.

Cllr Paul Roberts, Wrexham Council’s lead member with responsibility for museums, said the redevelopment represented a significant investment in the city’s cultural offer.

Cllr Roberts said: “The redevelopment represents a significant investment in Wrexham’s cultural offer and will quickly become a popular new destination for residents and visitors, celebrating the people, places, stories and sporting achievements that have helped shape the county and football communities across Wales.”

The comments from council and Welsh Government representatives set out the intended dual role of the attraction: to display a national football collection while also presenting local history in a Wrexham setting.

How has the Football Museum of Wales project been funded?

Wrexham Council named a number of funders that have supported the creation of the Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum. These are Welsh Government, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme, the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund, The Wolfson Foundation, the V&A Purchase Grant Fund and Wrexham County Borough Council.

Cllr Pritchard thanked the organisations for their support, as well as staff involved in delivering the project. He said: “I would also like to thank all the staff who have put a lot of work into bringing this project to fruition, and look forward to seeing everyone make the most of this exciting new attraction in the city centre.”

The council’s announcement does not state the overall cost of the redevelopment or give a funding breakdown between the named contributors. It does, however, identify the project as one backed by national, local, heritage and charitable funding sources.

Why has the County Buildings been retained?

The transformation has taken place within the County Buildings, a Grade II-listed structure that previously housed Wrexham Museum. Wrexham Council said the redevelopment retains the building’s historic character while changing its internal museum offer.

Alwyn Jones, chief executive of Wrexham Council, said the project should be understood as more than a refurbishment of the former museum. He said: “This is so much more than a refurbishment, it’s an entirely new venue which we are so proud of and can’t wait to welcome you to.”

Mr Jones added that people familiar with the original museum would see “the expansion and quality of restoration and fit-out” completed within the original County Buildings.

The approach allows the new attraction to remain in a building associated with Wrexham’s civic and cultural history while providing facilities designed around a broader visitor experience. Wrexham Council said the completed museum is intended to offer an immersive and memorable space for audiences with different interests, including football fans and people visiting to learn about local history.

What interest has Wrexham Council received before opening?

Ian Jones, Wrexham Council’s chief officer for economy and planning, said there had been interest in the museum from outside the local area, including from international visitors.

Mr Jones said:

“There is overwhelming interest in the new museum from far and wide, we’ve received messages from international visitors who are keen to get a glimpse of the National Wales Football collection while they’re in the region.”

He said the confirmed date meant the council was looking forward to welcoming visitors to the “immersive, memorable new space”.

The council has described the museum as an attraction for residents of Wrexham and North Wales, as well as visitors making wider travel and recreation plans in the region. Its announcement did not provide expected visitor numbers, details of exhibition objects or a full programme of opening events.

How can visitors follow booking updates?

Wrexham Council said more details on free-ticket booking will be released shortly. Until then, visitors can follow the Football Museum of Wales and Wrexham Museum through their official social-media channels for updates.

The council said it will provide further information on the opening, visitor access and ticketing arrangements before the September launch. People planning a visit should wait for the official booking announcement, particularly because the council has stated that tickets will be free but has not yet explained how slots will be allocated.

What is the background to the redevelopment?

Wrexham Museum has been redeveloped to create a combined home for the Football Museum of Wales and the city’s existing local museum offer. The project brings Wales’s footballing heritage into a venue designed to connect national sporting stories with Wrexham’s history, identity and communities.

Wrexham Council has presented the museum as a destination attraction housed in the historic County Buildings, rather than as a simple update of the previous museum. The completed venue is intended to retain the listed building’s heritage while providing expanded exhibition and visitor space.

Support for the development has been provided by a range of public, heritage, local-government and charitable funders. The opening on 25 September 2026 will be the first opportunity for the public to visit the redeveloped space.

How could the opening affect Wrexham residents and visitors?

For Wrexham residents, the opening will provide a new free-to-book cultural venue in the city centre, combining local history with football-related displays. For schools, families and community groups, the museum may create an additional location for heritage visits once the booking and visitor arrangements are confirmed.

For football supporters, particularly those interested in Welsh football, the venue will provide a dedicated museum setting for the National Wales Football collection. For visitors to Wrexham and North Wales, it adds another planned attraction from 25 September 2026.

Demand, ticket availability and visitor capacity will become clearer when Wrexham Council publishes its booking system.