Great Orme Mines

Great Orme Mines ⛏️Llandudno’s world famous Bronze Age copper mine.
😃Open every day until end of October. Tram: You can arrive via Great Orme Tramway.

How to get here:

By Car: If visiting us by car, follow the Ancient Mine signs from Llandudno. We have free parking for mine and giftshop visitors (if you are following SATNAV, once you are on the Orme don't turn left until you see our sign at the top of our drive). Tour Bus: The Alpine Great Orme Explorer bus will bring you directly to our door. Departs from Llandudno Pier at 10am until 5pm, 7 da

ys a week, leaving up to every 30 minutes. Present your Alpine bus ticket to our admissions desk to receive a discount on your admission to the mines. Departing from the Victoria Station on Church Walks, alight at the Halfway Station & follow road and the footpath signs marked 'Great Orme Mines' (heading in the direction of the summit) on a 5 minute walk. The mines will be on your left. Cable Car: The Cable Car departing from Happy Valley will take you to the Summit. After arriving at the summit follow the road down the hill for a 15 minute walk and the mines will be on your right. Please note that the Cable Car is weather dependent and cash only. Bus: The Arriva 26 bus leaves from opposite Wetherspoons on Gloddaeth Street. Alight the Halfway Tram Station stop, our site is a five minute stroll from there. Follow the footpath and signs for the mines. Taxi: There are also a number of taxi companies that you can call from Llandudno, including Alliance: 01492 87 87 87. On Foot: Another great option is to follow the Haulfre Gardens Summit Trail, which will bring you directly to the mines. From Haulfre Gardens follow the waymarkers marked 'To Summit'. This route will eventually bring you by our site. (Please be aware this option takes you through uphill terrain, uneven footpaths and a series of steps as you ascend the Orme).

⌛3,700 years of history in one view!I love this photo by our visitor Curtis of the Opencast here at Great Orme Mines.Thi...
31/08/2026

⌛3,700 years of history in one view!

I love this photo by our visitor Curtis of the Opencast here at Great Orme Mines.

This huge cavity, with the spaces between the pillars beneath the bridge, was created by Bronze Age miners extracting copper ore from the hillside. The green copper ore malachite exposed at the surface must have been a striking sight when Bronze Age miners first arrived here around 1,700 BC (3,700 years ago). This was more than 1,700 years before the Roman invasion in AD 43!

For me, that really puts the incredible scale of time into perspective. Standing here, you’re looking at a landscape shaped by people who lived thousands of years ago, long before Roman conquest of Britain.

Almost 3,700 years of human history and industry, right here at Great Orme Mines.

🔍 Today’s guessing game is a new arrival in our shop, but what is it?The hint: it’s made of silicon and oxygen and its f...
30/08/2026

🔍 Today’s guessing game is a new arrival in our shop, but what is it?

The hint: it’s made of silicon and oxygen and its formations look like miniature stalagmites and stalactites inside a cavern!

Any ideas?

28/08/2026

Looking for days out ideas in Conwy County?

From underground adventures and guided town tours to family farm fun, scenic rides and Welsh whisky experiences, we’ve rounded up a selection of things to do across the county.

Take a look at the guide and start planning your next day out. 🔗👉https://bit.ly/4xvVX2a










📣 It’s Bank Holiday weekend! 🎉The perfect time for a Bronze Age family adventure before the school holidays come to an e...
28/08/2026

📣 It’s Bank Holiday weekend! 🎉

The perfect time for a Bronze Age family adventure before the school holidays come to an end and before our special reduced ticket prices as part of the Great British Summer Savings scheme end on Tuesday!

⛏️ Step underground and explore the ancient tunnels of the Great Orme, where people were mining for copper ore 3,500 years ago. Discover prehistoric mine workings and find out what life was like for the people who worked here thousands of years ago!

🎟️ And remember, our special reduced ticket prices end on Tuesday 1st September, so this weekend is your last chance to make the most of that offer!

📸: Thanks to our visitor Sandor for sharing this lovely family photo, taken in our Film Room before they embarked on their adventure!

🐾 It’s ! 🐕‍🦺Dogs are part of the family, so they’re very welcome to join you as you explore the site! Our four-legged v...
26/08/2026

🐾 It’s !

🐕‍🦺Dogs are part of the family, so they’re very welcome to join you as you explore the site!

Our four-legged visitors are welcome on all parts of the site, including the underground section, crystal and fossil shop and bookshop. And if they need a little refreshment along the way, dog-friendly refreshments are also available! 💧

📸 Please share photographs of your canine companions in the comments, we’d love to see them!

And a big thank you to our visitor Clarissa for sharing with us this lovely photo of this cutie by the Opencast! 😃

🔍What is this? Another day, another product in our shop to guess at, a trickier one this time! 😃 This one came in a deli...
25/08/2026

🔍What is this?

Another day, another product in our shop to guess at, a trickier one this time! 😃

This one came in a delivery we had today, but what is it?

Hint: it is sometimes called ‘Dragon Stone’ due to its egg shape and isn’t a single mineral at all, but a rock made up of a mineral mix of Calcite, Aragonite and Limestone.

Any ideas?

🌍 Just as Great Orme copper reached far and wide in the Bronze Age so too have the descendants of the eighteenth and nin...
24/08/2026

🌍 Just as Great Orme copper reached far and wide in the Bronze Age so too have the descendants of the eighteenth and nineteenth century Llandudno miners.

Last week visiting Great Orme Mines were Florence and Michael (pictured), with Michael’s wife and Florence’s mother, Rebecca. Not only were they walking in the footsteps of their ancient ancestors, but also those of their ancestors in more recent history.

Florence and Michael are direct descendants of Richard Hughes (see sepia print). They visited some of the sights that were part of their ancestor’s life, including Great Orme Mines. Richard came to Llandudno from Anglesey, drawn here by the work available at the copper mines. He was employed as a Great Orme miner from 1840s to the 1870s. He was also one of the contractors involved in building Marine Drive, the scenic toll road around the headland and the very same road that The Tour Of Britain passed along last Friday!

Without the skills that the miners of Llandudno had, the town would look very different!

🪦 One final stop on the family’s journey through Richard’s story was the place where he now passes eternity, in the picturesque churchyard of St Tudno’s.

🇳🇿 It’s always wonderful to meet those for whom Great Orme Mines is part of their family history. Michael is from New Zealand and at over 11,000 miles on his journey I believe this family might hold the record for the descendants of Llandudno miners who have travelled the furthest!

📸: Rebecca Green
📸: Image of Richard Hughes Conwy Archives (CCBC).

Address

Great Orme Mines, Great Orme
Llandudno
LL302XG

Opening Hours

Monday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 9:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+441492870447

Website

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