Opening Times

January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November and December - 10.00 - 16.30 Seven days a week.
June, July and August - 09.30 - 17.30 Seven days a week.

Tours everyday from Easter to the end of October. All other times, 'select days' only. Please ring for details.

What makes this a great venue for School group Fun or Educational Visits?

Take a journey of exploration deep inside one of Europe’s largest man-made caverns to learn how electricity reaches you when you need it most. Have you ever wondered how the electrical appliances we rely on most in our day to day lives are powered? Or how does the National
Grid cope during periods of exceptionally high demand? These questions plus much more are answered as you witness the creation of electricity at Electric Mountain.

Learn how a simple idea of using the water from 2 lakes on the site of an old slate quarry can evolve.

There is plenty of evidence to suggest you will be visiting a location that is very aware of health and safety and you will be instructed on how to stay safe.

See at first hand how the power station has gone to great lengths to minimise the changes to the environment and that any changes made are for the better.

Learn how electricity is generated upon request and then moved on to
the National Grid at great speed.

What are the Curriculum Topics or Benefit to the students from a visit?

Curriculum topics cover maths, geography, science, the environment, local community, engineering and technology.

What are the activities?

Your journey of discovery starts with our fast paced film introduction to how a pumped storage station like the one at Electric Mountain ensures the country’s electricity demands are met. Next, jump aboard our Mountain Bus and begin the descent through the labyrinth of dark tunnels to the heart of Elidir Mountain where you are set to experience one of man’s greatest engineering achievements. Following one of our friendly experts, you will have the opportunity to see first hand what makes Electric Mountain unique.

What is the age range of the activities?

All Key Stages are catered for.

Sample programme of the activities:

For example;

Key stage 1 Activity sheet – watch out, electricity is about!
To explore their surroundings using their senses. To make and record observations.
To recognise appliances that use electricity

Key Stage 2 Activity Sheet – making a circuit
To represent circuits by drawing circuit diagrams using appropriate symbols.

Key Stage 3 Activity – Making hydro electricity the Electric Mountain To explain how electricity is generated using alternative and varied energy sources (solar, hydro, wind).

What materials to you provide or suggest groups bring to support the visit?

For you and your pupils to benefit the most from your visit to Electric Mountain we recommend that you consider using the pre-visit material as a resource for your work on electricity. Your pupils will then be fully charged and ready for the electrifying experience of Electric Mountain. The resources are available to download and can be used to reinforce concepts, knowledge and understanding of science. In addition, many of the activities cross over into other areas of the curriculum, namely Mathematics and Geography.

What are the minimum and maximum group sizes and the free Teacher Ratio?

£3.95 per child. 1 Free adult per 10 children.
There are no minimum group sizes. Max group size would be 64 per trip, however if there were more than 64 in the group, the tours could be staggered to accommodate the party.

Do you have or how do you arrange risk assessment?

A risk assessment is available.

What facilities are there for school groups for food and drink, shop etc?

The Cafe offers a friendly and relaxed atmosphere to enjoy delicious freshly made food. Wherever possible our food is locally sourced using a range of fair trade produce.

A choice of 3 School Packed lunches are available to pre-order. Please ask for details when booking.

Gift Shop – Thoughtful, desirable and fun. We have a good selection of carefully sourced stock to include Electric Mountain gifts, educational science kits, pocket-money gifts as well as sweets and chocolate.

Is specific clothing required?

Sensible shoes most be worn for the tour and we advise on warm clothing in winter. Anyone suffering from claustrophobia would feel some discomfort while underground and are advised against taking a tour. Hard hats or bump caps are provided on the tour buses.

Do you have first aid on site?

Yes. All Electric Mountain staff are first aid qualified.

Are there any restrictions on photos, copyright etc?

Unfortunately for security reasons we cannot allow any bags, handbags, cameras or mobile phones into the power station and you will be asked to leave your belongings in our coin operated lockers before being taken on one of our tour buses into the underground hydro electric power station.