Museums

The Great Laxey Wheel or Lady Isabella (as she is also known), turns majestically in the peaceful Glen Mooar Valley, where she proudly stands as the largest surviving working waterwheel in the world.

• Watch the Lady Isabella as she majestically turns.
• Climb the wheel’s winding staircase.
• Listen to the water rushing by.
• Learn about the lives of the Laxey Miners.
• Enjoy panoramic views from the top of the wheel.
• Wear a miners hat and go into the mine adit.
• Take a walk through the stunning Glen Mooar Valley.
• See the historic mine buildings.
• Look out for wildlife on the Mines Trail.

Click here to view a 360 degree panoramic view of The Great Laxey Wheel & Mines Trail.

Information for Disabled Visitors:

This site has its own car park with one disabled parking space available. A convenient drop off point is located at the top of the car park next to the ticket office. The footpaths around the site are varying degrees of gradient and some are made up of loose chippings. Staff receive some disability awareness training. The nearest wheelchair accessible public toilets are located at Laxey Harbour. Registered assistance dogs are welcomed. Guided tours can be arranged for visually impaired and blind visitors and large format information about the site can be provided. It is the policy of Manx National Heritage to admit the assistant or carer of a disabled person free of charge.

• By foot and road: situated off Mines Road, signposted in Laxey.
• Electric railway: disembark at Laxey, from Ramsey, Douglas and Snaefell
• By bus: 2, 3A, 3B, 3C, 13
• Parking: car park with blue badge parking. Separate coach park nearby.

Admission Charges: £2.00 Children (under 18 years) and students, £4.00 Adults, £9.50 Family (2 adults and 2 children).

Group discounts are available for groups of 15 or more people, with the greatest savings available to pre-booked groups. For further information, please click here.

Free admission is available to holders of a valid 5 Site Pass, 10 Day Heritage Explorer Pass, ACE Card holders and reciprocal agreement members.

Heritage attractions nearby: The Manx Museum, Douglas, The Grove Museum, Ramsey.

Whilst planning your journey around our beautiful Island, you will find our Visitor Information page useful when planning visits to the Isle of Man's amazing museums, interpretive centres and historic sites. Alternatively, you can click here to watch a short film on the Story of Mann.

Further Information

The Great Laxey Wheel was named ‘Lady Isabella’ after the wife of the then Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man. It is now the largest surviving wheel of its kind in the world.

Designed by the Victorian engineer, Mr. Robert Casement, the wheel was built in 1854 to pump water from the Glen Mooar part of the ‘Great Laxey Mines’ industrial complex. The impressive 22m (72.5 feet) diameter structure found immediate popularity and has remained one of the Island’s most dramatic tourist attractions for over 150 years.

The ‘Lady Isabella’ survived largely through the efforts of one man, Laxey builder Edwin Kneale, who acquired the wheel to save it from being scrapped. Kneale operated the wheel as a tourist attraction until its purchase by the Manx Government in 1965 when a programme of complete restoration eventually returned the great wheel to its former glory. Subsequent acquisition of a neighbouring area of Glen Mooar made possible the extensive programme of surveys and clearance which established the Laxey Mines Trail.

Find out more about The Great Laxey Wheel and Mines Trail in our Souvenir Booklet and Site Guide, available at the Manx Museum and Laxey Wheel Heritage Shops. Further information on mines on the Isle of Man can be found using the following link - Laxey Mines Research Group