We went to the Big Pit in Blaenafon a couple of decades ago but wanted to go back now that our son…read moreis old enough to visit with us. It's still excellent. Our guide, Steve (a former miner), taught us so much about the mine and mining, and he shared his sharp wit many times along the way. We loved the tour. This is a national treasure. If you haven't seen it, go! We arrived about 10 a.m. and didn't have to wait, but it can get busy with tourists and school groups. We also had lunch in the Big Pit Canteen. Despite being shorthanded that day, the staff produced a wonderful lamb cawl and roll for £5.65 each that was nourishing and delicious. With beverages, the three of us ate for £20.85 (approximately $26).

This was a FABULOUS experience. You suit up, get prepped and go down deep in a real mine once…read morefully operational but now run and maintained by the National Museum of Wales. Our guide was fabulous. He led us through dark and tiny tunnels. He told us about the history of the mine and the people who worked in the mines. (Some of the history and conditions the people and animals were put through were quite sad.) We got to experience how dark the tunnels were and see how you mine as well as where the horses were kept. I was a little scared. Two of my friends couldn't handle the tight space and close quarters. However, if you're not claustrophobic and up for a different kind of adventure; I whole heartedly recommend it. Guide was fun and did everything to make sure we were safe. For instance, you must leave all electrical devises on the surface for fear of any current sparking a fire because even though this is run by a museum now, it's still an active mine and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I stumbled upon the Time Machine Museum recently on a short visit to the sleepy little village of…read moreBromyard and would like to recommend it as certainly somewhere a little different than the ordinary run-of-the-mill attractions, and the perfect place to entertain the kiddies for a couple of hours! The building itself is actually the Old Bakery and looks like a very quaint old-fashioned village grocery store-cum-tea shop, but step inside and you will not only find a stunning Elizabethan style coffee shop, but also THE TARDIS! Step inside the old Police Box and you will immediately find yourself transported back in time to a fantastic wonderland consisting literally thousands of rare & collectable antique toys, bears and dolls just to name a few. There are also dozens of famous film memorabilia including life size droids & characters of The Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Stingray, Star Wars & of course, Dr Who & the Daleks to delight the enthusiast! There is also a permanent puppet display - the ONLY one in the country, a Railway, and Dads Army memrobilia including a genuine, Millitaria Display. Also, not to forget to mention - Disney! All in all, there is something for everyone, hours of fun for both young & olda magical collection of both fantasy & nostalgia that will take your breath away - I was totally amazed!

I'm about as far from a Sci-fi fan as you can get but as my brother loves all that so a friend…read moresuggested I take him here...... It's a little hidden gem and brought back memories of all the Dr Who I hid behind the sofa during. It's worth just turning up for a chat with Andy the owner of this private & vast collection. No spoilers here but if you were born in the 60's its a great way to spend a couple of hours reliving childhood memories, one or two exhibits are unique gems for avid fans too. Would agree maybe not for kids and OK its £8 adult but something has to pay the bills! No cafe that I seen but Brew just up the road is lovely, Combine with a stroll around Bromyard & its a great and reasonable day out

It was a very enjoyable experience except when someone spilled coffee on me and I had to go to the…read morehospital other than that it was good looking at the jail cells

This has to be the most fascinating and revolting museum I have ever been to . It should be a…read morecompulsory visit for all those who think religion is wonderful . It's a history of all the most evil things that have happened in the world and the fight against the perpetrators . It's stomach churning in places . You will leave it with all innocence gone .

This is a museum in South Wales which tells all about the colliery history in the area. In the same…read moremanner as The Big Pit, Rhondda Heritage Park strives to tell the story of local toil, plight and humanity through a delightful series of galleries and interactive exhibitions. Unlike The Big Pit, however, you cannot go down into the mines here, as they have long since been closed off. They do have a very convincing reenactment space though, and for those easily beguiled or young at heart, you might just believe you really are far underground. At the end of the tour there is a Simulation ride, where you are flung along cave tunnels in the back of a coal cart. This is, from what I remember of childhood visits, probably the highlight. The guide many years ago said that everyone begged to run the ride again, but they would never do it. Not even for the Queen, he said. (At 9, this shocked me.) Rhondda Heritage Park is a good place for a family afternoon out; particularly amusing if you're visiting with someone afraid of the dark.

This is a wonderful park to have a day out in with children! There is just so much to see and do…read morehere, I have fond memories of when I was a child, going here to this park. I even have some dreams about the place as walk back along the small, grey rocks that lay on the flat and hard ground that seems to be near something like a train station or something. Then I just fade out of it, quickly... I remember feeling terrified at the thought of going underground and following the footsteps of what a minor would have used to have taken. We had a story and health instructions given to us before we entered the mine and the dark, cold and a narrow lift with one small light bulb lighting it up. We had to wear hard helmets with small, light bulbs blaring out from the top of you helmets. You can at first go and see The Visitor Centre, which has; an Art Gallery, a café on level one, a gift shop and a period village that has been re-constructed called Village Street. Entry to this heritage park is mostly free; if it is a special event day there then you have to pay to enter the place. I recommend this place to all, especially to children and their parents.

Ive been here twice and to be honest, the second time was pushing it, but then again its not my cup…read moreof tea. For the enthusiastic Historian, this place will be right down your alley. I do give credit to them for keeping the place in pristine condition though.

Not many places these day are free so make the most! My teenage sun prefered to sit outside in the…read moresun, whilst I poodles around. Clearly a lot of time and effort put into this. Number of animals to keep the small ones happy. Added benefit of free parking which also allows you to visit the Tor which is in walking distance.

Right, 5 star rating for sure here. What a (as the name suggests) treasure!…read more Firstly, a stunning drive to our destination which always puts you in a good mood (and the baby sat chattering in the back instead of screaming which always helps mummy!) and pulling into a carpark with ample parking which makes us smile was a good start to our day out. When we entered we were greeted by a lovely lady who ushered us through to the museum part. Entry was £8 each for adults, and boo was free as she is under 6. She gave us a map and some information before we entered and then we turned around to the treasure trove within. This is a place that will throw you back into different era's. There is something for everyone ranging from tractors to toys, from clothing to cigarettes. I particularly enjoyed the old alcohol miniatures and paraphernalia, and hubby enjoyed the toys and electronics. There is a massive collection of colourful tractor seats in the last room which is beautiful to see. You can spend hours in front of one cabinet here. The women's hygiene/cleaning products were so fun to see, as was the gorgeous wedding dress donated by a lady who wore it in 1955 (or around then) Collections of many different types of things are on display here (shaving pots, steam engines, tins, signs, tobacco and alcohol stuff, perfume, books etc it just goes on) There is a café attached which we didn't have time to relax in, but it looked lovely. A very small gift shop which I think they could make bigger and have more items for sale, but we got two very humourous postcards and a magnet to take home. I am so glad we came here, boo was enthralled the whole time (only problem she wanted to touch it all haha) Would come again as you would see different things every time.

Do you ever get the feeling at the weekend that you'd like to do something but you're not sure…read morewhat? You kind of want to see or do something but don't want to spend loads of money. Well perhaps Oakham Treasures is the ticket for you. You will happily be able to spend a few hours on a trip down memory lane here. Relatively new to Bristol opening in 2008 Oakham is a fascinating collection of memorabilia, everything from vintage sweets to huge tractors are on display! It's £6.50 for one adult, or 2 adults and 3 children can get in for just £15! Something for everyone.

A small friendly museum in easy walking distance from the docks. It has a car park with a few…read morespaces and is wheelchair accessable. Regular interesting exhibitions. We popped in to see a fascinating one on the second world war, with interesting details about local charicters. There was also a wonderful photography exhibition and a room of local historical pottery amongst other things. Shop and friendly staff on site. Worth the visit (free by the way!!).

I was quite disappointed at the Swansea Museum. I remember how much I enjoyed visiting the Maritime…read moreMuseum when I was a child, but I definitely didn't see the same excitment in my children when we visited. The museum is a somewhat disjointed affair, taking in all kinds of themes, transport, industry, technology, culture and history. When we visited, a lot of the 'hands-on' exhibits for kids were out of order or simply not working. The building itself is fabulous, obviously a lot of money has been spent, but it just didn't do it for us. Maybe we're just spoiled or something.

The Blaenavon Iron Works is a World Heritage Centre site and its a good day out. I've had to work…read morein the town for a couple of months and the people of Blaenavon are some of the nicest people I've ever met. The site itself is ok. Some of the houses have been open up to show what life would have been like, but really you need a guide or at least a guide book to really explain the significance of the site. Little kids would probably just want to run around and younger children might not get it. My favourite is the view from up ontop of a viewing platform overlooking the whole valley. You can see the scars that mining has left on the landscape and the whole mountainous valley. If you go be sure to visit the town as well, check out all the little local stores especially the fabulous butchers. There is also a new history/learning centre there too worth a visit.

I remember as a kid visiting the museum when it was located under the town library - I was always…read moreafraid becasue one of the first exibits was a WW2 Gas mask and I found that very scary! Nowdays teh museum has a bright new home on the ground floor of the old Market Hall, beneath the Metropol Theatre. It's run by volunteers who do a fab job of maintaining the history of Abertillery - They have stone age bronze age and Roman artefacts but for me the most important ear of the towns history was that running from the Industrial revolution when our cola helped run the world, through to the late 1970's when the mines began to close - and life in this time is amply recalled in the museums displays which include a Miners Kitchen, along with the social aspects that dominated at the time which include of course; rugby and Webbs brewery! - Come and see Abertillery Museum particularly if you live there - it6's worth seeing.