Swansea's National Waterfront Museum is a great place in which to gain an understanding of…read moreSwansea's rich history. I didn't expect that the museum would answer the many questions I had about the town but it did. For starters: * What is the city doing with sea water and why?; and * Why is all of the waterfront development so much newer than the rest of the city? These questions make sense when you're in Swansea but not when you're far away and reading a yelp review so I'll not try to explain. Just know that the National Waterfront Museum does a very good job at providing a lot of interesting information about Swansea, Wales in general, the waterfront, the people, and the history of migration to the area. That all of this is free of charge is icing on the cake. After spending several hours here my sole gripe is that a lot of energy has been put into making displays interactive thus requiring viewers to pull out heavy drawers, or wave their hands around to activate things. As an able-bodied person I struggled with some of these things and witnessed other, less-able folks completely mystified with how to interact with some of the exhibits. Still, don't let that keep you away. The National Waterfront Museum isn't something that'll appeal to kids but if you have the energy and attention span to read a lot there's a lot here to learn about. I found it interesting and well worth my time.

I was there 3 years ago and I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw, either in terms of…read morearchitecture, technology or education. The building is situated just off the Swansea Marina, it even has a bar that goes straight to it, so in that order even the location is perfect for a nice clear sky walk. When you enter you can almost see how the museum is set up, it mainly is a record of how the Maritime life of Wales developed, with a special focus on the Swansea area. It may seem a bit boring if you aren't one of the nautical type (like I am) but the way everything is displayed is genius, they have used the latest technology of movement reaction based sensors for you to control animations and displays so it is a complete immerse experience. I really did enjoyed it and to think that by the fact that I was a student I got in for free! Which makes the experience even better! If you are around Swansea don't forget to come by and visit this pearl of Wales. It is truly a great Museum, you can compare it to several big ones all over the world!

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.

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.

This museum is the perfect price. Free! It is a wonderful way to spend a couple of hours. There…read moreis lots of natural history as well as cultural history. Everything is in both English and Welsh. The natural history area had videos ad well as exhibits detailing the geographic history of the region. The Art of the Selfie exhibit had a small cost which was quite fair. Van Gogh's Self Portrait was the main draw, but they also had Rembrandt and other artists. In the other rooms, there were so many artifacts. Rooms within rooms and beyond, you can lose hours reading about everything on display.

it was a pretty good experience, but no one warned me that the bloody dinosaurs are getting starved…read morebecause they are literally just bones. animal mistreatment is NOT a joke I want to support, I cannot believe the STATE of this museum. Good value for money as its free. Cool stones and a selection of STARVED AND DEAD animals. and the service was poor because they encourage this. the toilets are good for kids, AND OTHER THINGS.

If you think of mining in Wales you normally think of huge slag heaps and grey countryside. Think…read moreagain when you think of gold mining. Dolaucothi is a small site in terms of mining but exceptionally pretty, overlooking the Cothi Valley. Workings in the mines date from Roman times but mining has taken place here as recently as the 1930s. Guided tours will take you through the workings of the mines and show the conditions that were endured. If you have an energectic group you may well find that your guide is prepared to take you on an extended tour which will take in parts of the mines above ground too. For children there is a gold panning set up. The site is suitable for children who are old enough to walk themselves through the tunnels and stairs - it's not suitable for very young children. All must wear hard hats (provided). Although this is true mining and the tunnels quite small in places it is not a very deep mine and shouldn't prove too problematic. A campsite is available on the site with 35 pitches. The shop sells Welsh gold (more expensive than foreign gold).

one of the best free museums ive been to! lots of interesting information and interactive setups. i…read morerecommend checking this museum out if you're visiting cardiff!

Your City, Your Story…read more Opening in early 2011, this will be the first museum where Cardiffians and visitors alike can see the story of the city through the eyes of its people. Housed in the historic Old Library building in the heart of Cardiff city centre it aims to offer 'a fun, free, family day out and a fantastic learning and community resource.' More of their blurb says this... 'An international cultural venue which is an inclusive, exciting and inspirational resource; bringing people together to help them learn about the making of Cardiff, its diverse narratives and the multi-cultural communities which created the capital city of Wales.' If all goes to plan the museum will be a great starting point for any visit to Cardiff, providing an introduction to the city's history and pointing visitors to places where they can find out more. In the lead up to the opening of The Cardiff Story, while the museum is being developed, the first floor galleries will continue to run a diverse programme of art and history exhibitions, as per usual and you can also enjoy a sneak preview of some of the objects and stories that will feature in the galleries. The downstair cafe/bar remains a great place to hang out too.

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.