Plantasia
For a fun-filled day out for all the family, or simply to enjoy the peace and quiet of acres of natural surroundings, take a fascinating journey of discovery through the living world of Plantasia. Bring the world of plants to life with a tour of our interactive exhibition centre, explore the UK’s largest collection of permanent mazes – with a maze for every continent and a reward stamp if you find your way to the centre. Also, take a walk on the wild side with acres of natural trails, a lakeside walk and even a tree top walk. Plantasia contains 5,000 tropical and exotic plant species, some of which are extinct in the wild.
Dylan Thomas Centre
The National Literature Centre of Wales is named in honour of one of 20th Century's best loved poets and Swansea's most famous literary son. Opened by former President Jimmy Carter in 1995, the riverside centre includes the definitive Dylan Thomas exhibition, as well as a shopstuffed with books, posters and memorabilia. The centre is also home to the Ty Llen literature programme which puts on many literary events throughout the year, including the annual Dylan Thomas Festival during October and November.
National Showcaves Centre
'Wales's best kept secret for 315 million years' is the largest showcave complex in northern Europe. Located in the Upper Swansea Valley, just 10 miles north of the city, the centre consists of three enormous caves, a dinosaur park, shire horse centre, Millennium stone circle, Iron Age and Victorian farms. Discovered by accident in 1912, the intrepid Morgan brothers used a traditional Welsh coracle (a round floating craft) to negotiate an underground lake. Shortly afterwards ‘Bone Cave’ was discovered, named after the Bronze Age skeletons which were discovered. Voted 'Britain's Finest Natural Wonder', walk deep into the subterranean world and experience some of nature’s most astounding geological formations!
Brangwyn Concert Hall
Adorned with gloriously ornate, lifesize baroque wall panels commissioned at the turn of the 20th Century by the British House of Lords, the Brangwyn is the most stately concert hall in Wales. Brangwyn Hall is the perfect backdrop for Swansea's annual Festival of Music & Arts, the second largest in the UK. Find out what’s on at the hall here
Gower Heritage Centre
Established in 1990 as a countryside crafts centre situated in historical and beautiful surroundings, today the Gower Heritage Centre is recognised as a vibrant crafts and rural life museum that welcomes visitors from all around the world. Once the 12th century water powered corn and saw mill was renovated experienced crafts people took up residence on site.
Swansea Vale Railway
Two years after nationalisation, in 1950, the last passenger services on the Swansea Valley Railway were withdrawn and a gradual complete closure ensued during the 1960s. By 1985 all that remained of the Swansea Vale Railway was the section preserved by the SVR Society. Today this historical steam railway has recently been restored by volunteers to provide a comprehensive summer timetable. The mile and a half service operates just three miles from the route of Swansea's ‘Mumbles Train’ – the world's first passenger carrying railway.
www.homepage.ntlworld.com/michael.meyrick/
Swansea Market
One of the country’s largest indoor markets, the present trading centre follows in a Swansea tradition which dates back to the 12th Century. Teaming with colour, vibrancy and aroma which swamps your every sense, Swansea Market's shops and stalls are an excellent source for local produce from flowers and fresh seafood to jewellery, arts and Welsh souvenirs. The market itself has been established since 1961 inside an impressive structure with an amazing glass roof that lights up the interior and gives the impression that you are outdoors. On the website you can check out what stalls are in the market and what they sell. You can even find out where they are located within the market.
Mumbles Pier
Constructed in 1898 as a destination for the Mumbles Train, the pier was built in 1898 and stands as a tribute to Victorian architecture. At the sea end of the pier is a jetty, a popular location for fishing, while the land side houses an entertainments pavilion, restaurant, nightclub, bowling alley and bar. Nearby is the Winter Gardens skating rink, which also houses a bar and restaurant.
Cefn yr Erw
Formerly a traditional Welsh hill farm, the sanctuary now rescues and provides a home for many types of unwanted animals, especially primates, such as chimpanzees, baboons, spider monkeys, capuchins and marmosets. Meet the rescued baboons, arctic foxes, gibbons, shire and miniature horses, llama, dexter cows, capuchin monkeys, cappy bara, kune kune pigs and the cheeky rescued chimpanzees! Perfect for a family day out.
Swansea Environment Centre
An innovative showpiece centre focussing on a futuristic, environmentally harmonious lifestyle. Includes hands-on displays, exhibitions and research resources. There is a small green shop, fair trade coffee bar, meeting and exhibition spaces, information, office facilities, internet access, demonstrations of renewable technologies and more. Free admission.
Gower Peninsula
Beautiful and unspoilt, breathtaking and ancient, the Gower Peninsula is located over an area that measures just 20 by five miles and is less than 50 miles west of Cardiff and just a 10-minute drive from Swansea. In 1956 it was one of the first places designated an ‘Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty', with a dozen magical sandy bays which have been awarded the most prestigious European accolades for cleanliness, safety and quality.
Museums
Swansea Museum
The oldest museum in Wales, described by Dylan Thomas as, ‘a museum which belongs in a museum’. Exhibits include the mummy of 4,000-year-old Egyptian priest, Hor; an Ichthyosaur skeleton; the "cabinet of curiosities" and a priceless collection of rare, early-19th Century Swansea porcelain. Admission free.
http://www.swansea.gov.uk/swanseamuseum
National Waterfront Museum
The £32m National Waterfront Museum of Wales, Swansea is located in the city's Maritime Quarter. With the largest collection of floating exhibits in Wales, there's also an exposition from the Swansea and Mumbles Railway. The museum tells the story of industry and innovation in Wales, now and over the last 300 years. Most displays are interactive and admission is free.
www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/swansea/
Museum of Egyptian Antiquities
The Egypt Centre contains the finest collection of Egyptian artefacts in Wales, and the largest collection in the UK outside London. With over 4,000 objects in the collection the centre sees itself as very much more than simply a collection of Egyptian artefacts held for the delight of a few experts.
Margam Stones Museum
Housed in an early church schoolhouse, the collection includes a number of important pre-Conquest early Christian memorials. from giant ‘cartwheel crosses’ dating back a thousand years or so to earlier ornate Christian memorial stones from the sub-Roman era. See the CADW information page here