Gower Heritage Centre
Just a few miles from us in the pretty village of Parkmill is the Gower Heritage Centre. This charming crafts centre and rural life museum is based around a full working water mill – perfect for an afternoon visit if the skies turn grey. The centre hosts events throughout the year including its famous food and music festivals, but is worth a visit even when there’s nothing scheduled. It is open from 10am to 5pm every day for guided tours, or why not book on to one of their craft workshops?
They are also within walking distance of the award-winning Three Cliffs Bay, which is beautiful in the sunshine or rain.
National Waterfront Museum
Wales’ history is one of industry and innovation, and can be explored in fascinating detail at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea. Based at the city’s modern marina, the museum tells the story of Wales’ broad industrial and maritime heritage spanning the last 300 years, through a range of interactive displays and intriguing artifacts. It is open 10am to 5pm daily and entry is FREE!
Glynn Vivian Art Gallery
Just a short walk from Swansea city centre is the Glynn Vivian Gallery, also free to enter, and containing a variety of displays from artists across Wales and beyond. It has a broad spectrum of exhibitions, changing throughout the year and encompassing both modern and traditional styles. Among these is an exhibition on the life and private art collection of Richard Glynn Vivian, original founder of the gallery, who left his entire art collection to it in 1908 for ‘the enjoyment of the people of Swansea’.
The gallery is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 5pm. Last admission 4.40pm.
Plantasia
Even the dreariest of weather conditions are instantly forgotten with a visit to Swansea’s Plantasia – an immersive rainforest experience the whole family will enjoy. Housed within an expansive glasshouse are two climate zones – tropical and arid – both home to a variety of plants, insects, reptiles and fish. Get up close to the resident meerkats and watch them play in their burrow or spot brightly-coloured birds soaring through the skies!
Plantasia is open 10am to 5pm every day and entry is ticketed.
Dylan Thomas Centre
Located in Swansea’s former Guildhall, the Dylan Thomas Centre houses an extensive collection of memorabilia relating to the city’s most famous resident. Alongside photographs and sound recordings, the centre is also home to the permanent ‘Love the Words’ Exhibition, opened on Dylan Thomas’ 100th birthday and which explores his life and work through a selection of fascinating interactive displays.
The centre is open Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 4.30pm and entry is free.
Image credits – Gower Heritage Centre photo © Colin Smith (cc-by-sa/2.0) | National Waterfront Museum photos courtesy of National Waterfront Museum / Amgueddfa Cymru | Glynn Vivian Gallery photo – R. Glynn Vivian R. E. Pfeninger 1882 / Public domain | Dylan Thomas Centre photo by Alan Roberts.
