Swansea Tourist Information

The National Waterfront Museum & Swansea Marina

The centrepiece of the Swansea Marina overhaul, a current hotspot for regeneration much like the Bay area of Cardiff, is the National Waterfront museum which opened in November 2005. £33.5m was spent on pulling together the Grade II listed warehouse which housed the former Swansea Maritime & Industrial Museum with a new building built in glass and Welsh slate. The designers in question here are London based Wilkinson Eyre architects - they designed the nearby Swansea Sail Bridge across the River Tawe too, which is by far the more interesting construction - functional too providing a walkway and cycle link between the Marine Quarter and the new SA1 Swansea Waterfront Development. Other attractions on the waterfront include another Norwegian Church which is set to become a UK centre for art glass.

Between the old renovated warehouse and newly added building co-existing now as the Waterfront museum, there's a museum park and courtyard garden. See what you think. Inside certainly doesn't disappoint - the Waterfront Museum relays numerous stories of the industrial revolution through interactive exhibits and displays, plus it pushes into the contemporary looking at Welsh innovation today. The interior is divided into 15 themed display areas including 'Energy' which looks into energy sources, 'People' which guides you through the 1851 census information for Wales, it's industrial history and in this section interiors of old Welsh homes, hospitals and factories are recreated. As you'd expect in this region of Wales, there's a 'Coal' themed exhibition and the 'Day's Work section looks at, among other issues, how people coped with working in heavy industry. The themed areas of this marvellous South Wales museum have a massive source of artefacts and archives to draw from. Individual articles such as Gareth Evens' rugby shirt are always popular.

To learn more about the industrial history of Wales, particularly coal mining history, the Waterfront Museum in Swansea is the place to head. It's free to enter too! Sponsorship has however influenced the flavour of the historical narrative here - who's shaping the history? Corus or the South Wales Miners? Both Big Pit and the Rhondda Heritage Centre do history from the miner's perspective better. National Waterfront Museum Swansea, Oystermouth Road, Maritime Quarter, Swansea SA1 3RD. Tel: 01792 638950.

See also Swansea Tourist Information Centre, Plymouth Street, Opposite Quadrant Bus Station, Swansea, SA1 3QG. Tel: 01792 468321.

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The Dylan Thomas Centre & Dylan Thomas Biography

The Dylan Thomas Centre won't disappoint fans. Refurbished in 1995, the centre offers an in-depth permanent exhibition on Dylan Thomas' life and poetry, with on-site shop stocking his complete works and various memorabilia. It's heaving in October and November during the annual Swansea Dylan Thomas Festival (check the Dylan Thomas weblinks right for details).

Inside the Dylan Thomas Centre there's a huge mural crammed with images of Thomas, wife Caitlin and some of his many friends. Rather a striking image as you enter. Poetry recordings and a huge Dylan Thomas archive is here including parts of his writing shed, letters, scripts, a typewriter and Dylan's publications. Also on-site is a restaurant and cafe and events, talks and workshops run throughout the year. Check the Dylan Thomas Centre weblink right for the on-line shop and more information. The little bookshop on-site stocks all of Dylan Thomas' work

Born in Swansea on 27 October 1914, Dylan Thomas wrote most of his work here. His one time home, 5 Cwmdonkin Drive, Swansea isn't open to the public but occasional visits can be arranged through the Dylan Thomas Centre. Much of Dylan's work was written here - he lived here until he was 20. Particular poems with obvious Swansea influences include 'The hunchback in the park' and the broadcast 'Return Journey'.

Dylan Thomas Centre, Somerset Place, Swansea, SA1 1RR. Tel: 01792 463980.

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Swansea Museum - A Focus on Local Swansea History

Moving along from Dylan Thomas to the Swansea Museum, the oldest museum in Wales, this museum has a particular local focus exploring Swansea's history which revolved more around tinplate production and copper smelting rather than coal, although Swansea did have rich coal deposits of its own, combined with the navigable River Tawe and nearby Devon and Cornwall non-ferrous metal mines - all these aspects meant Swansea was set to boom during the industrial revolution. By the 19th century as much as 90 percent of the world's copper was being smelted in the Swansea Valley. Transport networks were developed - Swansea's first canal was constructed in 1784.

The Swansea Canal stretched for 17 miles. Floating docks and railway expansion followed. As in the South Wales coal mining areas, the industrial boom meant mostly hardship for workers - the average life expectancy for Swansea residents in 1883 was as low as 24 years! Find out more at the Swansea Museum, which also displays renowned Swansea Porcelain and other Swansea ceramics produced by Cambrian Pottery founded in the 18th century in Swansea. Other themes explored in this superb museum include The sea and Swansea docks history, art and culture and archaeology looking particularly at the famous Gower bone-caves, Bronze Age burial sites, Iron Age hillforts and Medieval buildings in Swansea.

Swansea Museum, Victoria Road, The Maritime Quarter, Swansea. SA1 1SN. Tel: 01792 653763. Swansea Museum is free to enter!

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Swansea Castle & Swansea Art at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

Swansea castle, strategically placed in the heart of Swansea (on Castle Street), looks a little neglected - it's a bit of a ruin Cromwell knocked about a bit, in 1647. A small part of it remains however, and it's well worth a look. Dating from the late 13th/early 14th century, Swansea Castle has been hammered by attacks through the centuries, but had a brief revival in the early 19th century when it was used as a prison. In the 14th century it would have been surrounded by grounds and was the location for Swansea's original city market.

Swansea is renowned for its local production of fine porcelain and china, and one of the best collections of it can be found in the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery on Alexandra Road. You're in for some treats here on the 20th century contemporary arts scene too, including work by Nash, Barbara Hepworth and Welsh artists like Augustus John, Gwen John and Ceri Richards.

The art gallery's building is of interest too, constructed by the fourth son of copper magnet John Henry Vivian - Richard Glynn Vivian (1835-1910). Not for Richard was the copper industry after his art degree at Cambridge - off he went with his allowance indulging his love of paintings and china, building up a huge collection (essentially on the back of copper workers working long hours for a pittance). Turning philanthropist towards the end of his life (he was struck by blindness) he built the gallery and bequeathed the collection. The gallery, with its ornate Italianate design, first opened in 1911. The collection of contemporary Welsh art held here is superb - unmissable!

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Alexandra Road, Swansea, SA1 5DZ. Tel: 01792 516900. The remains of Swansea Castle are on Castle Street, Swansea.

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Swansea Parks, Swansea Cycling, Sports & Leisure

Swansea parks and gardens are numerous, with botanical gardens and family entertainment galore. Checkout Plantasia's enormous hot house garden (see weblink right). It s a great one for the kids this one, with other attractions on-site including a Butterfly House, a wildlife collection, Tamarin Monkeys and a Tropical Climate Zone - it's a bit like a mini Eden Project with wildlife. Coffee shop and gift shop is also on-site. Plantasia, Parc Tawe, Swansea. SA1 2AL. Tel: 01792 474555.

Another favourite garden is the Botanical Singleton (free admission!). Possibly the best collection of plants in Wales is here. The botanical gardens sits within Singleton Park (popular with the school trips!) which spreads across 100 acres of parklands and includes a walled garden, duck pond and a Swiss Cottage. Singleton Park, Off Sketty Lane, Swansea, SA2 8QJ. Tel: 01792 298637. Dylan Thomas fans, on the Thomas Trail, will inevitably find themselves in Cwmdonkin Park in the Uplands area of Swansea near Dylan Thomas' birthplace. A most attractive and more traditional park, Cwmdonkin Park pays due homage to Dylan Thomas with the Dylan Thomas Shleter and a memorial stone which was put up in 1963. Cwmdonkin Park, Park Drive, Uplands, Swansea, SA2 0PP. Tel: 01792 280210.

Swansea Bay, you may not know, is one of the UK's top spots for mountain biking, with a choice of traffic free cycling trails in and around Swansea. Cycling trails range from the gentle flt 16km return run from Swansea Marina to Mumbles to the ultimate in mountain biking - Afan Forest Park which offers 14miles of off-roading including the infamous 'Wall Mountain Bike Trail'! (see Afan Forest Park weblink right for details). Afan Forest Park has a comprehensive visitor centre which offers cycle hire. Tel: 01639 850564 for details, and check the weblink right. Other cycle trails include the Blackpill to Gowerton run taking in the magical Clyne Valley, and the gentle and level 10km Tawe Trail which follows the River Tawe and takes in numerous Swansea historical industrial sights. There's a choice of cycle hire shops in Swansea. For a full list see the Swansea cycle trail weblink right.

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Swansea Theatres Including the Dylan Thomas Theatre Swansea

Swansea is perfect for theatre breaks. What a choice of theatres! Swansea Grand Theatre is enormous (weblink right), and dates back to 1897. Completely refurbished in the mid-1980s, Swansea Grand offers a host of comedy shows, a famous annual pantomime, opera, ballet and there's a cafe bar, Youth Theatre club and an arts exhibition space area all inclusive.

Curtain up, the little Dylan Thomas Theatre is the home of Swansea Little Theatre, an amateur dramatics company which has been up and running here since the beginning of the 1920s. This theatre is a charity and run by volunteers! Checkout the Dylan Thomas Theatre's neat little website to the right for details. Forthcoming productions include Great Expectations! See also the Taliesin Arts Centre (weblink right) situated with Swansea University Campus. The Taliesin is a centre for cinema, conferences, gallery space, theatre, dance and international music. Tel: Box Office 01792 602060 and see the Taliesin weblink right for upcoming performances.

Dylan Thomas Theatre, Gloucester Place, Maritime Quarter, Swansea. SA1 1TY. Tel: 01792 473238. Taliesin Arts Centre, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PZ.

Swansea Grand Theatre, Singleton Street, Swansea, SA1 3QJ. Box Office 01792 475715.

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