Wales

Here are some great places to go in Wales.

All museums or galleries listed here love having young visitors - so get out and about and have fun!

(PS - this list is going to get much longer as there are so many great places to visit - so keep checking.)

Click on the museum names to find out where they are and when they open.

Usk Rural Life Museum, Monmouthshire

This is a great 'hands on' museum. Will YOU be able to raise and lower the grain sack?

Check out the tractors, ploughs and farm artefacts, and the Victorian kitchen and laundry. There's also a free museum quiz and treasure hunt.

National Museum Cardiff

Monet, Dylan Thomas, Owain Glyndwr, the Big Bang, Van Gogh, Tyrannosaurus rex... at this museum you'll discover more about some of the big names in art, archaeology, natural history and geology.

National Woollen Museum, Dre-fach Felindre

Wool used to be Wales' most important and widespread industry. Shirts and shawls, blankets and bedcovers, woollen stockings and socks were all made in Wales and sold in over the world!

You can have fun following the special trail, A Woolly Tale, and create your own guide to making and using woollen cloth, trying your hand at carding, spinning and sewing along the way.

Ceredigion Museum, Aberystwyth

This museum is housed in a beautiful restored Edwardian theatre. Find out what it was like writing on a slate, have a go at the museum quiz and look out for the Aberystwyth Castle skeleton! During the holidays there are storytelling and drama sessions.

There's also an activeyoung archaeology group if you're interested.

Techniquest, Cardiff

All of the science here is hands-on. Fire a rocket, test your reaction times, race an electric car, launch a hot air balloon or watch a bubble race.

In the Musiquest exhibition you can explore science and technology from a new angle and examine music and sound in ways you never knew possible. Put your mixing skills to the test, control an orchestra or even play a unique electric drum kit.

Minera Lead Mines, Coedpoeth, near Wrexham

Minera Lead Mines is set in a beautiful country park. You can explore the ruins of the old lead mines and climb up inside the Engine house and see the huge view over Shropshire and Cheshire!

Look out for special events days when you can try your hand at panning for lead and working the jig boxes.

Big Pit - National Mining Museum of Wales, Blaenafon, Gwent

Ever wondered what it was like to go down the mine? Find out here - you'll never whinge about your homework again.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales, Llanarthne, Carmarthenshire

This garden is very special. Learn all about plants from all over the world, and how science can help us look after our environment.

There's an enormous greenhouse, a 'living willow' play area, weird and wonderful sculptures and loads to see, hear and smell!

Don't miss the Bee Garden Viewing Gallery. A wooden structure with honeycomb shaped windows, it allows you to get up close to the honey bee hives and find out more about these fascinating insects and the plants they feed on.

Wrexham Museum

Here you can come face to face with Wrexham’s earliest known resident. Brymbo Man lived near Wrexham during the Early Bronze Age, more than 3,500 years ago.

Wrexham played a key role in the early development of football in Wales, and the Museum holds the Welsh Football Collection.

There are always free gallery activities for children in all the museum's exhibitions and activity sessions during the school holidays.

Roman Legionary Museum, Caerleon

Almost 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire dominated the civilised world. Wales was its furthest outpost and, in AD 75, a fortress was founded at Caerleon that would guard the region for over 200 years.

Today you can learn what made the Romans a formidable force and how life wouldn't be the same without them. If you visit at weekends or during school holidays you can step back in time into a full-sized barrack room, try on replica armour and experience the life of a Roman soldier!

St Fagans: National History Museum, St Fagans, Cardiff

This open air museum has over thirty old buildings, moved from other parts of Wales and rebuilt to show how Welsh people lived at various times in history.

There's a school, a chapel and workshops; where craftsmen such as the blacksmith and the cooper (who makes barrels) demonstrate their skills.

You can see Welsh livestock in the fields and farmyards, and hear people speaking the Welsh language.

Caldicot Castle, Monmouthshire

This magnificent medieval castle was built by the Normans and restored as a Victorian family home.

An audio tour brings this vividly to life, the courtyard includes giant chess, and fun and exciting activities are provided for kids of all ages.

Got any baby brothers or sisters? Tots Towers is an active outdoor play area especially for children under five. The play area is in a wooden fortress and includes soft play and sturdy toys, a sand pit and games suitable for babies and toddlers.