Great days out in the UK

Wales

National Waterfront Museum, Swansea
www.museumwales.ac.uk
At the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea you can be plunged into poverty, wallow in wealth, dabble with danger or even risk your health, whilst learning about the Industrial Revolution in Wales and its influence on the rest of the world. Free admission.

National Slate Museum, Llanberis
www.museumwales.ac.uk
Located in the unique 19th century workshops of the massive Dinorwig Slate Quarry, the National Slate Museum is not so much a museum as a pocket of history. Here, all the family will enjoy learning about the machines that made the tools for quarrying slate, with fascinating tours of workshops, forges and much more. Free admission.

Great Orme Tramway, Llandudno, Conwy
www.greatormetramway.com
The Great Orme Tramway has been delighting visitors since it opened in 1902 and has recently been lovingly restored. An engineering marvel of its age, it's the only cable-hauled tramway still operating on British public roads. Ticket prices apply.

Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT), Machynlleth
www.cat.org.uk
Nestled in the hillsides of Southern Snowdonia, CAT is a renowned ecocentre, featuring interactive displays and practical examples of sustainable living, renewable energy and organic gardening. The Centre is also packed full of interactive displays to keep children entertained. Ticket prices apply.

Millennium Coastal Park, Carmarthenshire
www.millenniumcoastalpark.com
The Millennium Coastal Park has transformed a 22km stretch of coastline into a fantastic new leisure and nature resource linked by a continuous traffic-free cycleway and footpath. Free admission.

The National Botanic Garden of Wales, Carmarthenshire
www.gardenofwales.org.uk
The winner of the Best Environment Project in the 2007 National Lottery Awards, the National Botanic Garden of Wales features a staggering array of plant collections and exhibitions that the whole family will enjoy. Ticket prices apply.

Big Pit, Blaenafon
www.museumwales.ac.uk/en/bigpit
With facilities to educate and entertain all ages, the Big Pit is an exciting and informative day out. Those feeling brave can take the tour and go 300 feet underground with a real miner to see what life was like for the thousands of men and children who worked at the coal face. Free admission.

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
www.wmc.org.uk
Visitors to Wales Millennium Centre can enjoy blockbuster West End musicals, opera, ballet, contemporary dance, hip-hop, stand up comedy, art exhibitions, bars and restaurants. Ticket prices apply.

Chapter Arts Centre, Cardiff
www.chapter.org
With an international reputation for excellence, innovation and collaboration, Chapter Arts Centre is one of Europe's largest and most dynamic arts venues, with cinemas, theatres, exhibition spaces, studios, award-winning bars, over 60 cultural workspaces and much more. Ticket prices apply.