Dylan Thomas referred to this august institution as 'the museum which should have been in a museum'. Founded in 1834, it remains charmingly low-tech, from the eccentric Cabinet of Curiosities to the glass cases of archaeological finds from Gower caves. Pride of place goes to the Mummy of Hor at the top of the stairs, which has been resting here since 1887 – a video in the display room explains the process of its repair and conservation.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. National Waterfront Museum

0.09 MILES

Housed in a 1901 dockside warehouse with a striking glass and slate extension, this museum's 15 hands-on galleries explore Wales' commercial maritime…

2. Dylan Thomas Centre

0.14 MILES

Housed in the former guildhall, this unassuming museum contains absorbing displays on the Swansea-born poet's life and work. It pulls no punches in…

3. Swansea Castle

0.22 MILES

Only a small pocket of the central city around Wind St and Castle Sq escaped the WWII bombing raids and retains a remnant of Georgian and Victorian…

4. Plantasia

0.28 MILES

The name may conjure up images of Disney's hippos in tutus, but it's smaller critters that feature in this glass pyramid, parked between the depressingly…

5. Glynn Vivian Art Gallery

0.49 MILES

The seemingly never-ending refurbishment of Swansea's main art gallery was still in progress when we last visited. By the time you read this, the elegant…

6. Dylan Thomas Birthplace

1.17 MILES

The bad boy of Welsh poetry was born in this unassuming Uplands house and it's here that he wrote two-thirds of his poetry. The house has been lovingly…

7. Egypt Centre

1.83 MILES

Swansea University's collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities, some 5000 artefacts donated by various British institutions and collectors, includes a…

8. Clyne Gardens

2.95 MILES

Spanning 20 hectares, these magnificent gardens are particularly impressive in spring, when the azaleas and rhododendrons are at their most spectacular…

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