Swansea Museum facts for kids
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| Location | Swansea, Wales |
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| Type | Local history, transportation |
The Swansea Museum is in Swansea, Wales, UK. It is the oldest museum in Wales, first opened in 1841. It was created by the Royal Institution of South Wales to keep its collections and offer places for learning and research.
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Discover Swansea Museum's History
The Swansea Museum has a long and interesting past. It is the oldest museum in Wales, opening its doors in 1841.
How the Museum Started
The museum was founded by a group called the Royal Institution of South Wales (RISW). This group loved art and science. They wanted a special place to keep their collections and help people learn. The museum building itself was finished in 1841. It was built in a grand, old style called neo-classical.
Who Runs the Museum Now?
Over the years, the museum's ownership changed. In 1990, the City & County of Swansea took over looking after it. Later, in 1996, the Swansea City Council stepped in to save the museum and its collections from closing.
Today, Swansea Museum is free to visit. It has six different galleries. You can see many cool things, from very old items to new exhibits about today's world.
A Special Discovery at the Museum
In 2016, something amazing happened at the museum. A TV show called Britain's Lost Masterpieces found a lost drawing there. It was a study for a famous painting by Jacob Jordaens. This drawing was worth a lot of money!
In 2019, the museum received a special gift: the famous Swansea Devil carving.
Explore the Museum's Collections
The Swansea Museum has collections spread across four main places. These include the main museum building, the Landore Collections Centre, the Marina, and The Tramshed.
What's at the Landore Collections Centre?
The Landore Collections Centre is a big storage area for the museum's items. It's located in an old building that was once part of the Hafod Copperworks. This building was used for making copper and later as a warehouse.
Today, it has almost 2,000 square meters of space. This is where many of the museum's reserve collections are kept safe. There are also offices and special rooms to protect delicate items.
Discover Maritime History at the Marina
At the Marina, you can explore the museum's collection of boats. This part of the museum is usually open during the summer months (June, July, and August).
Some of the cool vessels you can see include:
- The Lightship 91 Helwick
- A tug boat named Canning
- The Olga, a 1909 Bristol Channel Pilot Cutter
Step Back in Time at The Tramshed
The Tramshed is a special gallery that shows off the history of trams in Swansea. It's located on Dylan Thomas Square.
Here, you can see items from the old street trams of Swansea. You can also learn about the famous Mumbles tram. This tram ran along the coast from Swansea town centre to Mumbles pier. The Tramshed has big windows that let in lots of light. You can see a double-decker tram and even a copy of the very first Mumbles train from 1804. This horse-drawn train was the first passenger railway service in the world!
