The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea has won the Family Friendly Museum Award 2026, becoming the first Welsh venue to take the title. The museum also won the best small museum for 2026 category.
The award, run by charity Kids in Museums, is presented to one museum, gallery or heritage site in the UK that provides an exceptional visitor experience for families. The centre was praised for its “exceptional” work welcoming children and families, and for challenging “expectations of what a biographical museum can be”.
Interactive exhibits and free activities
Interactive elements at the centre include magnetic poetry, dressing up, creative trails and a bowl of talking oranges that bring Dylan Thomas' imagination and sense of mischief to life for visitors of all ages. Open year-round, the free-to-enter venue offers free workshops and a wide range of creative resources that encourage families to play and create together.
The venue has co-created sensory resources and is fully wheelchair accessible, with staff trained in BSL to ensure that families with additional needs receive a warm welcome.
Undercover family judges
The centre was visited by undercover family judges who consistently praised its warm, welcoming atmosphere and the friendly staff who helped create it. Families were impressed by the variety of creative, hands-on activities, including dressing up, puppet shows, comic-making, trails, word games and interactive exhibits.
The judges commented on spending much longer at the museum than expected, and were impressed at how much the whole family learned about the life of Dylan Thomas whilst visiting.
One family judge said: “Genuinely a lovely friendly welcoming museum. Before we’d even left the kids asked if we could come back – we’re planning on going back soon with some friends who are visiting Swansea. Definitely recommend to families in the area.”
Another judge said: “We spent over an hour in the activity room, dressing up, making comics, doing puppet shows and reading books. The boys have already asked when they can go back!”
Award background and reactions
Launched in 2004, the Family Friendly Museum Award is widely recognised as a benchmark for excellence in the heritage sector. Each year Kids in Museums receives hundreds of public nominations, which are whittled down to a shortlist by an expert panel. Families then pay undercover visits to each shortlisted museum over the summer holidays to decide the winner.
Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport, Heledd Fychan, said: "Congratulations to the Dylan Thomas Centre on this well-deserved accolade. As the first Welsh venue to win the Family Friendly Museum Award, this is a proud moment for Swansea and for the whole of Wales.
“This recognition reflects the dedication of a small team who have gone above and beyond to make Dylan Thomas' life and work accessible and engaging for families from all backgrounds.
“The Welsh Government is proud to support Kids in Museums' work in Wales, helping to ensure our cultural venues are open, inclusive and inspiring places for children and families to explore our rich heritage. I'd encourage families to visit the Dylan Thomas Centre this October half term and experience for themselves why it's been named the best in the UK."
Paul Sapwell, chair of Kids in Museums, said: "Huge congratulations to the Dylan Thomas Centre, the first Welsh venue to win the Family Friendly Museum Award. Their commitment to creating a welcoming place for children and families of all shapes and sizes continues to go from strength to strength, and it’s great to see that recognised today.
“With just three members of staff, the museum also shows that creating an amazing experience for families doesn’t always require a big budget or a large team."
The Family Friendly Museum Award has been made possible by funding from Arts Council England. Kids in Museums’ programme in Wales is funded by the Welsh government.
