Not to miss

National Waterfront Museum

The Maritime Quarter's flagship attraction is housed partly in a 1901 dockside warehouse and partly in a stunning modern glass-and-slate extension. A series of themed exhibition galleries covers the history of Welsh industry and innovation, making much use of interactive computer screens and audiovisual presentations.

Highlights include the 'People' exhibit, which brings whole communities back to life using the records from the 1851 census to tell the stories of Swansea people. The Sea gallery tells tales of Cape Horner clipper ships and how Swansea became the 19th-century 'Copper Capital of the World'.

Swansea Museum

It would be hard to find a more complete contrast to the modern National Waterfront Museum than the gloriously old-fashioned Swansea Museum - Dylan Thomas referred to it 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, all explained in laminated notes stuck in ring-binders.

Pride of place goes to the Mummy of Hor, which has been here since 1887 - a fascinating video in the display room explains the process of its repair and conservation.

Egypt Centre

Swansea University is in the suburb of Sketty halfway between the city centre and the Mumbles and possesses the UK's biggest collection of Egyptian antiquities outside the British Museum. Opened to the public in 1998, the volunteer-run Egypt Centre displays a fascinating collection of everyday ancient Egyptian artefacts, ranging from a 4000-year-old razor and cosmetic trays to a mummified crocodile.