The Dylan Thomas Centre in Swansea has been named Best Small Museum and overall winner of the 2026 Family Friendly Museum Award, becoming the first Welsh venue to receive the overall award. The free-entry museum, which explores the life and work of 20th-century Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, had been shortlisted for the accolade every year since 2023. The award was announced at a ceremony in Birmingham on 12 October and is run by the charity Kids in Museums, recognising museums, galleries and heritage sites that provide an outstanding visitor experience for families. This year's shortlist covered five categories and included museums from all four UK nations. Among the winners in the other categories were Salford Museum and Art Gallery in Greater Manchester for Best Medium Museum, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow for Best Large Museum, Woodhorn Museum in Northumberland for Best Accessible Museum, and Charleston historic house in East Sussex for Best Museum Careers Initiative, a new category celebrating venues that help young people gain skills for employment. The award process began with public nominations, assessed by a panel of sector experts to produce a shortlist, after which families made undercover visits to the shortlisted venues during the summer holidays to score them against the Kids in Museums Manifesto. The family judges praised the centre's welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff and wide range of creative, hands-on activities, from dressing up and puppet shows to comic-making, trails and word games designed to bring Thomas's imagination to life. The judges also highlighted the activity room, where one family spent more than an hour while others said their children had already asked to return. The museum runs a year-round programme of free workshops, with co-created sensory resources, full wheelchair accessibility and staff trained in British Sign Language. As an Arts Centre of Sanctuary and designated Warm Space, it also supports its local community. The award is funded by Arts Council England, while the Welsh Government supports Kids in Museums' work in Wales.