Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre AKA The Tube, Cardiff

The Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre is a tube shaped building which illustrates the story of Cardiff Bay from busy Docklands to a regenerated recreation area with restaurants and pubs.

It houses a film, many photographs and last but not least a large scale model of the area. Apart from that, it offers panoramic views of the bay. Admission is free.

Directions:
The Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre is located at the end of Harbour Drive; just next to the Norwegian Church.

Address: Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre, Harbour Drive, Brittania Quay, Cardiff

Website: http://www.visitcardiffbay.info/

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Sadly the Tube has now closed down and gone away, I think it is a shame as it was a fab structure that was a real Icon!
The Tube or as it was officially known ‘The Cardiff Bay's Visitors Centre’ was a great place to start your visit to Cardiff, There were displays with a number of exhibitions and video information on the Bay. There was also a very large scale model of Cardiff.
as well as a mass of tourist information and a shop selling some great souvenirs and gifts.
I bought some pin badges and a bag as well as picking up lots of leaflets and info.
The new visitors centre is on the ground floor of the Millennium Centre, you can still pick up lots of info and buy things from the shop but it has all gone a bit more up market!

Entrance is Free

Opening Times:
October to March: 09.30 - 5pm, Monday - Saturday and 10.30 - 5pm on Sunday and bank holidays.

April to September: 09.30 - 6pm Monday to Saturday and 10.30 - 6pm on Sunday and bank holidays.

Closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day

'The Tube' to me is either a music show on channel 4 presented by Jools Holland (boy that shows my age) or the nickname for the Underground in London. it can't really be applied to a tin shed on the edge of Cardiff bay that is laughingly called a 'visitors centre'. If you were a visitor from another planet it might be useful, but I dont call a few posters, an old dear with some leaflets, a kayak and a wooden model of the bay an 'attraction'.

Free smelly toilets available

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The Tube, as it's commonly called, serves as the visitor centre for Cardiff's harbour. During my visit in 1999, the harbour was undergoing extensive renovation. I'm sure it's a whole different place today.

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The problem with ambitious architects building temporary structures is that sometimes what they build becomes an architectural icon that lasts longer than intended. This is true with "The Tube" or the Cardiff Bay Visitors Centre designed by Will Alsop and John Lyall in 1990. This was the first building built by the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation. The Tube was constructed in only four months and it did not take long to start receiving prestigious architectural awards.

In 1993 temporary Tube "was allowed" to remain and to this day it houses the Visitors Centre where you can learn almost everything about the history of this area and the future projects. There are films that show the development, a large-scale model of the city and some smaller models that show the technical features like the methods to insert more oxygen in the bay waters.

There are some postcards, souvenirs and the usual touristy stuff as well that you be bought inside.

This is the Cardiff Bay Visitor Centre,its a lovely building which holds a huge model of Cardiff,open 7 days a week and has access for wheelchairs.You can buy your car park tokens from there to.