The past can be a brilliantly interesting place. Industrial revolutions, wars, coal mining and grand country houses have all played a part in Wrexham and North Wales's history. And you can find out all about them at Wrexham County Borough Museum and the Bersham Heritage Centre.

Younger visitors can meet Brymbo Man face-to-face, take in the smells and sights of Victorian Wrexham, rebuild a ruined castle and check out the weird and wonderful artefacts in the Curiosity Case. For the older visitor, there's a dating game, free film-show in the Hippodrome, and they can flick through the pages of the Victorian Borough Reporter. Visitors of all ages will love the Welsh food and drink on offer at the Bwtri and the pocket-money priced goods at the souvenir shop.

Permanent exhibitions include To War with Wellington: An Amazing Collection, An Amazing Story at the museum, The Iron Man of Industry: John Wilkinson, Wales and the Wider World and Sharp as Steel, Tough as Iron: The Story of Brymbo, both at Bersham Heritage Centre. There's also loads of events too, like Medieval Minds, Exploring the Bersham Ironworks, Made in Wrexham and several Diamond Jubilee And Olympic themed displays. Different temporary exhibitions travel between the two sites too.

The museum building is one of Wrexham's most attractive and historic. Recent improvement work uncovered evidence that it was once home to the Denbighshire Militia between 1857 -1877, and a Police Station and Court between 1879 - 1976. There are castle-like towers on the building due to its military history, and the area around the museum used to contain a church, several smaller chapels and housing.

Bersham Heritage Centre stands at the entrance to the Clywedog Valley and charts the industrial history of Wrexham. With changing exhibitions, gallery activities and walking trails, it's a wonderful place for all the family. Nearby is the Bersham Ironworks which lets visitors see what life was like working in an 18^th Century iron manufacturers.

Most of the museum and heritage centre's exhibitions are free of charge to the public. But donations of any size are always welcome. Please come along and experience some of the fabulous history Wrexham and North Wales has to offer for yourself.