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The £33 million attraction which opened last year is joined by Falmouth Art Gallery, the North Somerset Museum in Weston-super-Mare, the Horniman Museum and the Livesey, both in south London.

The museum, which belongs to the family of Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales, opened its doors to the public in October 2005 and has already attracted more than 140,000 visitors.

Guardian readers made hundreds of nominations, from tiny one-room displays in remote corners of the country to imposing national museums in the capital, focussing on museums which offer a family-welcome.

Steph Mastoris said: "We are delighted with this nomination as it shows our fundamental philosophy  that  we tell the human story and have a human approach for visitors.  We want people to come here and feel welcome no matter what their age."

Judge Dea Birkett, Guardian writer and founder of the Kids in Museums Campaign, said:  "This year's shortlist is fabulously diverse, from the small local North Somerset Museum in Weston-super-Mare to the new state-of-the-art National Waterfront Museum in Swansea. But what they do have in common is that each of them, whatever their size, is making the very best of what it has, and is determined that everyone, of any age, feels comfortable and welcome.

"Putting children and families at the core of a museum's purpose, rather than just tolerating them, is the mark of a good family-friendly museum."

Details of the shortlist will be published in the Family section of the Guardian this Saturday, 24 June.  The shortlist will be road-tested by families and the overall winner will be announced in the Guardian in late July. In addition to the award they will win the chance to commission a Guardian photographer to take a photographic portrait of their museum.

Amgueddfa Cymru - National Museum Wales operates seven national museums across Wales. These are National Museum Cardiff, St Fagans: National History Museum, National Roman Legion Museum, Caerleon, Big Pit: National Coal Museum, Blaenafon, National Wool Museum, Dre-fach Felindre, National Slate Museum, Llanberis and the National Waterfront Museum, Swansea.

Entry to all Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales sites is free, thanks to the support of the Welsh Assembly Government.