Museums & heritage in Belfast

Áras Uí Chonghaile James Connolly Visitor Centre

Belfast

A small Belfast museum on the Falls Road telling James Connolly's story through an interactive exhibition and an audio tour.

CaféGift shopWi-Fi

ArtisAnn Gallery

Belfast

A small art gallery to wander round, with free parking right outside and wheelchair access on the ground floor.

Card onlyFree parkingWheelchair accessible

Axe Yard Urban Axe Throwing Belfast

Belfast · adults only (18+)

An 18+ session where you throw real axes at wooden targets, with a coach in your lane and your own playlist running.

Booking requiredFree parkingFood on siteWheelchair accessible

Belfast Black Taxi Tour

Belfast

A black cab driver takes you round Belfast's murals and street art, with a Crumlin Road Gaol add-on if you want the longer tour.

Booking requiredWheelchair accessible

Castle Lug

Carrickfergus

A free-to-see fragment of a late medieval tower house looking out over Belfast Lough.

Clifton House

Belfast

A guided or self-guided walk through a working Belfast heritage building, telling the story of Mary Ann McCracken and the old Poor House.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredFree parkingGroup bookings+4 more

Clough Castle

Downpatrick

Free earthwork castle with a stone keep you can still climb up to, perched on a mound outside the town.

DC Tours - Belfast Walking Tours

Belfast

Guided walks through Belfast's city centre history, from the Troubles to the Golden Mile, on foot with a local guide.

Booking requiredDog friendlyToiletsWheelchair accessible

Drumena Cashel

Newry

Free to visit, an underground stone passage you can duck into and explore beneath an old rath.

Dundrum Castle

Newcastle

A free ruined castle on a wooded hill, built in 1177, with steep rocky ground to scramble up to reach it.

Game of Thrones Studio Tour

Banbridge · ages 0+

Walk through the real sets and costumes from Game of Thrones, from Winterfell to the Destroyed Throne Room, all under one roof.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredCafé+9 more

Giants Causeway Tour

Belfast

Coach tours out to the Giant's Causeway, some with a Game of Thrones detour thrown in along the way.

Glenarm Castle

Ballymena

A walled garden, a woodland walk and a play area to explore on a castle estate by the Antrim coast.

CaféDog friendlyGift shopIndoor play+5 more

Irish Linen Centre & Lisburn Museum

Lisburn

Free museum inside a 17th-century market house where kids can walk under old stone arches and see how Irish linen was made.

Accessible toiletBlue badge parkingGift shopHearing loop+2 more

Malone House

Belfast

Free grounds to wander round a Georgian house, with a playground and cycling paths next door at Barnett Demesne.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBlue badge parkingBreastfeeding friendly+6 more

McArt's Fort

Belfast

A free walk up Cavehill to an ancient hilltop fort with archaeological remains and views over Belfast.

Picnic areaPublic transport nearby

Montalto Estate

Ballynahinch · ages 5+

Woodland trails, a hand-built tree house with a forest slide, and a natural play area to explore across the estate grounds.

Accessible toiletAllergy awareBaby changeBike parking+13 more

Museum at The Mill

Newtownabbey

A small museum inside Mossley Mill telling the story of the flax workers who once kept the place running.

North Down Museum

Bangor

Free museum tracing the local area's story from the Bronze Age to today, with an art gallery in the café.

Oh Yeah Music Centre

Belfast

A music charity's Belfast base with live gigs, open mic nights, arts and crafts days and the odd record fair.

Toilets

Olderfleet Castle (State Care Monument)

Larne

A free-to-visit ruined tower house with gun loops to spot, right on the harbour at Larne.

R-space Gallery

Lisburn

Free contemporary art and craft exhibitions in the centre of town, with talks and workshops thrown in.

Sentry Hill Historic House & Visitor Centre

Newtownabbey

A farmhouse and grounds you can wander for free, with a guided house tour and family workshops laid on at weekends.

Toilets

Somme Museum

Newtownards

Guided tours through First World War trench recreations and D Day exhibitions, with hands-on sessions for groups.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredGroup bookingsHearing loop+4 more

Stena Line Belfast Terminal

Belfast

The terminal you check in at for a Stena Line ferry crossing from Belfast to Liverpool or Birkenhead, not somewhere to visit on its own.

Accessible toiletBaby changeCaféToilets+1 more

The Ballance House

Crumlin · ages 0+

A guided tour round a 19th century homestead with New Zealand links, plus craft workshops, but you'll need to book ahead.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredCafé+8 more

The John Luke Gallery

Belfast

Free art exhibitions and workshops in a gallery you can drop into on a weekday morning without booking.

Free parkingWheelchair accessible

The Spirit Circle: Sensorium & Belfast by the Glass

Belfast

An 18+ tasting experience in Belfast where cocktails are matched to sensory science or to the city's own stories.

Booking required

Titanic Belfast

Belfast

Immersive Titanic museum in Belfast's Titanic Quarter - book timed tickets, under-5s free.

Accessible toiletBooking requiredCaféGift shop+4 more

Titanic Boat Tours

Belfast

A 90-minute river cruise round the docks where the Titanic was built, with a seal colony thrown in along the way.

Booking requiredIndoor seating

Ulster Aviation Society

Lisburn · ages 0+

Guided tours through Second World War hangars packed with historic aircraft, free for families of up to ten.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredParking

University of Atypical

Belfast

A free gallery of soft-sculpture installation art in Belfast city centre, with a sensory pack for anyone who needs it.

Accessible toiletCard onlyStep-free accessToilets+1 more

Vault Artist Studios & Gallery - Bedford Street

Belfast

Workshops in sculpture, mosaic and set dancing at an artist-run gallery, though you'll need to arrange your visit first.

Accessible toiletWheelchair accessible

W5 Belfast

Belfast

Belfast science centre at Odyssey - hands-on halls, Climbit and rainy-day experiments.

Accessible toiletBaby changeBooking requiredCafé+4 more