Áras Uí Chonghaile James Connolly Visitor Centre

What it’s like

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

This one's built around the life of James Connolly, and the exhibition is set up to be worked through rather than just looked at. There's an audio tour that takes you round the collections, and if you fancy exploring further afield, an augmented reality heritage trail leads you out into Belfast itself to trace more of the story through the streets.

It suits anyone who wants history told through doing something rather than reading a wall of text, which makes it easier to hold a curious kid's attention than a room full of glass cases would. The AR trail in particular is the bit worth saving for last, since it turns the visit into something that carries on after you've left the building.

Lena's Café on site does sandwiches and other food, though it keeps shorter hours than the museum itself, closing at 2pm even on weekdays when the centre stays open until 4. Saturdays are a shorter visit window all round, just 10am to 2pm, and the whole place is closed on Sundays, so a weekday trip gives you the most time to actually do the audio tour and the trail without watching the clock.

It's about a 20 minute walk from the train station, heading west on Grosvenor Road and left onto Falls Road, or the same journey by road from the city centre if walking with little legs doesn't appeal.

Facilities

Need to know

Food

Lena's Café on site serves sandwiches and other food

Getting there by bus or train

20 minute walk from train station

• The café shuts at 2pm even on weekdays, well before the museum closes at 4pm.
• Saturday opening is short, just 10am to 2pm, and it's closed altogether on Sundays.
• The augmented reality trail takes you out onto the streets of Belfast, so it's worth having a phone charged before you start.
• There's a gift shop and wifi on site alongside the café.

Plan your visit

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