BAC (Belfast Activity Centre)

What it’s like

Caving, climbing, mountain biking and paddlesport on one site just outside Belfast, for kids eight and up.

This isn't a soft play with a climbing wall bolted on. It's a proper outdoor centre with Ireland's largest artificial cave system, so an eight-year-old can go squeezing through passageways and past a waterfall underground before lunch, then get soaked again on the River Lagan in a canoe or kayak from the Boat House at Shaws Bridge in the afternoon.

The activity list is long: climbing on a vertical challenge tower or mobile wall with a choice of abseil or fan descender to get back down, mountain biking on green, blue and red trails through Barnett's Demesne (there are e-trails too if legs get tired), archery, orienteering, bushcraft with campfires and marshmallow toasting, and a crate stack tower-building game that's as much a laugh to watch as to do. You book a half day session of 3 hours or go for the full day, which is two 3-hour sessions back to back, and with a list like that the full day is the one to save for.

The minimum age is 8, so this one's out for younger children, but it opens the door properly for the tween and teenage crowd who've outgrown soft play and want something with a bit of grit and a fan descender. Birthday parties run every day of the week, also from age 8, with 3 hours including half an hour in the party room and a choice of two onsite activities or one offsite. Parties start at £230 for up to 10 and step up from there, £253 for 11, £276 for 12, and £460 covers a group of 13 to 20.

It's about 10 minutes from Belfast city centre with parking on site, and public transport gets you there too if you'd rather not drive. There's also a smaller-scale Christmas in the Courtyard event some of the year, £3 a person or £10 for a family of two adults and up to three kids, which is a gentler way in if the full activity list feels like a lot to commit to first time round.

Facilities

Need to know

Parking

Ample parking available on site

How long to allow

Half day 3 hours, full day 6 hours (two 3-hour sessions)

Getting there by bus or train

Public transport access available

Parties

Birthday parties available 7 days a week, minimum age 8+, 3 hours with 30 minutes party room time, choose 2 onsite or 1 offsite activity

• Minimum age across the whole centre, including parties, is 8, so it's not one for younger siblings.
• A full day is really two separate 3-hour sessions, not one long stretch.
• The cave system is described as Ireland's largest artificial one, so it's the bit to build the visit around.
• Mountain biking trails are graded green, blue and red with e-trail options if energy's flagging.
• Christmas in the Courtyard is a smaller, separate event with its own low entry price.

Plan your visit

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