Things to do in County Down, Northern Ireland: The Best History Museums

The Ulster Transport Museum is part of National Museums NI. Explore one of the most comprehensive transport collections in Europe. You’ll find majestic locomotives, horse-drawn carriages, vintage motorbikes & cars.

This museum contains a popular Titanic exhibit featuring drawings by Thomas Andrew, the ship's designer and former Belfast resident.

North Down Museum tells the story of the North Down area from the Bronze Age to the present day through a series of rooms, each dedicated to a particular era of history. Key artifacts on display include the Bronze Age Ballycroghan Swords, the Bangor Bell from the hugely important Bangor Abbey settlement, and the Raven Maps, the only complete folio of Plantation era maps in Ireland. North Down Museum is situated at the rear of the Town Hall, Bangor Castle, on Castle Park Avenue. The Castle, built for the Hon. R.E. Ward in 1852, had a courtyard and stables and the Museum has developed around these. North Down Museum is a FREE attraction in the heart of Bangor. Here you can also rest and enjoy a meal or snack in Coffee Cure, the Museum café.

Somme Museum The Somme Museum opened in 1994, it examines Ireland's role in the First World War, with special reference to local cross-community involvement in the three volunteer Divisions raised in Ireland: the 10th and 16th (Irish) Divisions, and the 36th (Ulster) Division. The Museum is fully registered and accredited and houses an extensive collection of material from the Great War period which is displayed on a rotational basis. The collection includes uniforms, medals, weapons and personal items which tell the stories of those who served, fought and experienced the First World War. Visitors to the Museum have an opportunity to experience the sights and sounds of the First World War as they make their way from the Home Rule Crisis to the Recruiting Office and on to the trenches of the Western Front. Audio visual displays and experienced and knowledgeable guides bring the experience to life.

Down County Museum is based in an old gaol of 1796 and has 10 galleries covering the archaeology and history of County Down, Early Christian archaeology from the Time of St Patrick, the history of the gaol (including original gaol cells), and the farming and maritime collections from the County of Down. There are hands-on activities for children, a Digital Film Archive (Northern Ireland Screen), full access to the site, audio features and lifts to all areas. The Cathedral View Tearoom offers a wide range of meals, scones, coffees and teas, and has a unique view from its windows of Down Cathedral on the Hill of Down, Inch Abbey, the River Quoile and the ancient Mound of Down fort.