Location: Belfast
Top Things to do in Belfast
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Top 8 History Museums in Belfast, Northern Ireland
With a population of almost 300,000 in the city proper, Belfast has grown into a cosmopolitan destination and become a popular weekend break spot. With feelings of optimism and life pulsing through the city, Belfast makes for an energizing getaway. It's never been easier to tour the city, thanks to a number of intriguing bus, taxi, boat and pedestrian options. Don't miss the Ulster Folk Museum or the Belfast Cathedral, and make sure to experience some of the award-winning restaurants, bars, clubs, galleries and theaters.
Restaurants in Belfast
1. Museum of Orange Heritage - Schomberg House
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 116 reviews
The Museum of Orange Heritage's Belfast site is located at the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland's Headquarters, 'Schomberg House' in East Belfast. The site focuses on the history and traditions of the Orange Institution, beginning with the Glorious Revolution and travelling through to the modern day. There is a strong focus on Orangeism around the World with a fascinating collection which enhances the story of the Institution. The Museum features a number of interactive exhibits and includes a Café on site. A replica Lodge Room includes a Memorial Backlit Window which commemorates the more than 300 Orange members who were killed during the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland.
Reviewed By scottlennox
Live fairly nearby but never visited. Was st a loose end for the day so wandered on in to see what it was all about. I found a nice modern building showing Interesting and balanced exhibits. There were historical artifacts, videos and commentary telling the story in Ireland from about the 17th Century onwards to the modern day. I found the staff helpful and friendly and there was easy local parking nearby, reasonably priced entry and shop full of interesting books, t-shirts, trinkets and souvenirs. Didn't use the cafe but it did smell wonderful as I passed by on the traditional route in. Give it a go no matter which side of the community you belong to - you may be pleasantly surprised at what you may find in here and what you can learn - your perceptions will.be challenged. Certainly worth a visit if you are a tourist if the Orange Order is a mystery to you.
2. Aras Ui Chonghaile, James Connolly Visitor Centre
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By DaveLipp - New York City, United States
Many varied threads of ideology over through Irish nationalism, but here you get to understand the socialist element. In an unusual procedure, the manager (who is also a Belfast city councillor) showed us around the highlights of the museum for 15 minutes before turning us loose to peruse on our own, and then chatted a while afterwards.The vintage artifacts and documents are moving, and the explanations priceless.
3. Ulster Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,600 reviews
Come face to face with dinosaurs, meet an ancient Egyptian mummy and see modern masterpieces with a visit to the Ulster Museum. As Northern Ireland's treasure house of the past and present, the museum is home to a rich collection of art, history and natural sciences with impressive galleries and interactive discovery zones. From Ireland to the South Pacific, ancient relics to modern masterpieces, the Ulster Museum offers something for everyone from the simply curious to the enthusiast.
Reviewed By jacquieknox2017 - Ramelton, Ireland
This spacious, airy building hosts a wide variety of interesting artefacts and exhibitions. There's art collections, Flemish masters, dinosaurs, natural history, Irish history, Egyptian mummies, Spanish Armada relics and gold bullion, science, interactive displays - you could lose yourself in there all day. It really is worth a visit.
4. Irish Republican History Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 112 reviews
Reviewed By flaneur40 - New York City, United States
This free museum open only a few hours a day is dedicated to the memory of Eileen Hickey who was a Republican volunteer and did time in Armagh jail for women. There is a reconstruction of her jail cell in the museum. The place is a treasure trove of the Republican resistance to English rule and i don't think there is a Loyalist equivalent. It is close to Falls Rd. on Conway Street. Follow the signs. It's a must to include with your tour of the murals and Peace Wall. If you are taking a black taxi tour, they make a stop here.
5. Northern Ireland War Memorial
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 59 reviews
Located in the heart of the Cathedral Quarter beside Belfast Cathedral, the War Memorial Gallery is a ‘must see’ for anyone with an interest in Northern Ireland’s role in the Second World War. The museum tells the story of the Belfast Blitz, the Ulster Home Guard, the role played by women in the war and the presence of US forces from 1942 to 1944. Visitors can try on wartime uniforms and view interesting pieces from the collection including the Pocket Guide to Northern Ireland which was issued to US Servicemen warning that “you will probably find yourself drinking more tea in a week than you have in all your previous life!” The centre-piece of the gallery is a bronze sculpture depicting a mother guiding her child through the ruins of Belfast on the morning after a devastating air raid in April 1941. An evocative memorial screen recalls the names of over 1,100 people who lost their lives in the Belfast Blitz. A magnificent stained glass memorial window and two books of remembrance recall the local lives lost in the two World Wars. Temporary displays and exhibitions ensure that regular visitors will always see something different on each visit.
6. Discover Ulster-Scots Centre
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By Q3077IYlindas - Destin, United States
So glad we stopped here. It was not hard to find. The two people working there that day were so informative. My husband and I love genealogy and this provided valuable information in our search. We want to go back to Belfast just to visit again in the Ulster-Scots Centre.
7. Lagan Legacy's The Belfast Barge
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 42 reviews
8. RUC Museum
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By mark_SydNSW
The museum consists of a small exhibition room which is part of the police historical service and is inside the grounds of NI police headquarters. A curator explained the artefacts, starting from the origins of the police service in Ireland in the 19th century, through The Troubles to the end of the 20th century. I got quite a history lesson and was there for 2 hours. Contact the museum ahead of time to make sure that the curator or his assistant will be available. I caught the number 4e bus from Donegall Square West – it stops right outside.
