We visited the Ulster Museum after we had done quite a few other attractions and decided to only…read morefocus on one of the displays, namely the section dedicated to the Troubles. Extremely informative and well-presented.

Great museum with a wide variety of things- like a national museum. So many genres, and we got…read moreextra lucky that there was an exhibit of current artists with art for sale. That exhibit was gigantic and impressive. Only downside of the museum was no acoustical/ absorption to buffer the screeching children. It was well worth a visit if you have spare time in Belfast.

The MAC is a good spot to spend a few hours and get in touch with your arty creative side. There…read moreare normally at least two exhibitions on show which are usually pretty quirky and reminded me alot of some of the galleries I visited in Paris. Exhibitions are very modern and new age quite like the building itself which is architecturally pleasing. Downstairs there is a reception area, kids play area and 'Native' cafe which also serves alcohol. Seating is plentiful and really comfortable. Make sure and go to the 2nd floor of the building where you will find an amazing white leather sofa which once you perch on you will want to just curl up and stay forever. I really want one for home! There are lots of shows in the theatre and upcoming listings can be found at the reception. There are lifts throughout and wheelchair access is excellent. It's also based in St Anne's Square so has a multi storey carpark park nearby and lots of on street parking around the side streets.

Awesome venue with loads of things to offer regarding events…read more Have a good size eating area. I visit here frequently for seminars,lectures and art shows. Their quality of artists that have shows here are world class.

Located on Talbot Street, the NI War Memorial building is situated in the heart of Belfast's…read moreCathedral Quarter, and has only been in this current building for three years. I'd read about the Exhibition in one of those tourist magazines, and instantly knew I had to go and see it. I dragged my sister along (well, she is studying History A Level), and due to us both being unfamiliar with this area of Belfast, we found the brown signs most helpful. The building itself looks just like an office, and houses other societies and businesses, with the Home Front Exhibition just covering the bottom floor. You have to hit a buzzer, and the ever-so-helpful assistant will open the door and guide you in the right direction. The exhibition itself isn't very big, but they do say that all good things come in small packages, to which I am truly testament (only joking!). I do believe this to be true in this case though, for had the exhibition been any bigger, it really wouldn't have had the same effect. Everything was there in an appropriate measure, and it worked just fine. There's an interactive guide which informs you of the different exhibits in the room, and provides you with helpful pointers on each. As soon as we had listened to this, the ever-so-helpful guide / assistant came over and told us a few stories, answered our questions, referred us to different exhibits and even produced a baby's gas-mask from a trunk-full of genuine war artifacts. The emphasis is on the war in NI, which includes the Belfast Blitz, the influence of the Americans in WWII and GI Brides, the impact the Second World War had on the women, lists of those who lost their lives in both WWI and WWII, the part on which Belfast played in the likes of ship-building in WWII, and more. There is a hugely impressive stained-glass window, built in memory of those who lost their lives, as well as a marble wall depicting further commemoration. All the exhibits are very well put together, informative and thought-provoking. Gripping stuff. The Home Front Exhibition in the NI War Memorial building is definitely one to see. And it's free!

It is a pity that the Home Front Exhibition is not open at the weekends as I am sure this means…read morethat a lot of people who would be interested are missing out. Though small, taking up only one room, the exhibition is large enough to draw together aspects of the how the Second World War affected Northern Ireland in an interesting and digestible way. The displays, which contain pictures, memorabilia and models clothed from the period, focus on the US forces in Northern Ireland, the Blitz in Belfast, the role of women and how people coped with the privations of rationing and put into practice the idea of 'make do and mend'. The leaflets that are available to take home are well produced and illustrated. The exhibition is a worthy, sensitively designed reminder of such a difficult, frightening time in the not so distant past.

W5 is officially described as 'an interactive discovery centre' which doesn't sound half as much…read morefun as it really is. It is an educational place, but boy is it fun! The first time we went, my kids were absolutely blown away - there is nothing else in Belfast in this league. There are 4 separate areas - START, GO, SEE and DO and each has loads of fun stuff for kids and the adults with them to do. START is best for younger children - although my 9 year old still secretly loves it. You can't imagine some of the exhibits and best of all, you are allowed to touch and get involved with everything. First thing you'll see is the fully functioning mini branch of Tesco - shelves, fruit, veg, packets and a chilled counter with fake lobsters and mussels and even a till which beeps as you put each item through. Genius. Then there's the real Mini car which you can tinker around with, a mini building site with crane and foam bricks and roof tiles, a huge water play area (they even provide waterproof aprons), and how great is this - a recording studio where you can watch yourself on screen as you play a wooden guitar. I mean the children can watch themselves, obviously I haven't done that. GO is all about space so will appeal to junior astronauts. You can sit on pulley chairs which you have to use your own body strength to lift, join in a massive tug of war, experiment with magnets, and build and race K'Nex cars. SEE - I love this bit. You can create cartoons and add sound effects. I think I missed my vocation in life. Even better, you can make music with lights and your movements. This section is quite 'laboratory' like and will appeal to even too cool for skool pre and early teens. Finally there is DO, where you can get stuck in building robots and learning all about our weather systems. Like anything you make in W5, you have to respect the rules and leave your model behind for someone else to dismantle and use the materials. There is a café but it sells a limited selection of scones and sandwiches. But the good news is that there are picnic areas so you can bring your own food, saving money and ensuring that your kids will have something they like. There's also a shop which sells reasonably priced gadgets and toys. A stroke of genius is that there are lockers on the ground floor so don't have to carry bags and coats etc which I think is fab, especially in winter when you'll have hats, scarves etc too. A ticket for 2 adults and 2 children will cost £22. That might seem off putting at first glance but bear in mind that your ticket is valid for the full day and you can leave for something to eat in one of the nearby restaurants and go back in. You could easily spend 3 -4 hours at W5, especially on your first visit. I cannot recommend W5 highly enough for a family day out , just one word of caution, wet days in the summer holidays can be crazy busy in W5, so go first thing or later on in the day.

Recently visited w5 with a very hyperactive 1 year old godchild and she as well as i loved it! It…read moreis great for tiny people to explore and run away with their imagination! In particular the kids seemed to enjoy the discovery area which is for under 8's only. It is a great place for children to get into role play as it is set out in real life situations and allows children to learn about themselves and the world around them as well as encouraging them to experiment. There is a little water area which is particularly good for sensory and motor development and the little ones appeared to have a ball in here! One tip is to bring an extra set of clothes for them because if they are anything like this child they (and everyone else around them) will be soaked from head to toe!! Children under 3 years go free and £8.50 for an adult. They also do great family offers and all in all it is a great family day out for all ages :)

Exhibitions mounted regularly. Useful for visitors to N…read more Ireland. Central but one needs to use local car parks. Shop for tourists and a delightful cafe with an outlook to the town centre. Public Toilets available. Friendly Information Desk. Museum has many interesting photos and exhibits.

The Irish Linen Centre has an excellent exhibition that includes a reconstruction of a linen…read moreweavers cottage and a nice costume display of old fashioned linen dresses. When I visited there was also a fascinating demonstration of spinning and weaving using the original equipment by staff who were clearly most enthusiastic about the subject. There's also a good explanation of the development of the history of Lisburn - you can pick up a lot of interesting information if you like this sort of thing as I do. Downstairs the museum shop has some high quality goods such as linen damask and some other nice textile items - tea towels, oven gloves among other gifts. The teashop is good value and altogether the museum makes a great focal point to the centre of Lisburn.

This museum is state of the art, with some very old artifacts from the Williamite and Jacobite…read moreperiod of UK/Irish history. The guided tour is a must if you want to get a proper indepth understanding of the history of Irish history and the Orange Institution. The tour guides were very open to questions and the museum itself, whilst probably small compared to others, has a lot to see and do, from interactive screen monitors to basic colouring and drawing for young children. There is a well stocked gift shop and a cafe which seems to be very popular with the locals. The history of Ireland has always been contentious and for lack of a better term, troublesome, but it was clear that the museum displays and the tour guides were operating a strictly informative policy, and leaving out any potential bias. I was very impressed with some of the displays, from the Collerette that the footballer George Best wore, to a Jacobite musket, to banners, and statues. I was also surprised to find that Bernardo, the founder of the Banardos charity was a member of the Orange Institution. I would recommend that locals and tourists alike visit this museum. It is a portal to history that literally cannot be found anywhere else in the world and very educational, dispelling a lot of the myth surrounding the history of Ireland. If you are ever in Belfast, pay the museum a visit. Well worth the effort!

Titanic Belfast is an immersive experience museum. There is a ride that shares the history of the…read moreship and the launch from Belfast over 100 years ago. It shows how the ship was made in Belfast. And survivors share stories after they returned home. It can get crowded in the afternoon. I recommend going early before the traffic.

Before planning our trip here, I was unaware that the Titanic originated in Belfast. This museum…read moredid an incredible job of detailing all that went into the ship as well as all that went wrong after they were at sea. The place is very large and the tour takes a couple hours. You're taken through the processes that occurred during the massive undertaking it was to construct the ship, to the setup onboard and ultimately the voltage itself. The place flows very nicely, there's a delightful ride and the pictures/audio tell quite the story. It's a very powerful place. The SS Nomadic outside is the last surviving ferry ship in the fleet was great to walk on and around. This is a must see spot when you're up in Belfast!

The new town hall is a very welcome addition to ballymena. The centre offers lots of various…read moreperformances usually at very reasonable prices. The centre is really well decorated with some excellent art work. The acoustics are really good as well. In my opinion this is a really positive change for ballymena and improves the image of the area.

It has been years since I visited Armagh County Museum so I thought I would return today (Friday…read more01/04/2016). Located on the beautiful green Mall surrounded by Georgian buildings, it's a tiny museum so an hour is enough time to explore. Entrance is free and it's open every day except Sunday. Being a county museum you'll not find dinosaur bones or such here, however there's an interesting display of historical artefacts relating to Armagh. A very small museum but still fascinating and worth a visit. Definitely has an old fashioned feel which is like stepping back in time when you walk in. The layout is traditional with all items displayed in antiquated wood and glass cases. There's a rich selection including clothing, taxidermy, paintings, pottery, ancient and modern historical artefacts, linen making and craft equipment, archeological and fossil specimens. A particular highlight for me personally was seeing The Old Callan Bridge painting by John Luke and animal sketches by contemporary Armagh Artist Orlaith Cullinane. I also loved the vintage dresses, spinning wheel and Singer sewing machine. A cute, homely little museum, perfect to while away some time on a rainy afternoon.

I am in no way an art buff. I'm not an art anything in fact. But I do like to have a look around…read morethese places, even just to seem a little cultured to the store assistant who can obviously seen through my nods of appreciation. From the outside it looks a little more commercial to other galleries in the area. It always has advertisements in its windows, stating silly pointless things that you should already expect to find in a gallery (not signs saying 'pretty paintings!' but close enough). The price range clearly shows that the stuff here really is for someone who wants to make a serious commitment. Paying 4/5 hundred pounds for a painting the size of my palm is the biggest commitment anyone can make in my opinion!

Eakin's my favourite art gallery on the Lisburn Road. A lovely little family run gallery spanning…read moretwo floors of a red brick townhouse. Specialists in contemporary Irish art they also have some pieces from the past as well. You'll find a range of Artists' work here including George Callaghan, Brian Ballard, Neil Shawcross, Dean McDowell, Louis le Brocquy, J B Vallely and Terry Bradley amongst others. I always call in for a look when I pass Eakin. Yesterday I visited to view the beautiful, stylised, atmospheric paintings of George Callaghan. His harvest sunset paintings are mesmerising and I adore his 'Purple Haze' landscapes. A beautiful exhibition for this time of year as we near the end of October. Prices vary, ranging from smaller works for a few hundred pounds to larger paintings for a few thousand. If I win the lotto I may one day be able to buy instead of just browse! The owner Brian Eakin is very welcoming and their website's kept fully updated with all current paintings listed. However nothing beats a stroll through Eakin Gallery to see the paintings in the flesh.