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.

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!

I was blown away by this museum! Sure it's an extremely popular historic event with a huge movie…read moreto gather even more attention, but Belfast had done it right. I enjoyed every aspect to the gigantic museum, from the surrounding area , before you enter, to each and every floor full of displays, movies and interactive activities. Masses of people will be there, yet I never felt rushed or overwhelmed as I worked my way through. So many thumbs up to this iconic museum. Must see!

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.

Great place haven't been in years and didn't really fancy it as I thought my son would be to young…read morebut brought him anyway and it was amazing he's 2 and loved every second of it lots of stuff to do and was kept very entertained

I love browsing through art galleries and the Engine Room is the latest small gallery in Belfast I…read morehave stumbled upon. Run by East Belfast Arts Collective, this Gallery has moved from its original location in a mill Engine Room to a street-level showroom just a little further east on the Newtownards Road. Since the Engine Room opened in the mid 1990s it has been according to the gallery "an engine at the core of the development of contemporary art in Belfast." The range of works on show include everything from oils and acrylics to prints, video, sculpture, arte povere, installation art and new technology. The gallery also aim to showcase lesser known local artists alongside more well known artists with international profiles. There are new exhibitions every month.

This is a great Gallery space in the heart of East Belfast. It hosts local, national and…read moreInternational exhibition. The latest exhibition from 1st April 2010 is a solo show by Deirdre Robb. works on display are paintings, installations and expeimental prints

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!

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.

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.

We visited the HMS Caroline on a weekend in Belfast. What a great tourist attraction. Not only is…read moreit a well-restored 112-year old warship, it is the only surviving ship of the greatest naval battle in history. The tour is great and provides a fantastic insight, not only into the life on the ship, but also the battle of Jutland. A must-visit.

HMS Caroline has jumped right to the very top of my list of 'best things to do in Belfast'. Even…read morethough I'm not interested in ships or naval history, I thought HMS Caroline absolutely fantastic. Walking around this beautifully restored, 100 year old ship, is mesmerising and truly a living history experience. As soon as you step aboard there's a movie to watch, then you can wander around at your own leisure, listening to an audio guide which is activated by hitting a button near sensors placed over the ship. Luxury Captain's quarters, dinning rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchens, sick rooms, messes and the engine room - everywhere is open to go into and has been authentically restored. I spent two hours aboard and was fascinated. Even seeing the weaponry (torpedoes were called 'tin fish'!), decks and navigating bridge was enthralling. I loved that the ships crew had mascots in the form of a rabbit and two cats named Tom and Puff. HMS Caroline boasts a reasonably priced cafe which sells a small selection of sandwiches, sweet items, tea, coffee and much to my delight beers. Plus there's a gift shop if you fancy picking up presents or memorabilia. All ages will enjoy visiting Caroline and it's definitely not just for the boys, girls too will enjoy this unique experience. Entrance fees are extremely reasonable at circa £12 (adult), £7.50 (concession) and £5 (kids) plus there are family deals available e.g. 2 adults and 3 kids for £26 (as at July 2016). This is one of the few attractions I would actually want to return to because there was so much to see and take in. I plan to visit again to fully absorb HMS Caroline's history. We are very lucky to have the last British, Word War One, light-cruiser and only survivor of the Battle of Jutland docked in Belfast.

Based in regimental headquarters of the Royal Irish Rangers, the Royal Ulster Rifles Museum is an…read moreaustere place, with an old fashioned display that consists mainly of one large room housing a collection of medals, pictures, uniforms, drums and other military artifacts. Some of the uniforms date to around 1850 while a recent addition is the desert uniform of the locally born, and extremely vocal Colonel Tim Collins, from Iraq in 2003. People who want to address specific enquiries on family connections with the regiment will probably benefit most from this museum as there is a large collection of documents, microfilm and photographs. Unfortunately the curator, who was quite helpful last time I visited, has retired and does not appear to have been replaced. For the general visitor it is not particularly user friendly and I recommend that you telephone in advance before going there.

A much enjoyable museum that covers the dates of the RUR and later the Rangers. A bit of a self…read moretour with lots of period uniforms , medals, weapons, depiction of WW-1 trench warfare and the such. Highly recommend.