We walked through the Botanical Gardens which are located adjacent to the university. As like…read moreeverything else in Ireland, the whole grounds were bright green and full of different plant species and lots and lots of flowers. I particularly liked their greenhouse. The beautiful white medal perfectly balanced the contrast between nature and industrial features while complementing the space and giving these particular plants a specific place to grow, such as succulents. The rose gardens reminded me of something from Alice in Wind with how the grass paths were weaved between the rose bushes and some of the flowers looked fake because they were so healthy and vibrant.  There are two newer greenhouses that were built specifically for tropical plants. Inside of each of these greenhouses, the temperature and humidity was set to stay at the perfect settings for these tropical plants to thrive. They were multiple stories so that the trees could grow tall and the vines could grow long and even go all the way up to the rafters. A great place to see and spend time on a sunny or partly cloudy day!!

Beautiful grounds near Queen's College in Belfast. So peaceful and sprawling. The grounds…read moremeticulously kept. The grounds included some magnificently lush green lawn for taking in the nice weather being experienced during our stay. The Ferris Wheel was well worth the nominal expense. The rose garden was beautifully laid out.

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!

Went to the Crumlin road jail as it's the top ranked attraction on trip advisor. It was…read moreinteresting that the site is owned by the Govt but run by a private company. It cost £6.50 (had a £2 discount coupon). The last tour of the day is at 4:30pm but it's also cool that the main building is open till late because of the restaurant located inside. Hearing about what went on was truly horrific but overall this was an okay experience for me. I think I was expecting more info about the troubles and the political prisoners but that wasn't really our tour guide's focus. He also started the tour by asking for volunteers but nothing was done involving a volunteer! It's an hour's tour and the visit to the tunnel plus the hangman info was the most interesting bits of the tour for me. Another tip - Don't miss checking out the beautiful but now derelict courthouse opposite the street. The govt sold it for £1 but it's going to take a fair bit of bob to put it back to rights! So overall it was interesting tour but maybe Note: #222 of Yelp 100 challenge for 2016

I had been meaning to come here for absolutely years, and just never got around to it…read more I am a huge fan of anything of historical interest, however my first visit, surprisingly, was for the Ghost tour this Halloween! I booked the tickets online and came along this October hoping for a spooky experience. We were greeted at the gates by security who explained how to get around into the car park, and got parked up with no issues. We waited in the coffee shop 'The Crum' - and had a wine and beer each prior to the tour. When the tour started, we were initially taken into a holding area, and then began by being taken into the tunnel linking the jail to the courthouse, where allegedly, paranormal activity has taken place! Unfortunately (or thankfully, maybe) we experienced no such activity on our trip. We were then taken into a side room where an employee was said to have met a grisly end, and we were instructed to record audio on our phones. Next, we were taken to one of the wings where we could see the cells (and inside the cells) and last but not least, we were shown to the condemned man's cell, and behind the book case to the gallows, before being taken down into the basement. We didn't experience any ghostly going's on in our trip, but I would definitely come back again, this time during the day, so I can get a proper look at the inside of the jail, since the tour I did was in the dark or low light. Recommended!

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 was a beautiful building, inside and out. I loved the stained glass windows and…read morearchitecture! There were many different rooms to explore, with museum-like pictures and information to view. The toilets are free!

Belfast City Hall is the city center district and located in a business area, but with expanding…read moreresidential and entertainment. Plenty of shops, restaurants, bars, churches, and historical locations surrounding the city hall. Inside is very beautiful layout architecture with a beautiful dome plus plenty of glass windows artwork. Inside the surrounding garden within, there are: Titanic Memorial Garden, Korea War Memorial, Victoria Memorial, Boer War Memorial Royal Irish Riffles, and couple statues on the other side plus city ground for you to seat and admire the city hall.

Belfast Festival at Queen's was established in 1962 and ran successfully for over half a century,…read moreuntil 2015, when Queen's University Belfast (QUB) announced they could/would no longer fund it. Thus QUB effectively pulled the plug, handed festival staff redundancies and turfed them out into the cold. Undeterred, this dedicated festival team carried on, securing funding from Ulster Bank, Arts Council of Northern Ireland and many others sponsors. They found new offices, a fresh international focus and morphed the Belfast Festival at Queen's into the phenomenon that is now known as Belfast International Arts Festival. Hence a truly great thing was born. Belfast International Arts Festival aims to give all people affordable access to dance, music, film, art, theatre and literature of a contemporary nature and international stature. It's a fantastic three-week-long programme occurring annually in October which offers something for everyone. I never really got into this festival until last year (2015) when I attended the breathtaking AniMotion Show, an outdoor event of music, sound and visual art which totally blew my mind. Being a fan of visual art I also adored Belfast Open Studios where 20 artists studios allowed full access to the general public. Additionally the Annual RUA Art Exhibition is a show I visited numerous times and an absolute treat for the eyeballs. This year I secured my festival brochure as soon as it was available and have circled a long list of events to attend. I love that there are plentiful free and economically priced events. Plus there are many Irish/UK premieres and internationally renowned Artists to enjoy. Belfast International Arts Festival is cutting-edge, brilliant and the granddaddy of them all in Northern Ireland. If you attend only one festival this year, make it this one - it's far too good to miss!

Given that I just picked up the programme for this about an hour ago, it seemed only fitting that I…read moreshould share my thoughts with the Yelping world. The Ulster Bank Belfast Festival at Queen's (to give it it's full, but never used title) is on every year for two weeks in October, and 90% of the time it's made of win. It's the big daddy of the countless festivals in this city, and it's easy to see why. It gives equal billing to music as it does to film, drama, dance and visual arts, and every year they attract a few heavy hitters to pull in the crowds. This year, for example, I'm particularly excited about an evening with Michael Palin and the Dublin Gospel Choir. Possibly the only downside to the Fesitval is that to go to everything that I wanted to would probably involve me selling a kidney! Most of the events are around the £10/£15 mark, but some run as high as £20 or £25. I'm not complaining, I mean, that's just what it costs to have the Festival work, it's just frustrating when you can't afford to see everything!

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.

We visited Crumlin Road Gaol on our final morning before leaving Belfast. The experience provides…read moreyou with a very interesting audiovisual presentation of 150 years of jail history in a very well maintained/restored prison. Very good, also in connection to the more recent history.

The gaol museum is sobering and very interesting. It was worth the time and effort for sure. We…read morestopped at the restaurant on site, Cuffs, for a bite after the tour. Ok, the food was very good, and the service was good. I did feel more than a little cognitive dissonance eating a delicious meal in a place where men, women, and even children were imprisoned at hard labor, flogged for breaking rules, and fed gruel, bread and water. And a few were hung in the nearby execution chamber.

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.