Museums and galleries
If you want a day out that is educational and fun, visit a museum or gallery. From local history to modern art and dinosaurs to space rockets, there's something for everybody.
What's on
As well as featured exhibitions, museums and galleries sometimes hold workshops, activities and events.
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
The Armagh Observatory and Planetarium is Northern Ireland's main astronomical research and education facility. It offers visitors a digital full dome theatre, exhibitions and workshops and an outdoor Astropark featuring scale models of the Solar System
National Museums NI
National Museums NI is made up of four diverse museums and serves as a custodian of the 1.4 million objects within the National Collection, objects spanning art, history and natural sciences.
The four museums are:
Ulster Museum
The Ulster Museum explores the past, the present and the future through collections of art, natural science and history. It champions diverse voices and new perspectives to promote positive change in society.
Ulster Folk Museum
The Ulster Folk Museum is a remarkable living museum and environmental resource that is home to a rich collection of heritage buildings and objects which it uses to show how reconnecting with traditions, skills and customs from the past can help people grow and thrive in the world today.
Ulster Transport Museum
The Ulster Transport Museum tells the story of transport and social change in this part of the world since the birth of the modern era. It is a place of inspiration for the designers, engineers and adventurers of the future who will take on the challenges of inventing cleaner and greener ways to travel.
Ulster American Folk Park
The Ulster American Folk Park tells the story of Ulster people’s emigration to North America in the 18th and 19th centuries. Learn more about lives left behind, the hardships endured on the journey and the pioneering spirit of building new lives in a new land.
You can find out more on the National Museums Northern Ireland and website.
Northern Ireland Museums Council
The Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC), is the lead body supporting local museums across Northern Ireland. It manages the Museum Accreditation Scheme which is the sector standard for museums in the UK, providing help with grants to those museums that have met that standard. As well as providing training and skills development for those who work and volunteer in local museums, NIMC is keen to promote the importance of local museums across Northern Ireland.
You can find more on the Northern Ireland Museums Council website.
You'll find a list of museums to visit on Discover Northern Ireland.
Ulster Aviation Society has a collection of more than 50 historic aircraft and exhibits celebrating Northern Ireland’s aviation heritage.
For a list of art galleries to visit, go to Discover Northern Ireland.
Libraries NI service updates
For the latest information on library services visit the Libraries NI website.