City
Things to do in Belfast
County Antrim
Five of the twenty places on our County Antrim list are in or near Belfast: Belfast City Hall, Botanic Gardens, Ulster Museum, Cave Hill Country Park and Belfast Castle and Titanic Belfast. That is a visitor centre, a garden, two museums and a park between them. Below you will find one more place from Northern Ireland's heritage records.
On our Antrim and Down lists
5 places in and around Belfast.
Belfast City HallVisitor centre · BelfastOpened on Donegall Square in 1906 and built of Portland stone. William Pirrie brought skilled men from the Harland and Wolff shipyard to fit out the interiors, and guided tours go inside.
Botanic GardensGarden · BelfastThe Belfast Botanic and Horticultural Society laid out these gardens in 1828 and the city made them a public park in 1895. The Palm House and the Tropical Ravine are inside.
Ulster MuseumMuseum · BelfastThe museum sits inside Botanic Gardens on Stranmillis Road, and its collections run from natural science to art.
Cave Hill Country Park and Belfast CastlePark · BelfastThe park takes its name from five caves in the cliffs above north Belfast. Belfast Castle, finished in 1870, sits on the lower slopes and McArt's Fort is up on the cliff top.
Titanic BelfastMuseum · BelfastThe museum stands beside the slipways where the Titanic was built and launched, and a ticket also takes you aboard SS Nomadic, the last surviving White Star Line ship.
More to see in Belfast
From Northern Ireland’s heritage records and other public sources.
More from the Antrim list
Giant's CausewayCliffs · BushmillsHexagonal basalt columns step down into the sea below the cliffs north of Bushmills, formed as lava cooled just under 60 million years ago. It became a World Heritage Site in 1986.
Carrick-a-Rede Rope BridgeBridge · BallintoySalmon fishermen first strung a rope bridge across to this rocky island near Ballintoy in 1755, and the crossing still hangs high above the sea.
Dunluce CastleCastle · PortrushThe MacQuillans built it on the cliff edge around 1500 and the MacDonnells took it in the 1550s. The remains of the town laid out beside it in 1608 have been dug out of the grass.
The Dark HedgesWalk · ArmoyJames Stuart planted this avenue of beech trees on Bregagh Road in 1775 as the approach to Gracehill House, and the branches have grown together over the road. The road is closed to cars, so park at the Hedges Hotel and walk the few minutes up.
Rathlin IslandIsland · BallycastleThe ferry runs out from Ballycastle, and the RSPB seabird centre at the West Light looks down on cliffs where puffins rear their chicks from late April to early August. The centre opens from spring to late summer.
Carrickfergus CastleCastle · CarrickfergusJohn de Courcy began the castle soon after he invaded Ulster in 1177, on the water's edge in Carrickfergus. It stayed in military use until 1928.