This is an excellent museum which isn't given as much credit as it should.
Location
Centeral Belfast behind Queens Universtiy in the Botanic area. As it is very near the City Centre, don't expect to get a parking space easily. You can get a bus from the centre or even walk if your in the ... Read review
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Advantages: free, good exhibits, visitor freindly, setting Disadvantages: very little change in dispalys
This is an excellent museum which isn't given as much credit as it should.
Location
Centeral Belfast behind Queens Universtiy in the Botanic area. As it is very near the City Centre, don't expect to get a parking space easily. You can get a bus from the centre or even walk if your in the mood.
What's In It?
When you first walk in, there is the usaul lobby, map and guest book. The first place to visit is ... ...all the exhibits. You can buy anything from models to posters to potcards and rocks. The next stop is the dinosaur exhibit. This is quite old (but all dinosaur shows are..lol) but for a first view, it is very interesting and aids learning. This is a popular stop for kids but is also very good for adults. The main attraction is the full scale skeleton of a dinosuar. The next step is to the rocks and minerals section where a large variety of exhibits ... more
This is an excellent museum which isn't given as much credit as it should.
Location Centeral Belfast behind Queens Universtiy in the Botanic area. As it is very near the City Centre, don't expect to get a parking space easily. You can get a bus from the centre or even walk if your in the mood.
What's In It? When you first walk in, there is the usaul lobby, map and guest book. The first place to visit is the shop. It sells a wide range of products from all the exhibits. You can buy anything from models to posters to potcards and rocks. The next stop is the dinosaur exhibit. This is quite old (but all dinosaur shows are..lol) but for a first view, it is very interesting and aids learning. This is a popular stop for kids but is also very good for adults. The main attraction is the full scale skeleton of a dinosuar. The next step is to the rocks and minerals section where a large variety of exhibits are displayed. You can then view the paintings and other pieces of artwork scattered around the museum. All the way through the museum are videos which help you understand whats going on. The final few pieces are largely ignored or just glanced at; do this at your peril. The main piece is the REAL mummy from ancient Egypt. This section is very educational and quite amusing trying to build pyramids and identifying different objects.
General Inforamtion It is free and is located among a lovely garden. Every year or so, there is a new exhibiton which comes and leaves after a month. This attracts a decent crowd and so visiting can take longer. Usually, a visit will take a morning, when I go I come in around 9am (avoid all roads) and leave around 12 noon. This gives you time to view everything then eat lunch while wandering around the gardens. As far as I know the museum is disabled friendly, they are always upgrading and have more chair-lifts every time I go. allround, it is a good morning to spend and relax.
A final word about the gardens I've been constantly talking about. They consist of two greenhouses, a rose garden and several other themed gardens. It has a band-stand which is used sometimes during the summer. It is called Botanic gardens and is also commonly used for students studying botany, biology and art. (drawing paintings)
Advantages: Belfast has a lot to offer Disadvantages: The weather can sometimes be a bit miserable.
90 minutes
Other places of interest are the Belfast castle and the Cavehill where the views are beautiful on a clear sunny day and there is an excellent park for the kiddies, however if it`s landmarks you like then there`s always The Albert clock, The Langanside area, The Crumlin road prison and the Courthouse, where many stories could be told.
If your into history , then the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum would be just perfect, it is just a short distance from the Belfast Airport, where you can find all kinds of old buildings and transport cars, motorbikes and how people of Belfast lived and cooked many years ago.
Belfast is good for shopping and has the usual high street stores like Primark, Dunnes, Debemhams and many more, and after all your shopping it wont be hard to find somewhere to have a bite to eat, within the city ...
jenny967 16.05.2008 (19.05.2008)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Belfast in general
Advantages: A place of refuge in a busy city! Disadvantages: Would be better if it had a roof!
Botanic Gardens has a Tropical Ravine (built in 1887) and a Victorian Palm house (built in 1839)as well as beautiful rose gardens, colourful flowerbeds, variety of trees, all of which combine to provide an exotic environment. Only a few minutes(5-10)walk from the city centre it really is a place of beauty an refuge in the midst of a busy city. A place to lose yourself in a busy day! And perhaps if - although not likely - you could find yourself a spot to sunbathe, although in beautiful green ireland youre more likley to rainbathe! Botanic Gardens is located beside The Queen's University of Belfast and UlsterMuseum on the Stranmillis Road in Belfast both of which are well worth a visit.
The Palm House is one of the earliest examples of a curvilinear and cast iron glasshouse. The foundation stone of the Belfast Palm House was laid ...
Advantages: Lots to see & do Disadvantages: Some people
complex. There are also some good out of town shopping centres, such as Forestside, Connswater and the park centre, but the city centre has most of the shops found within these centres.
There's a lot to see and do around Belfast. The city's botanic gardens are located close to the city centre, and are a lovely walk in the summertime. Other city parks include lady Dixon park, Belvoir forest park and Barnett's Demense, all close to the city centre.
Kids are also well catered for in Belfast. Belfast zoo on the outskirts of the city provides a fun day out, as does the interactive learning experience of W5 at the odyssey. There is bowling available at the Belfast superbowl, and Dundonald ice bowl has both bowling and ice skating facilities. Also close is the Ulster Folk & Transport museum and aprox 10 miles away in Bangor, facilities ...
