Ulster Museum

Ulster Museum Review

Set in an impressive edifice at the southwest corner of the Botanic Gardens, the Ulster Museum reopened in 2009 following a £17 million redevelopment project and has been an instant hit with visitors. The rejuvenated museum with its spacious light-filled atrium and polished steel is a world away from the tenebrous galleries of old. The museum's forte is the history and prehistory of Ireland using exhibitions to colorfully trace the rise of Belfast's crafts, trade, and industry, and offering a reflective photographic archive of the Troubles. In addition, the museum has a large natural history section, with famed skeleton of the extinct Irish giant deer, and a trove of jewelry and gold ornaments recovered from the Spanish Armada vessel Girona sunk off the Antrim coast in 1588. Take time to seek out the Girona's stunning gold salamander studded with rubies and still dazzling after 400 years in the Atlantic. The museum includes a first-rate collection of 19th- and 20th-century art from Europe, Britain, and America. The new art, history, and nature discovery zones are jam-packed with hands-on activities for children. Kids also enjoy Peter the polar bear exhibit, and the famed Egyptian mummy, Takabuti. There's also an innovative 360-degree light-and-sound immersive experience, museum shop, café, and restaurant.