Botanic Gardens and Ulster Museum
About
Belfast's Botanic Gardens sit in the heart of the Queen's Quarter — 28 acres of Victorian gardens centred around the stunning Palm House, one of the earliest curvilinear glass and iron glasshouses in the world (predating Kew's Palm House). The Tropical Ravine, a sunken glen of exotic plants beneath a Victorian glass roof, is extraordinary — it was recently restored and feels like stepping into a lost world. The Ulster Museum sits in the gardens and is the national museum of Northern Ireland. The collections span art, archaeology, natural sciences, and history, with highlights including the Spanish Armada treasures (gold and artefacts recovered from the wrecked Girona off the Giant's Causeway), an impressive art collection, and thoughtful exhibitions on the Troubles. It's free and excellent. The gardens are a natural gathering place for the university area — students studying on the grass, families in the playground, joggers on the paths. The rose garden is beautiful in summer. The area around the gardens — the Queen's Quarter — has good restaurants, the Queen's Film Theatre (a superb arthouse cinema), and the Botanic Inn ('the Bot'), a classic Belfast pub. A lovely half-day combining the museum, gardens, and neighbourhood.
https://www.nmni.com/ulster-museum 028 9044 0000
Tickets & Pricing
Free entry to gardens and museum.
Opening Times
Gardens: daily 7:30-dusk. Palm House: Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat-Sun 13:00-17:00. Ulster Museum: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00.
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