Rainy day activities in County Antrim

Most of this list sits inside Belfast, and on a wet day that is the point. The Ulster Museum, St George’s Market and the Crown Liquor Saloon are close enough to each other that a soaked plan can be reshuffled without much time spent outdoors. The museum is free, closed on Mondays, and holds the only dinosaur bones ever found in Ireland along with the mummy Takabuti and the gold recovered from the Girona off the Antrim coast.

St George’s Market only trades Friday to Sunday, so a midweek washout needs a different anchor. Crumlin Road Gaol, the Grand Opera House backstage tour and Titanic Belfast all run on booked slots; Titanic Belfast is the biggest commitment of the three, nine galleries on the slipway where the ship was launched. The Crown, owned by the National Trust, needs nothing booked — ten panelled snugs and an 1885 mosaic interior off Great Victoria Street.

Beyond the city the cover thins. Carrickfergus Castle, up the shore from Belfast, is a Norman keep of 1177 with free guided tours included in the ticket, but it is only partly indoors. Glenarm’s walled garden and Cullybackey’s riverwalk are fair-weather picks in all but name.

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13 of 13 shown — tap a pin for the place.

    • Free entry
    • Indoors — rain-proof
    • Indoors — rain-proof
    • Book ahead
    • Indoors — rain-proof
    • Book ahead
    • Free entry
    • Indoors — rain-proof
    • Partly indoors
    • Big day out
    • Partly indoors
    • Book ahead
  7. Belfast City Hall, Belfast, Co Antrim
    Belfast City Hall, Belfast, Co Antrim Courtesy of Rob Durston for Tourism Northern Ireland, ©TourismNorthernIreland

    Belfast City Hall – the city's marble palace

    Belfast, antrim

    Belfast City Hall is the city's civic building, opened in 1906 in Portland stone and Baroque Revival style on the old White Linen Hall site in Donegall Square. Entry is free, and free public guided tours take you into the marble-lined chambers; the grounds hold the Titanic Memorial Garden and a growing set of statues.

    🌳 Outdoor
    • Free entry
    • Partly indoors
    • Partly indoors
  9. Linen Hall Library, Belfast, Co Antrim
    Linen Hall Library, Belfast, Co Antrim Courtesy of Rob Durston for Tourism Northern Ireland, ©TourismNorthernIreland

    Linen Hall Library – Belfast’s oldest

    Belfast, antrim

    The Linen Hall is Belfast’s oldest library, founded in 1788 and still a subscribing library funded by its members rather than the state. Its Northern Ireland Political Collection – around 250,000 items – is the definitive archive of the Troubles, and it also holds a collection of books by and about CS Lewis. Free to enter, with a £3 suggested donation.

    🌳 Outdoor
    • Free entry
    • Indoors — rain-proof
    • Free entry
    • Indoors — rain-proof
  11. Arthur Cottage and Interpretative centre, Cullybackey, Co. Antrim
    Arthur Cottage and Interpretative centre, Cullybackey, Co. Antrim Courtesy of Nick Patterson @Sync Imaging, ©SyncImaging

    Cullybackey – a US president's roots

    Cullybackey, antrim

    Just outside Cullybackey stands Arthur Cottage, the restored thatched home of the father of Chester A. Arthur, 21st president of the United States. The village sits on the River Main with a paved riverwalk and an unstaffed station on the Belfast–Derry line, whose old building is now a café. It makes a quiet, well-connected base for Mid and East Antrim.

    🌳 Outdoor 🅿️ Free Parking 🐕 Dogs Welcome
    • Partly indoors
    • Free entry
    • Partly indoors
    • Indoors — rain-proof
    • Book ahead

On while you're there

All events in County Antrim →

Questions people ask

Which of these are fully indoors rather than partly?
The Ulster Museum, St George's Market, Crumlin Road Gaol, the Linen Hall Library, the Crown Liquor Saloon and the Grand Opera House are rain-proof once you're through the door. Carrickfergus Castle, Titanic Belfast, Belfast City Hall and Glenarm are only partly under cover.
What if the wet day falls on a Monday?
The Ulster Museum closes on Mondays and St George's Market trades Friday to Sunday only, so both drop out. Crumlin Road Gaol, Titanic Belfast, the Linen Hall Library and the Crown are the likelier anchors — check each one's hours before you set off.
Which ones need booking ahead?
Crumlin Road Gaol, Titanic Belfast, HMS Caroline and the Grand Opera House backstage tour all run on timed slots and are flagged book-ahead. The Ulster Museum, St George's Market, the Linen Hall Library and the Crown Liquor Saloon take walk-ins.
Can I fill a rainy day here without paying in?
For a good part of it, yes. The Ulster Museum, Belfast City Hall, the Linen Hall Library and the Crown Liquor Saloon are free, and St George's Market costs nothing to walk around. City Hall also runs free guided tours.
Is there anything outside Belfast?
Carrickfergus Castle on the coast is the main one, though it is only partly indoors. Glenarm's castle and walled garden sit at the southern gateway to the Glens of Antrim, and Cullybackey has Arthur Cottage and a riverwalk — both better on a drier day.
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