Ulster Museum

The Ulster Museum sits in the Botanic Gardens in South Belfast, a proper world-class institution that catches most visitors by surprise. You're looking at four floors of Irish art, natural history, and archaeology - everything from dinosaur skeletons to paintings by Irish masters to artefacts from the Spanish Armada. The building itself is striking: a 1960s structure that's been refurbished to feel genuinely contemporary without losing its bones.

Admission is free, which makes it even better value. Expect to spend two to three hours if you're taking it seriously, though you could dash through in 90 minutes. Families with kids under ten might find the natural history sections keep them engaged longest - the fossils and Egyptian mummies do the trick. Older teens and adults will get more from the art galleries and the exhibitions on Irish history, particularly the stuff on the Troubles and early medieval period.

The Botanic Gardens themselves are worth the visit regardless - Victorian landscaping, glasshouses, proper grounds for a wander. It's about three miles south of Belfast city centre, easily reached by bus or car.

If you're caravan-based nearby - The Pods at Streamvale is only 4.9 miles away - the museum makes a solid rainy-day plan without feeling like a compromise. Dundonald Touring Caravan Park sits 4.8 miles off, so it's accessible enough. Pair it with a walk through the gardens and a pub dinner back towards the city, and you've got a decent day sorted.