Experience this part of Ireland as it was over 100 years ago at this remarkable open-air, living history museum located on the outskirts of Belfast. Here is a place where you can go back in time to see the ways that our recent ancestors lived and discover the traditions, stories, and skills passed down through many generations of people in Ulster.

Where the bustling, fictional town of Ballycultra, made up of original exhibit buildings that once stood in places from all over Ulster, meets the rolling hills and country lanes of the countryside, in this place frozen in time.

As you wander through the cobbled streets and historic buildings in this meticulously recreated village, you’ll meet costumed guides and first-person interpreters showing you a way of life from years gone by. See a variety of folk activities and traditional craft demonstrations every day, from traditional wool weaving to blacksmithing and heritage carpentry to traditional Irish bread baking.

Breathe in the fresh air of the countryside and explore rural Ulster, where whitewashed farmhouses and other native dwellings dot the fields and where there’s also a full working farm with animals, farmed using traditional farming techniques.

Visit the Ballycultra Tearoom for a light bite and refreshments, or bring a picnic to enjoy at one of the many picnic benches located on the museum site. McCusker's Pub exhibit building is now a fully licensed pub so why not drop in for a drink?

Enjoy some fantastic shopping opportunities at the museum, including the museum gift shop which has a wide variety of gifts, books, souvenirs, and local crafts. A small selection of one-of-a-kind crafts made on-site by our talented craft demonstrators are also available – the perfect memento of your visit to the museum.

Some of the exhibit shop buildings also trade like they used to back in the day - like Carruth's Corner Shop, which serves sweets the traditional way. Every bag is weighed out in ounces and quarters with vintage ounce weights. Carruth's serves a selection of old-fashioned confectionery from vanilla fudge to Strawberry bonbons - a real treat and firm visitor favorite.