About
Since 1972, the Ulster Museum has provided a platform for bold new perspectives and has shone a light on our shared treasures, making space for diverse voices to be heard. The Ulster Museum is home to Northern Ireland’s rich collection of art, history and natural sciences, all set within the beautiful surroundings of Belfast’s Botanic Gardens, bringing everything from dinosaurs to Da Vinci’s for everyone to enjoy.
When visiting the museum you can come face-to-face with dinosaurs, meteorites and Spanish sailors, and discover new perspectives about Ancient Ireland, inclusive global histories, the Troubles, and whatever the future may hold. But how did this unique and fascinating place become the Ulster Museum we know today? And what does the future look like for the Ulster Museum? To help explore the Ulster Museums unique history, we’ll be running some bespoke lectures for European Heritage Open Day, to learn more about the buildings fascinating origin story, architecture and journey of change.
The Architectural History of the Ulster Museum lecture is a free bookable event that will run on both the 14th and 15th of September 2024 from 11am until 12pm noon. The lecture will last approximately 45 minutes and will begin with a history of the Belfast Natural History and Philosophical Society, the origins of our collections at the College Square North Belfast Museum. We will delve into the story of the Reverend Canon Grainger and the Grainger Room established at the Belfast Central Library on Royal Avenue, and how these collections were brought together by the Belfast Corporation.
The Belfast Museum and Art Gallery was first opened in the Botanical Gardens on the 22nd October 1929, designed in the Neo Classical style by James Cumming Wynne. Our lecture will showcase photographs of the original building. We will then discuss the Brutalist extension to the Museum in the 1960s by Francis Pym, and the stained glass windows designed by Neil Shawcross.
Our lecture will conclude with a 15 minute tour around the architectural highlights of our building.
Book Tickets
Guide Prices
| Ticket Type | Ticket Tariff |
|---|---|
| Ticket | Free |
Note: Prices are a guide only and may change on a daily basis.
