Rediscover the home of Northern Ireland’s treasures – past and present. Your favourite stories and objects are waiting for you.
All of our galleries are open as usual for you to explore. Whilst our one-way flow system provides plenty of opportunities to enjoy our exhibitions at your leisure, we have also put a quick access route in place for those who prefer to go straight to the art galleries. With exhibitions of works by Rembrandt and Renoir, we understand the eagerness! Ask one of our Welcome Team for more details when you arrive.
Our Discovery Zones aren't open right now but we will let you know when they are!
Here's what you can look forward to on your visit:
Art (Blue route)
A Unique Silence: Welcoming Rembrandt's etchings to the Ulster Museum Collection
This exhibition is a celebration, the first chance to see six etchings by the famed Dutch artist Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn since they were gifted to the Ulster Museum. The master printmaker’s work now belongs to you as part of the public collection, thanks to the acceptance in lieu of tax scheme. Though many of his paintings are associated with the dramatic and awe inspiring style of Baroque painting, Rembrandt’s etchings communicate a unique silence that is often found in the Golden Age of Dutch art; the still of nature, the intimacy of the human face and thoughtful biblical scenes.
Irish Art
Irish Art lies at the heart of our collection, and this display, which focuses on the period after 1870, includes some of our best-loved paintings. Here you'll encounter artworks from painters such as Paul Henry and Seán Keating who were inspired by the wild, majestic landscapes of the west of Ireland and the local people there. See later artworks from artists such as Gerard Dillon, Daniel O’Neill, John Luke and Basil Blackshaw who continued this trend in their practice, and of course, don't miss much-loved artworks from our treasured Sir John Lavery collection.
History (Yellow route)
CultureLab
CultureLab is a place to take a good, hard look at the cultural stereotypes that we all know surround us in Northern Ireland. This exhibition poses questions about culture and offers a glimpse into how identities have been, and continue to be, shaped in Ireland and Northern Ireland. See the famous ‘Differences’ blackboard from the hit TV series Derry Girls, on public display for the very first time, and test your preconceptions with an interactive religion calculator quiz.
Florence Nightingale
Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale and the World Health Organisation Year of the Nurse and Midwife, this timely exhibition in our Belfast Room pays homage to the amazing contribution nursing and midwifery has made to life in Northern Ireland throughout two world wars, The Troubles and right up to present day.
Nature (Red route)
Elements
Take a journey from actinium to zirconium – from the rocks beneath your feet to the most distant and ancient reaches of the universe. In this unique exhibition – the only one of its kind in Europe – you’ll discover what the elements look like, how they occur naturally, how we use them, and why they can be dangerous.
Fossils and Evolution
Explore spectacular fossils from a ‘graveyard’ of tiny ammonite shells to a toothsome, four-metre long fish. See skulls of dwarf elephants and giant deer. Discover why your skeleton isn’t that different from a monkey, a mouse or a mole.