Ulster Folk Museum: Tickets, Opening Times and How to Get There
Updated October 22, 2026 · 4 min read
The Ulster Folk Museum entry ticket costs €14.91 and is rated 4.6 from 33 reviews on GetYourGuide. The listing says “Belfast”, but the museum is at Cultra, Holywood, County Down (153 Bangor Road, BT18 0EU), on the shore of Belfast Lough. Plan it as a separate outing, not a stop between two city sights.
What it is
An open-air museum about rural life in Ulster. According to the Ards and North Down tourism listing, it is built around the themes of making, growing and living, with craft demonstrations, country lanes and a reconstructed village, Ballycultra. The GetYourGuide summary promises Ireland “as it was over 100 years ago” and the traditions, stories and skills of Ulster’s past.
The listing also mentions a café and a gift shop on site, with mobility scooters and wheelchairs available for visitors with additional accessibility needs. If you rely on them, or need to know about paths and buildings, ask the museum before you travel.
What the museum charges at the gate
The tourism listing gives these prices: adult £12.50, child £7.80, senior or student £9.75, under 5 free, and family packages between £26.70 and £36.50. The GetYourGuide ticket is priced in euros, so compare the two on the day before booking, and read the booking page for the cancellation terms. Do not expect a discount from the ticket; its value is that you have it in hand.
Opening times
The hours change with the season, and the museum is closed on Mondays except Northern Ireland bank holidays.
| Period | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| October to February | Tuesday to Friday | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm |
| October to February | Saturday and Sunday | 11:00 am to 4:00 pm |
| March to September | Tuesday to Sunday | 10:00 am to 5:00 pm |
For the winter just starting, that means a day that is short: on a weekend you have five hours at most. The previous winter’s listing showed closures on 24, 25 and 26 December and on New Year’s Day, so check the museum’s own page for the date you plan.
Getting there
Cultra railway station is on the Belfast to Bangor line, run by NI Railways (Translink), and it serves the museum. This is the simplest way to go without a car. There is also on-site parking. If you drive, you can compare hire cars for Belfast and check the excess and deposit before you pay.
Who should go
It suits people who like history on a human scale: how families lived, worked and built. It is a place to walk outdoors, so in poor weather you will be glad of a coat. If your time in Belfast is a day or two, it competes with the Titanic story and the political tours, and it will lose unless rural history is your interest. Our guides to Titanic Belfast and to the Black Taxi tour cover the city’s other big draws.
Our pick
With a free half day and an interest in rural Ulster: buy the ticket and take the train. If you are short on time, skip it and use the hours in the city. More options are on our things to do in Belfast page.
