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Family Attractions & Zoos in County Antrim

Aontroim · Ulster · 70 places

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County Antrim (Aontroim) in Ulster features 70 mapped family attractions & zoos, led by Old Bushmills Distillery, Belfast Zoo, and Andrew Jackson Cottage and US Rangers Centre. Across these 70 listings, 19 feature verified photography, 1 offers free entry, and 70 include mapped nearby public parking. Zoos, aquariums, theme parks, and visitor attractions.

Showing 24 of 70 places

Old Bushmills Distillery — photo by Dr Neil Clifton▶ Video
GeneralAntrim

Old Bushmills Distillery

The Old Bushmills Distillery is an Irish whiskey distillery in Bushmills, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, established in 1784 and owned by Proximo Spirits. Bushmills Distillery uses water drawn from Saint Columb's Rill, which is a tributary of the River Bush. The distillery is a popular tourist attraction, with around 120,000 visitors per year. It produces the Bushmills brand of Irish whiskey. The company that originally built the distillery was formed in 1784, although the date 1608 is printed on the label of the brand – referring to an earlier date when a royal licence was granted to a local landowner to distil whiskey in the area. After various periods of closure in its subsequent history, the distillery has been in approximately continuous operation since it was rebuilt after a fire in 1885.

Belfast Zoo — photo by Quichot▶ Video
Zoo AquariumAntrim

Belfast Zoo

Belfast Zoological Gardens (also known as Belfast Zoo) is a zoo in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is in a relatively secluded location on the northeastern slope of Cavehill, overlooking Belfast's Antrim Road. Opened in 1934, it is the second-oldest zoo in Ireland, after Dublin Zoo, which opened in 1831. Belfast Zoo is one of the top fee-paying visitor attractions in Northern Ireland, receiving more than 300,000 visitors a year. Located in north Belfast, the zoo's 55-acre (22 ha) site is home to more than 1,200 animals and 140 species. The majority of the animals in Belfast Zoo are in danger in their natural habitat. The zoo carries out important conservation work and takes part in over 90 European and international breeding programmes which help to ensure the survival of many species under threat. The zoo is a member of the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA), and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

Andrew Jackson Cottage and US Rangers Centre — photo by ArchiveCarrickfergus
GeneralAntrim

Andrew Jackson Cottage and US Rangers Centre

The Andrew Jackson Centre, also known as the Andrew Jackson Cottage, is the ancestral home of Andrew Jackson, 7th President of the United States. It is located in the village of Boneybefore in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The centre consists of a refurbished traditional thatched Ulster–Scots farmhouse, which is known to have been built in the 1750s and was home to Andrew Jackson's parents shortly before they emigrated to South Carolina in the United States. The interior of the farmhouse is effectively a small museum, consisting of original rooms decorated in the style of that period and featuring an extensive display on the life of Andrew Jackson. The cottage's grounds feature the US Rangers Centre, which pays homage to the soldiers of the First Battalions of the elite US Rangers, which was first "activated" in the town Carrickfergus in 1942. The Carrickfergus Borough Council made efforts to make the centre more accessible to tourists. These include the installation of new information plaques in the recent standardised style of those found elsewhere in Carrickfergus, as well as the installation of roadsigns that more clearly show its location. These changes were put in place in an attempt to promote the town's historical Ulster-Scots connection to the United States, a connection that many locals take a great deal of pride in. The Carrickfergus Borough Council was consolidated in 2015 into the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, who have since opened the cottage five days a week for public visits.

GeneralGiant's Causeway
GeneralAntrim

Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway (Irish: Clochán an Aifir or Clochán na bhFomhórach) is an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption, part of the North Atlantic Igneous Province active in the region during the Paleogene period. It is located in County Antrim on the north coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles (five kilometres) northeast of Bushmills. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1986 and a national nature reserve by the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland in 1987. In a 2005 poll of Radio Times readers, the Giant's Causeway was named the fourth-greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom. The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although some have between four and eight sides. The tallest are approximately 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places. Much of the Giant's Causeway and Causeway Coast World Heritage Site is owned and managed by the National Trust. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland, receiving nearly one million visitors in 2019. Access to the Giant's Causeway is free of charge: it is not necessary to go via the visitor centre that charges a fee. The remainder of the site is owned by the Crown Estate and several private landowners.

Belfast City Hall — photo by Giorgio Galeotti
GeneralAntrim

Belfast City Hall

Belfast City Hall (Irish: Halla na Cathrach, Béal Feirste) is the civic building of Belfast City Council located in Donegall Square, Belfast, Northern Ireland. It faces North and effectively divides the commercial and business areas of the city centre. It is a Grade A listed building.

Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge — photo by Stuart Yeates
GeneralAntrim

Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge

The Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (locally pronounced carrick-a-reed) is a rope bridge near Ballintoy in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The bridge links the mainland to the tiny island of Carrickarede (from Irish Carraig a' Ráid, meaning 'rock of the casting'). It spans 20 metres (66 ft) and is 30 metres (98 ft) above the rocks below. The bridge is mainly a tourist attraction and is owned and maintained by the National Trust. In 2018, the bridge had 485,736 visitors. Since 2009, the bridge has been open all year round (subject to weather) and people may cross it for a £14 to £15 (adult) fee.

Curry's Fun Park — photo by Greentreetown
Theme ParkAntrim

Curry's Fun Park

Barry's Amusements was an amusement park in Northern Ireland. Located in the centre of Portrush, County Antrim, on the north coast, it was founded in 1925. The owners offered it for sale in 2019 and it was reported to be sold for redevelopment in 2021. In April 2022, it reopened under lease as Curry's Fun Park.

Palm House — photo by Merville Garden Village
GeneralAntrim

Palm House

Palm House is a general attraction located in County Antrim.

Bleach Green Railway Viaducts — photo by Richard Robert Ashby
GeneralAntrim

Bleach Green Railway Viaducts

Bleach Green Railway Viaducts is a general attraction located in County Antrim. Visitors can view these notable historical engineering structures.

Braavos Canal — photo by Suzanne Mischyshyn
GeneralAntrim

Braavos Canal

Exact steps where Arya Starks climbs out of a Braavos Canal after she was stabbed by the Wait

Californian sea lion — photo by Kenneth Allen
GeneralAntrim

Californian sea lion

Californian sea lion is a general attraction situated in County Antrim. It provides a point of interest for visitors in Antrim.

Caves of Cushendun — photo by Mick Garratt
GeneralAntrim

Caves of Cushendun

The Caves of Cushendun are a general attraction located in County Antrim. They provide visitors with a scenic coastal geological site to explore.

Cheetah — photo by Kenneth Allen
GeneralAntrim

Cheetah

The Cheetah is a general attraction located in County Antrim. Visitors can view this animal attraction within the county.

Chimpanzee — photo by Kenneth Allen
GeneralAntrim

Chimpanzee

The Chimpanzee is a general attraction situated in County Antrim. Visitors to the area can observe this animal attraction.

Colobus monkey — photo by Kenneth Allen
GeneralAntrim

Colobus monkey

The Colobus monkey is an attraction located in County Antrim. Visitors can view the animal at this Antrim location.

Other categories in County Antrim

Museums & Galleries (39) Sea Cliffs & Rock Formations (24) Mountains & National Parks (22) Castles (18) Ruins & Archaeological Sites (17) Historic Houses & Forts (14) Beaches & Coves (9) Scenic Viewpoints (9) Waterfalls (6) Round Towers & High Crosses (3) Abbeys & Monasteries (2) Megalithic Sites (2)

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