Northern Ireland War Memorial

About the museum

The idea of a war memorial building for Northern Ireland was launched by an appeal in 1943. Money was raised from the public, with the government matching donations up to £100,000, and a charity, the Council of the Northern Ireland War Memorial, was set up in 1950 to run the campaign and later the building. Memorial House on Waring Street was opened by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, in October 1963.

The memorial was created to honour the men and women of Northern Ireland who died in the two world wars and to commemorate the American presence in Northern Ireland during the Second World War. In 2008 it moved to its present home on Talbot Street, opposite Belfast Cathedral, and in 2013 it became an accredited museum.

Today the museum tells the story of Northern Ireland in the Second World War, including the Belfast Blitz of 1941, the American presence, the Ulster Home Guard and the role of women and local industries. It cares for thousands of objects, from uniforms and radios to artworks, and it also maintains memorials, runs learning programmes and gives small grants.

Key themes

• The Belfast Blitz of April and May 1941
• The American presence in Northern Ireland, 1942 to 1945
• Memorial Wall of Belgian black marble
• Bronze Blitz Memorial and Blitz Survivors sculptures
• Portrait of Leading Seaman James Magennis VC
• Free digital guide on Bloomberg Connects

Permanent exhibitions

• The Belfast Blitz – Belfast was bombed by the German air force four times in April and May 1941, and nearly 1,000 people died.
• American Presence – Around 300,000 American service personnel were based in or passed through Northern Ireland between 1942 and 1945.
• Memorial Wall – A wall of polished Belgian black marble commemorating those who died in the world wars.

Founded

2007

Operated by

Council of the Northern Ireland War Memorial

Admission & discounts

Admission is free.

Admission is free and no booking is necessary.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The gallery is on the ground floor with level access and an automatic main door; visitors ring a buzzer, placed at wheelchair height, and a member of staff lets them in. Wheelchairs and mobility scooters are welcome, but none can be hired. Accessible toilets with pull-cord alarms, grab rails and baby changing are in the gallery; there is no Changing Places toilet on site (the nearest is at CastleCourt shopping centre). Touch tours and tours for partially sighted visitors can be booked in advance, and Braille guides are available at reception. Service, assistance and emotional support animals are welcome. The museum is quietest between 10:00 and 11:00 and after 15:00, is dimly lit, and an AccessAble access guide is available.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

The museum offers free workshops and resources for early years and primary school groups. Baby changing is available in the accessible toilet.

Getting there & parking

The museum is opposite Belfast Cathedral, 1.3 miles and a 13-minute walk from Belfast City Hall. Sat nav postcode BT1 2LD; what3words: soup.vote.plenty.

Amenities & dining

No cafe or wifi is mentioned by the museum. There are some folding chairs in the gallery.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit