The Ulster Museum has reopened its doors to visitors after a three-year, multi-million pound revamp.

The project, which received a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £4.7million, the largest single award made by the Fund in Northern Ireland, has transformed the museum into a more welcoming place for visitors, with enhanced facilities and improved access to its collections.

Boasting a new 23metre welcome zone, learning discovery zones, a spectacular Window on Our World exhibition and new science and history galleries, the refurbishment has enabled the museum to re-interpret its collections, bringing them to life for new audiences and is now a contemporary space for people to explore and discover their heritage.

The award brings HLF’s investment in local museums to £24million. In addition to helping more than 35 museums and galleries improve learning facilities, collections, displays and the overall visitor experience, the HLF funding has levered £43million in additional project spend.  

Chair of the HLF Committee for NI, Ronnie Spence said the project had delivered fantastic results:  “For fifteen years, HLF has been investing in heritage that matters most to the people of Northern Ireland. £126million and over 1000 projects later, communities across the country have benefited from small awards which have enable them to explore, protect and preserve their heritage at grassroots level, and larger awards to deliver iconic capital projects such as this. 

“The new Ulster Museum is a celebration of our past in 21st-century style.  The project has been delivered to a very high standard and is a credit to the dedicated museum staff and professional design team. The enhanced visitor experience will ensure that it becomes a must-see attraction and it is a welcome addition to the superb heritage offering of Northern Ireland.”

At the official reopening event Mr Spence was joined by Dan Harvey, Chairman of National Museums Northern Ireland, Museum Director, Tim Cooke and DCAL Minister Nelson McCausland.

Further information

Julie Halliday, HLF Northern Ireland on 07733 100 674 or julieh@hlf.org.uk