Self-Guided Tour of Crumlin Road Gaol, 1.5h

From the 19th century to the nineteen nineties, let history come to life before your eyes!

In north Belfast stands the Crumlin Road Gaol, a grim-looking building that was a prison from the year 1846 until 1996. Since closing, it’s been refurbished as a museum, where you can uncover the complex story of the city from the inside.

It’s open daily for self-guided tours, in which you follow a route around the facility, experiencing the life of the jail through the ages. There are models and interactive installations in the spaces and you’ll use a headset to learn the secrets of the past. Commentary is available in 8 languages.

The jail held around 25,000 inmates during its 150 working years, but the experiences varied dramatically from the Victorian era to the time of the Troubles, which were the high-water mark in terms of number of prisoners.

The visit takes around 90 minutes, but it depends on the speed that you move around the museum. Once you’ve finished, why not visit the cafe or the restaurant for a bite to eat? Don’t forget to ask about the special events and love concerts that we regularly put on.

You’ll never be so excited about going to prison!