Down Arts Centre — Downpatrick's old Town Hall, now a free gallery and a ticketed theatre under one roof.
Admission: Gallery free to enter during opening hours.
Tickets: Shows are ticketed; book ahead by phone or online. Under-16s get a reduced price and groups of 10+ get one free ticket. Prices vary by show, so check their listings.
For families: Monthly gallery exhibitions, year-round live shows including family-friendly performances, plus creative classes and workshops for all ages (painting, pottery, jewellery and one-day sessions).
Opening: Gallery open to the public Mon to Fri 10am to 4.30pm; also open some evenings and Sundays for shows, workshops and classes.
Café: No confirmed permanent on-site cafe; the centre has a bar for events, and Downpatrick's cafes are a short walk away in the town centre.
Best for: All ages; the free gallery suits a quick stop with primary-age kids, and family shows are pitched at the ages they are billed for.
Plan your visit
What's on for families
The gallery is the free, drop-in part. It changes roughly monthly and rotates through photography, ceramics and a mix of visual art, so there is usually something new on the walls if you call in again. The theatre side is ticketed and runs a year-round programme of live theatre, music and comedy, with family-friendly performances landing through the calendar and the seasonal shows you would expect around Christmas. Beyond the gallery and the stage, the centre runs creative classes and workshops for all ages, including longer ten-week blocks in painting, pottery and silver jewellery plus one-day sessions. Programmes and dates move through the year, so check their own listings to see what is on when you want to visit.
A venue like this runs a year-round programme: changing gallery exhibitions, live theatre, music and comedy, family shows and creative workshops, with the usual seasonal performances around Christmas. Dates and prices move through the year, so check the centre's own listings before you travel.
Before you set off
What to bring
🎟️Your bookingShows and big exhibitions sell out — book ahead where you can.
💷A bit of pocket moneyFor the café, the shop or a show programme.
🧒An eye on the age guidanceSome shows and galleries suit certain ages best — check first.
📱The what’s-on pageThe programme changes all the time — see what is on the day you go.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Admission
Gallery free to enter during opening hours
Tickets
Shows are ticketed; book ahead by phone or online. Under-16s get a reduced price and groups of 10+ get one free ticket. Prices vary by show, so check their listings
Family programming
Monthly gallery exhibitions, year-round live shows including family-friendly performances, plus creative classes and workshops for all ages (painting, pottery, jewellery and one-day sessions)
Best for ages
All ages; the free gallery suits a quick stop with primary-age kids, and family shows are pitched at the ages they are billed for
Opening
Gallery open to the public Mon to Fri 10am to 4.30pm; also open some evenings and Sundays for shows, workshops and classes
Cafe
No confirmed permanent on-site cafe; the centre has a bar for events, and Downpatrick's cafes are a short walk away in the town centre
Toilets
Yes, on site
Parking
No dedicated on-site car park; on-street parking and town-centre car parks are nearby
Accessibility
Fully wheelchair accessible with lifts to all floors, low-level access at the box office and bar, and wheelchair spaces in the auditorium; staff can arrange special assistance
How long to allow
20 to 30 minutes for the gallery; longer if you are booked in for a show
Address
Down Arts Centre, 2-6 Irish Street, Downpatrick, BT30 6BP
Questions
Before you go
Is it free to get in?
Gallery free to enter during opening hours
How do I get tickets?
Shows are ticketed; book ahead by phone or online. Under-16s get a reduced price and groups of 10+ get one free ticket. Prices vary by show, so check their listings
Is there anything for kids?
Monthly gallery exhibitions, year-round live shows including family-friendly performances, plus creative classes and workshops for all ages (painting, pottery, jewellery and one-day sessions)
When is it open?
Gallery open to the public Mon to Fri 10am to 4.30pm; also open some evenings and Sundays for shows, workshops and classes
Is there a café?
No confirmed permanent on-site cafe; the centre has a bar for events, and Downpatrick's cafes are a short walk away in the town centre
Getting there
Down Arts Centre is at Down Arts Centre, 2-6 Irish Street, Downpatrick, BT30 6BP. No dedicated on-site car park; on-street parking and town-centre car parks are nearby. Tap below for directions.
The building was the original Downpatrick Town Hall, designed by William Batt in the Gothic Revival style, built in red brick by Dixon & Co. and completed in 1882. It stands on the corner of Irish Street and Scotch Street, with its clock tower a landmark in the centre of the town.
Originally it held two halls, a larger first-floor hall and a smaller ground-floor one. Today it operates as Down Arts Centre, a council-run creative hub that brings together a public gallery, a live performance space and studios for classes and workshops.
Run by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, the centre programmes a mix of theatre, music, comedy, exhibitions and learning across the year for the wider Downpatrick community and visitors to the town.