Days Out NI
Museum Ballymena

Mid-Antrim Museum

Free local-history museum at The Braid, with two galleries, a café and an arts centre.

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Mid-Antrim Museum — Free local-history museum at The Braid, with two galleries, a café and an arts centre.

  • Getting in: Free admission, no booking needed.
  • Opening: Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-16:00. Closed Sundays. Check before you go.
  • Family: Yes — interactive displays for children.
  • Tours: Self-guided; group and school visits and guided tours available by arrangement.
  • Food: Café within The Braid complex.
  • Parking: Town-centre location; check local parking before you go.
Plan your visit

Two galleries from the Stone Age to the Troubles

The history gallery presents mid-Antrim's story in a thoroughly contemporary way, with displays grouped around settlement and change, commerce and industry, living off the land, and politics and conflict. Permanent exhibitions run from the Stone Age right up to the contemporary history of the Troubles. A second gallery hosts changing exhibitions, so there is usually something new on each visit. Sound narratives add depth for adults, while hands-on interactive displays keep children involved.

Free entry Self-guided Two galleries Family-friendly Café on site Town-centre location
Good to know before you go:

The Braid regularly runs changing exhibitions, talks, workshops and family activities alongside the permanent galleries, and the wider arts centre has its own programme. It is worth checking what is on before you visit, as the second gallery rotates through the year.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 📷Camera or phoneMost galleries are photo-friendly — just check for any no-photos rooms.
  • 👟Comfy shoesPlenty to take in on foot, room to room.
  • 💷A few poundsFor the café, the shop, or a donation where entry is free.
  • 🕰️A bit of timeThe stories reward a slow look rather than a dash round.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Getting in
Free admission, no booking needed.
Opening
Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-16:00. Closed Sundays. Check before you go.
Tours
Self-guided; group and school visits and guided tours available by arrangement.
Age limits
None — all ages welcome.
Food
Café within The Braid complex.
Family-friendly
Yes — interactive displays for children.
Parking
Town-centre location; check local parking before you go.
Accessibility
Modern civic complex; check with the venue for specific access needs.
How long to allow
About 1 hour, longer with a changing exhibition.
Address
The Braid, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co. Antrim BT43 5EJ.
Questions

Before you go

How much is it to get in?
Free admission, no booking needed.
What are the opening times?
Mon-Fri 10:00-17:00, Sat 10:00-16:00. Closed Sundays. Check before you go.
Is it good for kids?
Yes — interactive displays for children.
Are there guided tours?
Self-guided; group and school visits and guided tours available by arrangement.
Is there parking?
Town-centre location; check local parking before you go.
Getting there

Mid-Antrim Museum is at The Braid, 1-29 Bridge Street, Ballymena, Co. Antrim BT43 5EJ.. Town-centre location; check local parking before you go. Tap below for directions.

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The story

About Mid-Antrim Museum

Mid-Antrim Museum is the local-history museum for the Ballymena area, housed within The Braid Museum and Arts Centre on Bridge Street. The Braid sits on a site that has been a centre of local civic life for centuries, beside the old Town Hall, and is named after the River Braid that runs through Ballymena. The complex brings together the museum, exhibition galleries, an arts centre and civic and tourism facilities under one roof.

The museum holds collections of local and national significance and is an Accredited Museum. Its permanent galleries trace mid-Antrim from the Stone Age through commerce, industry and rural life to the contemporary history of the Troubles, using interactive displays and sound narratives to connect local and national history.