Days Out NI
Air sports Lisburn

Ulster Aviation Society Museum

Ireland's biggest aircraft museum, free guided tours in the WWII Long Kesh hangars.

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Open to allOpen to the public on pre-booked guided t…
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LisburnMaze Long Kesh airfield, the original WWI…
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MuseumWhat it is
FreeCost
Under-8s: rulesLimits
Open to allAccess
Book aheadEssential

Ulster Aviation Society Museum — Ireland's biggest aircraft museum, free guided tours in the WWII Long Kesh hangars.

  • What you can do: Take a free, volunteer-led guided tour of 50+ aircraft across two WWII hangars.
  • Who can go: Open to the public on pre-booked guided tours; no walk-ins.
  • Age, weight & health: Under-8s must be closely supervised; not suitable for very young children.
  • Weather: Indoor hangars, but closed to visitors November to February.
  • Booking: Essential — email [email protected] in advance.
  • Cost: Free for family/small group up to 10 (donations welcome); larger pre-booked groups £3 per person.
Plan your visit

What you'll see on the tour

A volunteer guide walks you through both hangars over about two hours, covering more than 50 aircraft and a lot of restoration work in progress. Standouts include a Buccaneer, a Vampire, a Wessex helicopter, a Tornado and experimental Short Brothers prototypes built in Belfast. Because the guides are the people who keep these aircraft alive, you hear the real history rather than reading it off a label. The hangars are the original Second World War buildings from the Long Kesh airfield, so the setting is part of the story.

Aircraft museum Free guided tours 50+ aircraft WWII Long Kesh hangars Book ahead by email March to October only
Good to know before you go:

Flying here runs on the weather, so slots move at short notice — take the reschedule, it’s part of the sport. Some of the sites and clubs listed on Days Out NI are for members and qualified pilots rather than walk-in visitors, so check what’s on offer before you set off. And check the age, weight and health limits before you book: they’re set by the aircraft, not by anyone being fussy.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 📱A bookingAlmost everything up here runs on a slot you’ve arranged ahead — clubs included.
  • 🧥Warm layersIt’s colder up there than it is on the ground, and colder again waiting on the airfield.
  • 🗓️A flexible dayFlights move with the wind. Keep the day loose and you’ll enjoy it far more.
  • 📷A cameraThe view is the whole point — coast, lough and mountain, all in one lap.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Type
museum
What you can do
Take a free, volunteer-led guided tour of 50+ aircraft across two WWII hangars
Public access
Open to the public on pre-booked guided tours; no walk-ins
Age / weight / health limits
Under-8s must be closely supervised; not suitable for very young children
Booking
Essential — email [email protected] in advance
Weather
Indoor hangars, but closed to visitors November to February
Cost
Free for family/small group up to 10 (donations welcome); larger pre-booked groups £3 per person
Location / airfield / site
Maze Long Kesh airfield, the original WWII Long Kesh hangars
Parking
Not confirmed — check with the operator
Address
Gate 3, Maze Long Kesh, 94 Halftown Road, Lisburn, BT27 5RF
Questions

Before you go

Can anyone go, or is it members only?
Open to the public on pre-booked guided tours; no walk-ins
What actually happens on the day?
Take a free, volunteer-led guided tour of 50+ aircraft across two WWII hangars
Are there age or weight limits?
Under-8s must be closely supervised; not suitable for very young children
Do I need to book?
Essential — email [email protected] in advance
What happens if the weather turns?
Indoor hangars, but closed to visitors November to February
Getting there

Ulster Aviation Society Museum is at Gate 3, Maze Long Kesh, 94 Halftown Road, Lisburn, BT27 5RF. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around LisburnSee what else is close by More air sports across NIFlights, gliders, helicopters and flying sites
The story

About it

The Ulster Aviation Society is a charitable association run largely by volunteers, and it operates the biggest aircraft museum in Ireland. Its collection of more than 50 aircraft is kept in two original Second World War hangars on the historic Long Kesh airfield near Lisburn.

The Society is best known for restoring and preserving aircraft with a Northern Ireland connection, among them experimental Short Brothers prototypes developed in Belfast. It is consistently rated a top free museum in Northern Ireland.