Description
If you are looking for the best things to do with kids in Derry, this deeply moving and educational civic destination offers a powerful learning experience for families visiting the historic Bogside area. Housed in a striking contemporary facility on the exact site where crucial civil rights history unfolded, this museum tells the authentic story of the city from 1968 to 1972. The modern displays provide older children and teenagers with an immersive look at social history, human rights, and community resilience in Northern Ireland.
Standard admission tickets for the museum are priced at £10.00 for adults, while concession tickets for students cost £7.00. Local residents, carers, and friends of the Bloody Sunday Trust can enter for a reduced rate of £5.00.
If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and older kids, this historic space perfectly balances poignant storytelling with historical education. The vast collection of over 25,000 community-donated artifacts and multi-media exhibits ensures that parents and school-aged children gain a clear, first-hand understanding of recent history. It provides a thoughtful, educational backdrop that sparks meaningful conversations about peace and equality.
Features
- Paid
- Host birthday parties: No
Features
Key Features
- Educational Day Out: Gain a deep understanding of the 1960s civil rights movement, the Battle of the Bogside, and the events of Bloody Sunday through local eyes.
- Sensory Learning Environments: Explore the history using interactive multi-media stations, historic newsreels, and audio-visual displays that bring past events to life.
- Interactive Community Exhibits: Browse thousands of personal items, rare photographs, and firsthand accounts given directly by the people who lived through the era.
Detailed Highlights
- The Civil Rights Archive: Families can view an extensive collection of historic posters, banners, and pamphlets from the early civil rights marches. The displays show kids how ordinary citizens campaigned for equal rights in housing and employment.
- The Bogside Timeline Cabinets: A large central glass wall splits the main exhibition hall to display physical artifacts in strict chronological order. This design helps school-aged children follow the steps leading up to the conflict phase.
- The Audio-Visual Testimonies: Interactive screens allow young historians to listen to personal audio recordings and view documentary clips. These raw accounts give a human face to the political events detailed on the walls.
- The Portable Theme Exhibitions: The museum regularly features community-focused displays like the "Lost Childhood" project. This specific display shares the poignant personal stories of 20 young children who lost their lives during the regional conflict.
- The Modern Architecture Display: The exterior of the building features dramatic, rusty metal plates on the ground level contrasting with a bright white upper tier. It offers an interesting talking point for kids interested in modern architectural design and symbolic spaces.
Specific Named Displays & Sub-Exhibits
- The Lost Childhood Panels: A series of 20 hanging narrative panels documenting young lives affected by the historical conflict.
- The Time Stands Still Collection: A photographic exhibition highlighting the daily struggles and realities of community housing camps.
- The Free Derry Collective Wall: A comprehensive commemorative display detailing the names and personal histories of those lost in the local area.
- The National Civil Rights Archive: A specialized repository of original 1960s political documentation and civil rights scrapbooks.
- The Glenfada Park Memorial Walkway: The physical pathway outside the museum doors where primary events took place, serving as an open-air historical marker.
0.33 miles
