During European Heritage Open Days (EHOD) weekend (8 and 9 September) more than 360 properties across Northern Ireland will be opening to the public free of charge. This year, the theme is ‘The Art of Sharing’, especially sharing heritage stories through buildings and their connections to locations and people.
Selection of events
Many EHOD events have been organised with a view to looking at new ways of sharing stories, and many of them are not usually open to the public. Below are just a small selection of events on the sharing theme.
Greenmount Campus, CAFRE, Antrim
Explore the 200-year-old walled garden and other heritage garden features and find out how they have been and still are used.
Horticulture skills past and present will be shared and there are guided tours available of the heritage and modern gardens.
Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
Join the celebrations for the Planetarium’s 50th year and find out about the history and people behind this attraction.
Enjoy a tour of the Planetarium building and grounds, and explore the heritage of this unique organisation involved in groundbreaking research and that has been exploring the cosmos since 1790.
Historic Great Light Tour, Titanic Walkway, Belfast
Join the interactive tour of the Great Light, which is one of the largest lighthouse optics of its kind ever built.
Your guide will bring to life the story of lighthouses, changes in technology, memories of the light-keepers, and role in the maritime and industrial history of Belfast and beyond.
Annalong Cornmill
Situated by pretty Annalong Harbour, near the foothills of the Mourne Mountains, this once-busy cornmill was in operation from the early 1800s to the 1960s.
There are free guided tours, and you can meet the miller and watch the water wheel in action to experience life in the Mournes in the past.
Headhunters Railway Museum, Enniskillen
Why not visit the world’s only railway museum in a working barber shop? You will find one of the largest collections of Irish railway memorabilia on display.
Starting at the reconstructed booking office, where the ticket collector invites you to step on board, your journey recreates railway travel through Fermanagh and the border counties until the closure of the lines in 1957.
Heritage tour of Moneymore
Join Moneymore Heritage Trust for a tour to discover the hidden beauty of Moneymore.
You will make your way around the village to hear the heritage behind the limestone with visits to unique buildings, including the Common Barn, Corn Stores, Courthouse and Assembly Rooms.
Buildings are opened with the kindness of the community – a true example of the art of sharing.
European Heritage Open Days events
To find a full list of European Heritage Open Days building openings and events you can either use the map viewer or download a brochure for more information.
You can also pick up a brochure from your local tourist information centre, council office, or from museums and libraries.
More useful links
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