Carrickfergus Castle

Militantly marinaded in 800 years of rich combative history, you won't run shy of adventure stories based around impressive Carrickfergus Castle! Regularly besieged in dramatic fashion over the years by the Scots, the Irish, the English and the French, there were active battles here right up to the start of World War II.

This makes it a somehow more immediate interest, with the castle's highest dramas having occurred within living memory for a change! To get the maximum information out of your visit book a guided tour in advance.

Inside you'll find a wealth of informative boards to help you pick up the facts and figures, plus audio visual displays and life sized models of significant historic figures to help snag the kids' attention. The education is done with fair seriousness but it's deliberately accessible for most intellects including older kids.

Special events and traditional crafts demonstrations are run throughout the year and posted in advance, so keep an eye out for things which would suit your group and add some extra fun to your day!

Plus there's the terrific Marine Gardens Adventure play area just down the road at BT38 7DN, with a wealth of terrific equipment suited to a range of ages. All you need is a bit of sunshine, or at least the absence of rain!