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53-55 Crumlin Rd, Belfast BT14 6ST, Ros Comain
Jail that closed in 1996 and now hosts public tours, live music and paranormal investigation events.
Took my 12month old to pumpkin patch. Disappointed for the price. Staff didn’t let us know where lifts were, extremely dark. Wasn’t allowed to use puffer train with pram so told to walk. Couldn’t find a changing room for baby and wasn’t offered a kids menu at restaurant. Live actors didn’t interact with child, advertised as an all age event however my 1 year old didn’t have anything to do so waste of time and money. Petting farm wasn’t very interactive. Shows are only at certain times so lots of hanging around with a baby who has nothing to do. Contacted managing director to let them know my feedback and experience to receive a rude response and claimed things that were untrue to our experience because I didn’t enjoy the experience. I’ll not be returning here next year with my child. Just because a child can’t walk doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be included in the events or acknowledged by any of the live actors. Disappointed.
The self-guided tour of the prison is interesting, with many audio-visual aids and explanatory panels (which need a good proofreading). Theres a good illustrated film about The Troubles, a very quick summary of events.
There was a very interesting and a great blend of visual and reading material. Lots to discover and learn. There was a great video that explained the religious background to the troubles in a concise way. The last show regarding a prisoners execution was very impactful. Would recommend for those interested in this side of history.Would have loved to have had the chance to stand on the second floor and look down at the cells below but other than that it was worth the entry fee.
We went to see a Johnny Cash Tribute act here . Was absolutely amazing. Only gripe was there wasnt enough chairs for our group to all sit together. ( Our own fault I suppose for not arriving earlier . Done the whole tour thing at another time. It was very good too , a lot of history and information told by the guide. Only the paranormal fright night to do but dont feel brave enough lol .
Highly recommended to do a self guided tour, the museum is well marked and lots of videos which tell you the history. No need to pay for the tour (we did), it was not that great and after the tour we went and did the entire thing on our own again. The food at the restaurant is great.
Fascinating unique experience. Glad we went to see this place. The history of the place was incredibly interesting and would recommend to all
So informative and interesting. Did a great job of describing the gaol during different parts of history. The self-guided tour was very interactive and we learned a lot! Plus very easy free parking.
We done the trouble tour with the taxi then into the gaol.Trevor was our guide and he was very friendly and knowledgeable and made us laugh and we really enjoyed our tour. He showed us around and gave us time to take photos and sign the wall. Then dropped us back at the hall.Would’ve given 5 stars if there was more of it open as it is a huge prison but only the one level available to view. The prison in itself was very informative and clean. The holographs gave me a fright when they shouted on me 😂 wasn’t expecting it. The tunnel to the court is cool but would’ve liked to walk all the way under.We visited cuffs for lunch and enjoyed our meals and was very friendly and reasonable.Not much choice in the gift shop and we got coffee from the coffee shop but was quite expensive.
Amazing place to visit but if your wheelchair bound you wont be able to enter the cells to watch the information videos.
Well worth your time, effort (and money!to visit. The gaol covers hundreds of years of history, when prisoners were sentenced to transportation to Australia, all the way up to modern history.The condemned mans cell was poignant - watch the film "Let him have it" from 1991 as this has a scene that depicts the condemned mans walk to the gallows very graphically in its accuracy.
I came here for a conference dinner and tour which was great. The guide told very interesting stories about prisoners escaping, hangings, and the general history of the location. The dinner was also fantastic! We had carrot soup for our appetizer; turkey with mash, veggies, and gravy for our entree, and a pavlova with strawberries and raspberries that was a bit too sweet for dessert.
Enjoyed this as there were plenty of stories to go along with the experience. The jail was linked to the courthouse on the opposite side if road by an underground tunnel.
An excellent place to understand how a prison system worked in the past. Gives access to the cells and the hanging room room of this prison.2 hours is required to finish the tour. Worth the trip.
Good quality educational venue. The use of an old prison to explain the history of northern ireland to all generations is well presented. The parking for the visit was free and entry price was reduced with online booking. There are toilets, gift shop and food outlet on site.
Very interesting to see inside the Gaol including the cells the inmates were crammed into and the tunnel from the court house to the Gaol. A good selection of videos to watch as you pass through & artefacts on display.
I visited the Gaol today for the first time. We had booked tickets online for the guided tour and were directed to wait in the courtyard for a short time. Our tour started on time. Our guide, Harry, was knowledgeable and presented the information in an entertaining way. The tour took one and a half hours and we spent approximately half an hour afterwards looking round by ourselves. The room where prisoners were brought when they first entered the gaol and the condemned mans cell were particularly interesting. The only negative point would be that at certain points in the tour there were videos playing in the background which made it a bit difficult to hear what our guide was saying. Overall, the tour was very interesting and enjoyable.
I am a little bit disappointed. There is not to much space to see when you take a self guided tour (£12 for an adult). All these information I can read in the internet for free If you want to see more you have to take a guided tour (£17.50 per adultwhich is held 4 times a day at a certain time (10:00, 11:30, 13:30, 15:00). So it is just £5.50 difference. It will be great to make the self guided tour cheaper!!!
I have visited before which is why we decided to return with other members of my family. It continues to be a really interesting place but I felt that without the guided tour the experience was not the same. I did try to get on a guided tour to be told you have to do on line and also they couldnt help with booking on the next one which was over 1 1/2 hours later. Didnt think the staff were very helpful when before I did feel this had been one of the best tours I had been on. The information was all there but didnt have the overall experience I had last time need more guided visit options was a little disappointed as had really wanted my party to experience what I had before
Really can’t recommend this Belfast experience enough! For me and my husband we booked the live Guided Tour as we had tons of questions. Our tour guide was the fabulous Elaine who had already done 3 tours by the time she took our session the last on the Saturday afternoon. Despite talking nonstop for that time for 4,5 hrs solid, she had certainly not run out of steam by the time she got to our experience which took about 90 minutes. We were able to ask any questions and her method of tour guide delivery was totally spot on.The gaol itself, being over 150 years old, is steeped in history and a definite must if you’re into ghosts and the supernatural!!Highly recommended!
Decent venue. Plenty of free parking. It is a shame the tours are self guided. It gets a bit monotonous reading and listening to pre recorded videos. I really think having tour guides would make it more engaging and interesting.
It was fantastic, It was very interesting I really enjoyed learning about the history of the prison
We did the tour. We were a little late but our guide was more than accommodating. Our guide Harry was insightful and had mountains of information about the Gaol and the troubles. Overall, the tour was amazing, informative and worthwhile. Harry our guide was exceptional. He was so friendly and there wasnt a question he couldnt answer.The parking was hard to find as Google maps led us to the front of the Gaol. The parking is around at the back of the Gaol, which we found signage on the roads towards it. Plenty of parking spots available when you reach there.I would definitely recommend this as a place to see in Belfast
Very interesting. Self guided tour. Expect a lot of political viewpoints in Northern Ireland.
Crumlin Rd Gaol Tour! If you are ever in Belfast make sure you tour the Crumlin Road Gaol. There is so much history to be revealed there and the tour is very interactive. You can easily spend half a day with the family at this location. Belfast itself is very enjoyable with lots of shopping and lovely architecture.
Great experience with warmhearted and funny Elaine. We learned a lot and enjoyed the experience very much. You did an awesome job and we felt that the topic and place is important to you. Thank You
We visited on a Monday morning for self guided tour featuring videos and signage. I would have preferred a guided tour which I believe they do at weekends but our itinerary didnt allow. Interesting atmospheric, definatly worth a visit if you are interested in criminal justice system & historic buildings.
We went to Goal this weekend. Very descriptive and harrowing tour. Full of Northern Irish history.Ive given 4 stars because the car park needs to be better sign posted. Thats a very traffic heavy area so needs to be really clear where to park. Also, I think the tour could be a little more interactive. Maybe a few live actors/props would bring it to life instead of so many videos.
Thoroughly enjoyed my experience. Our guide Elaine was excellent. Lovely personality and very informative. The time flew in everything caught my attention and Elaine was ready with all the answers to peoples questions.Great day would go again.
Really interesting place and nicely done. Took about 90 minutes to stumble around. A good mix of activities and films. Its a bit chilly though so dress warm.
Fab experience. Well worth a visit. Book online 10 pound cheaper
Wonderful visit, but wish we could go up into the gaol to see other levels. Not very interactive. The condemned cell didnt work. Theres a lot of info here and you can see a variety of different areas. Very well maintained.
well worth a visit. really easy to get to from the town center,lots of items to see very eerie in a few places such as the tunnel & execution room. to stand there & think about what went on in there makes the hair on the back of you neck stand up.
An historic and sobering tour. Gives the visitor a potted history of both the Troubles and the Gaol itself.The Cuffs restaurant is well worth a visit too with friendly attentive staff and a great menu.
Was at a fantastic gig with Flash Harry and support from Glam Slam the 70s celebration.
Beware the parking! Make sure you dont park on the street but go to the designated parking area to avoid a ticket. Great, historic, tragic jail. Signs, video and audio all along the way. Move at your own pace. Cafe on site, but closed when we were there. Gift shop with food.
Really enjoyable ,very well laid out and displayed, good information and excellent food in the restaurant, to end the trip ,
Excellent experience £12 entry £10 over 60s...difficult to find carpark as not posted...have to drive up cliftonville parade and turn right...cheaper booking online...
Very interesting to just wander round this old jail that was still in use up to the mid 1980s. The tour can be done at your leisure as there is no tour guide to rush you round from A to B. I gave this 4 stars as some of the interactive videos were not working. Technical glitches can happen. That aside there is plenty of interesting facts to learn along the tour which took us about 2 hours comfortably to complete.Downstairs there is the Cuffs bar and restaurant where you can dine in on pub grub or main meals and have soft drinks, alcohol or tea and coffee. Restaurant prices are decent and wont cost too much.The tour price is very reasonable also. Make sure and pick up your map and wristband when you arrive.Parking is signposted and is accessible at the rear of the gaol.
A very well designed and planned exposition, among else shedding somewhat more light than usual on minutiae of daily life in the prison in different times, which I find inviting. Its not half as extensive as I was under the impression of after reading other reviews; but I didnt take the guide, and many visitors give them much acclaim and credit, so perhaps its my miss.Access to the execution room leaves its mark.
Quite simply an underrated gem in Belfast. Normally I sort of speed through a museum without reading much, but I found even the reading fascinating here. It was unbelievable to think people were still housed in there during my lifetime. Sadly a couple of the audiovisual exhibits werent functioning, including in the executioners chamber, although we were able to go into the "tunnel" and the matrons tower which I believe have been closed previously. There is a fantastic animation giving a brief history of the Catholic/Protestant conflict in the area, and the involvement of the prison in the Troubles, which we were still talking about days later!As an aside, opposite the Gaol you can also see the old courthouse. Its sadly in a state of disrepair after a series of fires but its clear that it was a beautiful in its day.Would definitely recommend a visit to those interested in history (particularly the Troubles and/or law and order).
Well laid out, informative, balanced and a great self paced tour. Food in the basement is surprisingly excellent. You have to book on Sundays, as the roast is great.
Absolutely fabulous night at Christmas at the Crum! Great food and brilliant service. Main course was huge. Music was excellent. Very well organised and we were let out for good behaviour at the end of the night. Brilliant night! Thank you!
Amazing from start to finish pumpkin patchHalloween crumlin jail definitely happy we went. Everyone was so friendly the staff were so friendly and made the whole experience perfect. There is something for all ages, A great day out.
We attended for the pumpkin patch, the place was decorated really well and all the characters were amazing they interacted so well with the kids. Loved the pumpkin patch, was so lovely right along the front of the gaol with great photo opportunities. You can carve your own pumpkin or it can be carved for you, while waiting on your pumpkin there are two rides for kids. There was a burger stall but we didnt eat at it, smelt good tho.
Good experience, the only bad part was that there isnt a personal tour due to covid. Tour lines are marked by arrows on the floor, and some rooms have TVs mounted on the walls with interactive buttons on a stand underneath. During my visit mid-september, I was disappointed because almost half these buttons didnt work. It didnt dull my experience because I was there to see the building itself, but others may be much more disappointed. Dont hold your breath for the gift shop either, but its an experience worth having all the same in my opinion. Some may disagree for the 10 pound fee to get in, but for an hour and a half of walking around I thought that was OK.
This was a very informative excursion. I have never been and I was surprised by some of the information I picked up during this experience. I would definitely recommend it
Enjoyed the self guided tour. Interesting place to visit. Reasonably priced, well worth the trip.
Excellent experience, well worth a wee trip here for sure. The tour was done at your own pace. It would however hve been nice to hve had a tour guide for questions, but the self guided tour was very well thought out. Excellent day out
A very informative visit of how the gaol operated. Life in prison and not how anyone would accept it now. Free carparking and booking on-line was easy to save money and book ahead, so social distancing could still be managed. Onsite light refreshment and gift shop or restaurant serving full meals & sandwiches.Visit took 2 hours as listening in to the background information in various cells really was essential.
Amazing place to visit, the building is architecturally fascinating and preserved very well. The stories of the prisoners are interesting whilst understanding that the troubles were a big part of the prisons recent history. The executioners room really makes you think about the brutality of capital punishment. Our guide Iain was excellent. Really good value for money. And the restaurant there was good too. A must see..
53-55 Crumlin Rd, Belfast BT14 6ST, Ros Comain
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