Walk the loughshore, cruise with the Maid of Antrim, or head into Antrim Castle Gardens — all for free. Shane's Castle Estate adds a proper heritage visit when you want something more.
When it rains, four soft play centres have you covered. Omniplex Cinema & Bowling Junction One is a solid option for older kids. World of Owls is always popular with young children. With 48 attractions nearby, there's plenty to fill a day.
The best days out near Antrim
Antrim Round Tower
Greenmount Garden Centre
Antrim Forum tenpin bowling
Antrim Castle Gardens
Antrim Forum Soft Play
Antrim Forum
Massereene Golf Club
Antrim Lough Shore Play Park
Loughshore Trail (Lough Neagh)
Rea's Wood & Farr's Bay
Maid of Antrim Lough Neagh Cruise
Antrim to Randalstown Cycle Route (NCN 94)
Junction Jack's Mini Golf
The Junction Shopping Centre
JCB Young Driver Zone
Omniplex Cinema & Bowling Junction One
Lough Neagh Angling
Ulster Aero Modelling Club (Langford)
Allen Park Golf & Driving Range
Shane's Castle Estate
The Spa at Dunadry Hotel & Gardens
Hilton Belfast Templepatrick Golf & Country Club
World of Owls
Templetown Mausoleum
Nutts Corner Karting
Escarmouche Belfast
The Rabbit Hotel & Retreat
Colemans Nurseries
The Wee Village
NI Raptor Trust
Need 4 Speed Indoor Karting
Patterson's Spade Mill
Fisherwick Farm
Skirmish Paintball Belfast
Nutts Corner Circuit
Supercar Experience Ireland
The Donkey Sanctuary Belfast
Mackenzies Equestrian Centre
Nationwide Paintball Ballyclare
Breckenhill
Our Brewery
Laurel View Equestrian Centre
Ballyclare Golf Club
Greenacres Golf Centre
Hillstown Farm Shop & Cafe
Mini Minds Play Café
Ballyrobert Cottage Garden & Nursery
Sixmile Leisure Centre
What's on near Antrim
- 29JulChildren's Summer WorkshopsSaintfield Road
- 31JulWeaving in LarneLarne
- 1Aug'Guardians of the Lough' by Joanne Campbell — Whitehead LibraryWhitehead Library
- 1AugAcross the Landscape: An Exhibition by Peter Geoghegan — Lisburn City LibraryLisburn City Library
- 3AugMaps and Memories Exhibition — Lisburn City LibraryLisburn City Library
- 3AugCarrickfergus Camera Club Exhibition — Carrickfergus LibraryCarrickfergus Library
Days out in Antrim — your questions
What are the best days out in Antrim?
Antrim has a great mix of heritage, outdoor, and family attractions. Shane's Castle Estate and Antrim Castle Gardens both make for a memorable visit, and the Maid of Antrim Lough Neagh Cruise is a real highlight on a fine day. World of Owls is brilliant for children, and Antrim Round Tower is worth a look too.
What free things are there to do in Antrim?
Quite a few. Antrim Castle Gardens and Antrim Round Tower are both free to visit. The Loughshore Trail (Lough Neagh) is a lovely free walk or cycle along the lakeshore, and Antrim Lough Shore Play Park is free for children. Our Brewery also offers free visits.
Where can you go on a rainy day near Antrim?
Antrim has several indoor options. Antrim Forum Soft Play, The Wee Village, GP Kids The Playground, and Honeybees Playtown all work well for younger children. Omniplex Cinema & Bowling Junction One is great for older kids and adults. The Junction Shopping Centre is also a warm and dry option.
What's good for young children near Antrim?
Antrim Lough Shore Play Park is a great outdoor option on a dry day. For indoor play, Antrim Forum Soft Play, The Wee Village, and Honeybees Playtown are all popular with young families. World of Owls is a real favourite — children love meeting the birds up close.
More about Antrim
Antrim's oldest landmark is remarkable: its Round Tower stands 93 feet high and is one of the most perfect early-medieval round towers in all of Ireland, dating to around the 10th century. According to tradition, a monastery was founded here as far back as AD 495.
The town sits on the shore of Lough Neagh, the largest lake in the British Isles, and its Antrim Castle Gardens preserve rare 17th-century Anglo-Dutch water gardens laid out in the early 1600s, with Clotworthy House alongside. Two miles west is Shane's Castle, the old stronghold of the O'Neill chiefs.