What is the history of the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum?
Established by an Act of Parliament in 1958, the Museum was set up to illustrate the way of life and the traditions of the people of the north of Ireland. This was primarily in response to the speed at which the countryside and people’s way of life was changing and the need to preserve and record a heritage in danger of disappearing. The Cultra site, formerly the estate of Sir Robert Kennedy, was acquired in 1961 and the museum first opened to visitors in 1964. With the opening in 1993 and 1996 of the award winning Rail and Road Galleries, the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum became firmly established as a museum of international importance. Today, the museum, part of National Museums Northern Ireland, has been voted Irish Museum of the Year and ranks among Ireland’s most important cultural, educational and tourist facilities.
