Museums & Galleries · County Down
Down County Museum
📍 BT30 6AH
Photo: Eric Jones (CC BY-SA 2.0), via Wikimedia Commons
- Explore restored cells of the old Georgian Gaol
- See 9000 years of County Down history exhibition
- Search the online convicts database for transported prisoners
- Free Saturday tours of the gaol and exhibitions
- Browse temporary exhibitions from Victorians to local artists
Down County Museum sits within the restored eighteenth-century County Gaol of Down in Downpatrick, where you can wander original cells, learn about transported convicts via an online database, and see the Down Through Time exhibition covering 9000 years of local history. It's free to enter, with free guided tours on Saturdays, and suits families, schools and history enthusiasts alike. The site is fully accessible, with hands-on features for children, tactile displays and baby-changing facilities. Located in Newry, Mourne and Down among the region's Museums & Galleries, it makes a good addition to a stay nearby, with 2 bookable places to stay within 5 miles on BritStays.
Practical details
- Open
- Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–4.30pm (Mondays July/August only)
- Booking
- Booking advisable for free Saturday tours
- Accessibility
- Fully accessible galleries and disabled toilets
- Dogs
- Guide and hearing dogs welcome
- Best for
- Families, groups, schools and individuals
From the attraction's own website on 26 Oct 2026 — check before you travel.
Facilities
- ✓ Guided Tours
- ✓ Indoor Areas
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Make a proper break of it — these stays are all within 25 miles.
0.1 mi
2.3 mi
3.1 mi
4.3 mi
6.5 mi
6.6 mi
🗓️ Make a break of it
Turn a visit to Down County Museum into a proper getaway — ready-made plans, and the drive worked out with fuel, EV charging and the best stops.