City Hall exhibition celebrates first birthday

by Gráinne Connolly

Belfast City Hall is marking a special milestone this month, celebrating a year since the opening of its visitor exhibition on May 15. 

The permanent exhibition space – which is free to visit - has welcomed more than 77,000 visitors in its first year, from 65 different countries around the globe.

Lord Mayor of Belfast Councillor Nuala McAllister said:

“We are delighted by how popular the exhibition has been with tourists and locals alike, and it’s fantastic to see so many people coming through the doors of City Hall to find out more about the city and its people. 

“City Hall is regularly thronged with people enjoying the exhibition or taking one of our free, guided tours of the building.

"It’s great to see City Hall so accessible and now that it is open seven days a week it offers even more opportunity for tourists to see round the building and exhibit.”
 

To celebrate the exhibition’s first birthday, all visitors on May 15 will be able to enjoy complimentary headset hire and a free commemorative booklet (usually £4.50).

Anyone wishing to take advantage of this offer is encouraged to book in advance by emailing visitcityhall@belfastcity.gov.uk or call 9027 0456.
 

Whilst the exhibition is free to visit, the audio guide provides personal stories and reflections of Belfast through the years, allowing guests to enhance their experience and knowledge of the city. 

The audio guide is available in eight languages and a sign language guide is also being launched this month.
 

The exhibition offers a journey from the city’s past to present, showing the vibrancy and diversity of Belfast City Hall across six themed zones over 16 separate rooms - and all presented within the original architecture of City Hall as designed by Alfred Brumwell Thomas in the late 1890s.