Looking for the best things to do with kids in Bellaghy? Seamus Heaney HomePlace is an inspiring literary museum and arts centre dedicated to the life and work of the Nobel Prize-winning poet. Located in the heart of mid-Ulster, this purpose-built venue functions as an interactive educational day out where families can explore literature through sensory play, audio recordings, and creative children's spaces.

Prices start from £0.00 for toddlers under 8, while standard general admission tickets for adults are £12.00 and children aged 8 to 16 are £7.50. Concession rates and family tickets are also available to help manage the cost of a full family visit.

If you are looking for the best place for a day out with family and kids that encourages reading, writing, and creative thinking, this exhibition provides an exceptional experience. It is a brilliant space to spend a rainy afternoon engaging with words, stories, and local culture.

Key Features

• Sensory Play Elements: The dedicated interactive kids' zone features building blocks, magnetic word boards, and dress-up clothing to spark imagination.
• Interactive Exhibits: Visitors use personal audio guides to listen to voice recordings, touch replica objects, and interact with touchscreens.
• Educational Day Out: The exhibition perfectly bridges the gap between school English lessons and creative arts, introducing children to storytelling in an accessible format.

Detailed Highlights

• The Creative Learning Zone: This dedicated area is filled with arts, crafts, and word games. Children love creating their own poems, matching rhymes, and dressing up in costumes inspired by rural life.
• Heaney's Personal Audio Tour: Every visitor receives an audio guide where the poet himself reads his work. Hearing the deep, calming voice narrate stories of digging, childhood, and nature helps kids connect directly with the texts.
• The Reconstructed Study: Peer into a careful recreation of the poet's personal writing room, complete with his actual typewriters and original books. It shows kids exactly where and how a professional writer worked.
• The Interactive Listening Benches: Scattered throughout the exhibition rooms, these comfortable spots invite families to sit together and listen to soundscapes of running water, birds, and farmyards. It turns reading poetry into a vivid multi-sensory experience.
• The Multi-Media Touchscreens: Fun, touch-sensitive digital displays allow older children to piece together manuscripts or watch videos explaining the historical background of the area.

Specific Collection Highlights

• Seamus Heaney's original 1960s manual typewriter
• The poet's personal leather duffel coat
• A rare early edition of his first poetry collection, Death of a Naturalist
• Hand-written manuscript drafts with original scribbles and corrections
• Personal letters exchanged with world leaders and fellow artists
• The original wooden desk used during his childhood school years