Each gallery in the Barn Museum contains an exhibition on a different area of rural life; such as dairying and washing, blacksmithing and haymaking. An old schoolroom transports the visitor back to the days when the dreaded cane ruled the classroom! There is even an old-time grocer’s shop to purchase sweets. Experience the old Irish gate, tree and sculpture trails in Tannaghmore Gardens. Explore the Rare Breeds Farm which includes Irish Moiled and Dexter cattle, Galway and Jacob Sheep, Saddleback, Tamworth and Gloucester Old Spot pigs. View the large selection of ornamental fowl and waterfowl and the agricultural exhibits in Barn Museum.

Local History Library  

Craigavon Museum Services have a Local History Library, located on the top floor of the Lough Neagh Discovery Centre on Oxford Island, with a wide variety of hard to find books, journals, maps and photographs of the local area available for reference.

Resources include: • Over 2000 books and journals on local and Irish history. • A Quaker library containing 700 volumes relating to the Quakers in Ireland. • A Methodist library with over 1,500 volumes relating to the history of the Methodist Church in Ireland. • Ordnance Survey maps of the area dating from the 1800s. • Extensive photographic collections of the local area.

The Museum Services also have a variety of themed loan boxes available for hire for a two-week period. Each box contains original and replica objects from the Museum’s handling collection and a folder of suggested activities. They are ideal for hands-on classroom learning, reminiscence projects, residential homes and community groups. Loan Boxes available include: School and Childhood Toys and Games World War 1: A Soldier’s Life World War 2: 1940s Homes in the Past At Work High days and Holidays In Style In Good Health Smells

Opening Times:

Barn Museum

Free Admission on Saturdays and Sundays, April to September 1pm-5pm or by appointment

Tannaghmore Gardens

Open daily, dawn to 1 hour before dusk.

Farm open daily, 10:00 to two hours before dusk.

Local History Library at Lough Neagh Discovery Centre on Oxford Island

Free Admission Monday to Friday, 10am to 4.30pm, all year round.

Other times by arrangement

Directions:

Guided tours of the Barn Museum can be provided all year round by Craigavon Museum staff and themes covered include: • Farming in the past

Please note that there is a charge for guided tours.

The outreach programme is currently not available but there a number of loan boxes available for hire. Programmes available include:

World War 2: Life On The Home Front KS2

In this interactive lesson children are brought back in time to experience life on the Home Front during World War 2. Through the use of objects and role play, children will learn about life in the local area during the war, with air raids, evacuation, rationing and civil defence all covered. A ‘1940s’ loan box is available for hire to support this lesson.

Toys And Games Foundation/KS1

In this hands-on lesson children are allowed to handle and play with a range of vintage wooden, tin and clockwork toys. Throughout the lesson children are encouraged to think about the differences between old and modern toys. This lesson finishes with an old fashioned magic lantern show. A ‘Toys and Games’ loan box is available for hire to support this lesson.

Craigavon Museum Services

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CraigavonMuseumServices
Email: museum@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk
Tel: (028) 3831 1669