Farmhouses, forges, churches, mills and a complete village have been reconstructed at this excellent museum, with human and animal extras combining to give a powerful impression of Irish life over the past few hundred years. From industrial times, there are red-brick terraces from 19th-century Belfast and Dromore. Another highlight is the Picture House, a silent cinema that was housed in a County Down hayloft from 1909 to 1931. There's even a corner shop dating from 1889 selling sweets from glass jars.
In summer, thatching and ploughing are demonstrated by characters dressed in period costume.
The museum is 14km northeast of central Belfast, just north of Holywood, across the road from the Ulster Transport Museum. Buses to Bangor stop nearby. Cultra station on the Belfast–Bangor train line is less than 10 minutes' walk away.