Places to go in Co Antrim

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Belfast

Odyssey Arena, Belfast

Inside the Odyssey there are 2 cinemas: Imax and the Warner Village, a bowling alley, W5, a concert hall and loads of places to eat. There is a lift on the right past The Basin bar. Disabled Parking is located in the main car park near the pedestrian crossing, and the management will monitor the use of these spaces. Disabled toilets are located in every separate venu, and also behind Titanic Bar and Grill on the ground floor. The Cinema is a part of the Cinema Exhibitors scheme.

Lady Dixons Park

Located a few miles south of Belfast City Centre, this park has a tea house (though this is upstairs), a childrens play area, a picnic area and miles of great walks. There is a disabled toilet near the main house but you need a Radar key to open it. The paths are in great condition so its great for wheelchairs. There are 2 car parks and both have disabled spaces, but the second car park beside the tea house and play park is at the bottom of a steep slope. The childrens park does not have any paths in it, which might be difficult for powered wheelchairs. Entry to the park is free all year round

Streamvale Farm

This farm is located near dundonald ice bowl (38 Ballyhanwood Road, Dundonald 02890483244). It is not totally wheelchair friendly but the staff will try and accommadate your needs. The car park is quite gravelly and also there is a steep incline up to the entrance so if you phone ahead or walk up and ask they will allow you to drive up to the farm. There is a small shop and cafe, a small animal farm, an indoor play room, an indoor animal enclosure, a short pony trekk and a tractor ride. You can feed baby animals at feeding time and also feed the resident red deer on the tractor ride. There are 2 rooms available for birthday parties. The toilets are located at the cafe and then in the main farm courtyard. They are pretty small but have hand rails etc.

Extreme bowling

Located in Dundonald Icebowl, this is bowling with a twist. Its in the dark with glow in the dark lanes. White clothes and teeth also glow. Special ramps can be used for those who have difficulty holding or throwing the ball. Dundonald Ice Bowl is not very wheelchair friendly, the ground outside is uneven and there isn't a proper dropped kerb for wheelchairs at the entrance. Also the doors in the entrance are the old heavy kind and hard to open. There is a cafe inside but it has steps up to it. The ramp up to the cafe is at the left hand side. There is a disabled toilet (locked) in the skating rink.

Belfast Zoo

The Zoo is on a hill so walking will be especially difficult for those with limited mobility. Good news is that entrance is free! There is wheelchair parking and also accessible toilets. There is a total of 12 marked parking spaces for wheelchair users right at the entrance to the Zoo, within 20m or less of the entrance gates and pay boxes.

There are four wheelchair toilets, they are located at the main entrance, in the Ark café, half way up the Zoo near the elephant and giraffe house, and at the top of the Zoo near the Mountain Tea House.  They are not kept locked.  There is a map on the website which will give you an idea of where they are in relation to the site and each other. (Information Provided by Mark Challis, Acting Zoo manager)

Ulster museum

The museum is closed for major refurbishment until further notice.

Superbowl

The superbowl is found near the BBC and Ulster Hall. There are a few on street parking spaces outside, but you have to pay for them. They have ramped access inside, and can provide small ramps to the bowlind lanes which are down a small step. They also provide metal ramps to help children or those who cannot hold the balls roll them onto the lanes. There is a disabled toilet at the back through the doors, and they also have a cafe, but the booths are built in and the chairs are too so there is no room for a wheelchair. Also the space beside the tables is very narrow so if a wheelchair sits at the side of the corridor they will be blocking the corridor. The snooker/pool room upstairs is not accessible by lift, only stairs.

Pirates Adventure Golf

Recently opened outside Dundonald Icebowl, this adventure golf is suitable for those in manual and electric wheelchairs or with some degree of mobility. There are 2 courses, each with 18 holes. In the winter one of them is enclosed in a huge tent dome to protect us from the elements. The courses are quite small and the ground is smooth, but between each hole there is a step. In one of the courses an electric powered wheelchair would be able to get over the steps as they are low to the ground, but in the other course they are too high for an electric wheelchair to get over. The more suitable one is the first course you come to. There is only 1 disabled parking space, but the parking is right beside the course and there is level access all the way to the entrance. Toilets are in the main dundonald icebowl complex. No special rates.

Storm Cinemas

These cinemas also take part in the cinema exhibitors scheme.

Outside Belfast

Watertop Farm

I Contacted Watertop farm and was kindly given the following response:

Carnfunnoch Park

Located about 5 miles outside Larne on the coast road. The park has a miniture railway, a maze, childrens play park, crazy golf and a driving range, a cafe and lots of nature trails. There are about 12 wheelchair parking spaces- 4 at the Activity Centre, 4 along the entrance road and 4 in the main car park.  They are also dropped kerbs next to the car parks. The buildings and certain sections of the Park are wheelchair accessible although the entrance to the Visitor Centre and Walled Garden can be a bit steep.  A new concrete path was installed in the maze last year to allow for wheelchair access and they have a new Biodiversity Trail installed around the front of the Park which is also suitable for wheelchairs.   Unfortunately due to the slope of the Park upper sections are not suitable for wheelchairs and they also have a gravel surface. There are 2 wheelchair toilets - one at the Visitor Centre and one at the Activity Centre.  The caravan park also has a disabled toilet and an additional changing suite for disabled campers.Caravan Park facilities are for campers only but the public toilets are open for use during Park opening hours. The charges for activities and parking are listed on the website, however for registered disabled badge holders parking is free, subject to having available space. (Information provided by Zoe Warrick at Carnfunnock)

Lisburn Leisure Centre

LLC has a scheme called the buddy scheme.  It allows you to apply for a card which gets the carer of a disabled person into the pool for free.  To apply simply phone the centre and request an application form, or call in and get one. There are 2 pools, a competition and a leisure pool. There are 4 disabled changing rooms complete with showers, but you have to ask an attendant to open it for you as they keep them locked and hold the key at reception. Be prepared to walk to the desk dripping wet and embarrassed! Also if you have a few carers with you, you will definately find the rooms small and the shower is difficult to use as its in corner with not much room for moving. The competition pool has a hoist. The slides in the leisure pool have steps up to them, so they won't be suitable for everyone. The leisure pool could be hard to manoevre, I find it difficult with a manual wheelchair. Cafe also available. The entrance to the leisure plex is via a ramp to the left of the main entrance, and there is an automatic door. There are turnstiles inside past the desk and they are nearly always open. If not, ask to be let in through by a receptionist. There is a tiny lift that takes you down to the pool level. The parking facilities are highly abused at this complex. Spaces are to the right of the building. The leisure centre runs a number of special needs swimming clubs so phone and ask for details.

Giants Causeway

The visitors centre is going to be rebuilt in the future, and it really needs it. The place is hard to navigate if you have a wheelchair, even thought they have really done their best with what they have got. The shops are small and jam packed with stuff, and you have to go through the first building to get into the tourist office. There are 5 spaces in the car park dedicated to Blue Badge holders. The car park is tarmac, they also have ramped access to the centre, but I found this ramp very steep.The path to the Causeway is a half mile hill, but there are 2 shuttle buses to take you to and from the causeway, and one has ramped access.There are 2 disabled toilets, one in the court yard and another one located in the National Trust Gift Shop. Neither are kept locked. Entry to the centre is free and parking is £4. However, any Blue Badge holders arriving by car can receive free car parking on producing their Blue Badge. There is a small charge for the shuttle bus. The cliff top walk is a rough path with steep steps at the end of it so is unsuitable for wheelchair users.

Giants Causeway Visitor Centre
44 Causeway Road
Bushmills
Co. Antrim
BT57 8SU, Northern Ireland
Telephone: (+44) 28 2073 1855 Fax: (+44) 2073 2537
Email: info@giantscausewaycentre.com

Lisburn Civic Centre

I doubt you would go here for a day trip but as I recently visited this place with the Lisburn Access Group I thought I would put a little bit about the great facilities here and how they are really trying to make the centre available to everyone.

They have loads of proper sized parking spaces right in front of the building, also some to the right as you cross the bridge and some short stay ones further past the building. They have duty officers that actively check the spaces and clamp when they are being abused! And they really do it. There is a small release fee, I can't remember exactly but it is less than £40. The ramp up to the front door, which is automatic, runs from the left of the parking. Inside the lifts are to the right, and the reception has lovely low desks so everyone can be seen. There is a cafe on the ground floor. Toilets are straight ahead behind the reception.

The impressive thing is the attention to detail, and the fact that they asked us to come in give our opinion on what else could be improved. They have really given a lot of thought to the evacuation procedure in the event of a fire, which is something overlooked in a lot of places. They have manual lifts and fire assembly points on every floor so if you are stuck in the event of a fire, you will not be left stranded. They have also altered the stairs so that they are visible to those with visual impairments.

Heritage Railways

This little steam train runs between Bushmills and The Giants Causeway. It runs over 2 miles of track and takes about 15 mins. They run every hour, leaving on the hour from the Giants Causeway and on the half hour from Bushmills. There is a carriage set aside for a wheelchair, and there is a wheelchair toilet at The Giants Causeway station.

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