Game of Thrones fans can walk the actual Dothraki Grasslands at Shillanavogy Valley for free.
Families with young children are well covered, with several indoor soft play options and a free castle estate to explore. 48 places are listed within about 10 miles, so there's always a plan to be made.
The best days out near Ballymena
The Braid Arts Centre
Mid-Antrim Museum
Tower Centre
Seven Towers Leisure Centre
Fairhill Shopping Centre
IMC Cinema Ballymena
Ballymena Sportsbowl
People's Park (Ballymena)
People's Park Play Park, Ballymena
Ballymena Skate Park (People's Park)
ECOS Nature Park
Slemish Market Garden
Honeybees Playtown
GP Kids The Playground
Galgorm Castle Golf Club
Galgorm Driving Range
Galgorm Castle Crazy Golf
Galgorm Castle Estate
Creative Gardens Galgorm Castle
Gracehill Moravian Village
Galgorm Parks Riding School
Ballymena Golf Club
TinyToes Sensory
Galgorm Falconry
Mid Antrim Paintball & Airsoft
Arthur Cottage
Moto Training NI
Ben Vista Garden Centre
Hillstown Farm Shop & Cafe
Rowandale Creamery
Oldstone Coffee & Play
Skerry Church Yard
Shillanavogy Valley (GoT — Dothraki Grasslands)
Clough Castle
Slemish Mountain
Portglenone Forest
Our Brewery
Sperrin Distillery
Escarmouche Belfast
Mackenzies Equestrian Centre
Abhainn Cruises
World of Owls
Ulster Aero Modelling Club (Langford)
Omniplex Cinema & Bowling Junction One
Lough Beg
Breckenhill
The Junction Shopping Centre
JCB Young Driver Zone
What's on near Ballymena
- 6JulIndoor PlaySeamus Heaney HomePlace
- 21JulStrand StrollersSeamus Heaney HomePlace
- 23JulSenior StrollsSeamus Heaney HomePlace
- 29JulChildren's Summer WorkshopsSaintfield Road
- 31JulWeaving in LarneLarne
- 1Aug'Guardians of the Lough' by Joanne Campbell — Whitehead LibraryWhitehead Library
Days out in Ballymena — your questions
What are the best days out in Ballymena?
Start with Slemish Mountain for a free outdoor adventure, or head to Galgorm Castle Estate for a walk through the castle grounds. Galgorm Falconry is a standout for something different, and ECOS Nature Park is ideal for a relaxed wildlife walk. Honeybees Playtown keeps younger children busy indoors.
What free things are there to do in Ballymena?
Quite a few. People's Park (Ballymena) is great for a relaxed visit, ECOS Nature Park has free wildlife walks, and Galgorm Castle Estate is free to explore. Mid-Antrim Museum is also free, as is Shillanavogy Valley — the Game of Thrones Dothraki Grasslands filming location.
Where can you go on a rainy day near Ballymena?
Soft play centres are your best option. Honeybees Playtown, GP Kids The Playground, and TinyToes Sensory all work well for younger children. Mid-Antrim Museum is free and indoors. Ballymena Sportsbowl adds bowling to the mix, and Oldstone Coffee & Play is another good indoor stop.
What's good for young children near Ballymena?
Honeybees Playtown, GP Kids The Playground, and TinyToes Sensory are all dedicated soft play venues. Galgorm Falconry gives little ones the chance to see birds of prey up close. People's Park (Ballymena) has free outdoor play space, and World of Owls is another animal-focused option nearby.
More about Ballymena
Ballymena is the hometown of the actor Liam Neeson, who was born and raised here and given the freedom of the borough in 2013. The town grew up on the Braid River on land granted to the Adair family in 1626, along with the right to hold a market every Saturday, a tradition that ran for centuries. Over in the Harryville area you can still see one of the best-surviving motte-and-bailey forts from the late 12th century.
Just outside the town is Gracehill, a Moravian settlement founded in 1765 and now a beautifully preserved conservation village, a quiet and orderly little place quite unlike anywhere else nearby.