Queen's Quarter, Belfast facts for kids
Queen's Quarter, also known as the University Quarter, is a lively part of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It is in the southern part of the city. This area gets its name from Queen's University Belfast. This is the biggest university in Northern Ireland.
The heart of the Queen's Quarter is the Lanyon Building. This is the most famous building at the university. It was designed by a well-known architect, Sir Charles Lanyon. Main roads like Botanic Avenue, Stranmillis Road, University Road, and Malone Road run through this area. The Quarter is bordered by the Ormeau Road, the Holylands, and Stranmillis Embankment to the east. To the west, you will find the Lisburn Road.
Culture and Events
Many exciting cultural events happen in the Queen's Quarter. This is partly because of the university. There are also many great places for events. These include the Whitla, Mandela, and Elmwood Halls. The university owns these halls.
The Botanic Gardens are also a popular outdoor spot. They host big events, like music concerts. The most famous event here is the Belfast Festival at Queen's. This is an international arts festival. It takes place every November and has been running for many years.
The Quarter is also home to several arts venues. You can find the Lyric Players' Theatre here. There is also the Crescent Arts Centre. The Naughton Gallery at Queen's shows amazing art. The Queen's Film Theatre is an art house cinema. It hosts the yearly Belfast Film Festival. Many popular bands play at the Queen's Students' Union. They perform in the Mandela Hall and 'Speakeasy' venues.
Fun Places to Visit
A big part of the Queen's Quarter is close to the Belfast Botanic Gardens. This is a large public park. It opened in 1828 and covers about 28 acres (113,000 square meters). The park has rare plants. You can see them in the famous 'Palm House'. This building was also designed by Charles Lanyon.
The park is near the Stranmillis Embankment. This runs along the River Lagan. You can walk or cycle on a path here. This path goes all the way to the town of Lisburn.
Northern Ireland's biggest museum is also in this Quarter. It is called the Ulster Museum. It is next to the Friar's Bush Graveyard. This was once a monastery. It is one of Belfast's oldest Christian sites. Some graves here date back to the time of Saint Patrick.
Amazing Buildings
The Queen's Quarter is famous for its beautiful buildings. Besides the Lanyon Building, there are other important structures. These include the Union Theological College. This college trains ministers for the Presbyterian Church. It was even used by the Parliament of Northern Ireland from 1921 to 1932.
You can also see the main building of Methodist College Belfast. The Elmwood Hall is another notable building. It used to be a Presbyterian Church. Now, Queen's University owns it. It is used as a concert hall. The main building of Stranmillis College is also part of Queen's University. It was also designed by Charles Lanyon.
Student Life
Thousands of students live in the Queen's Quarter. They come from Queen's University. Other students are from places like the University of Ulster and Belfast Metropolitan College. Because of all these students, the area has many coffee shops, restaurants, and pubs. This makes the area very popular with tourists too. You can see this in the Stranmillis Village area. This is south of Queen's. Botanic Avenue, north of the main campus, is also very lively.
Images for kids
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Union Theological College, located on Botanic Avenue.
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The Lanyon Building, the main building of Queen's University, and centre of Queen's Quarter.
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QUB War Memorial, outside main entrance to Lanyon Building.
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Queen's University Belfast Students' Union
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Exterior of Ulster Museum, located on Stranmillis Road and designed by James Cumming Wynne.
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Ulster Museum undergoing refurbishment.
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Inside the Botanic Gardens Palm House.
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Statue to Belfast-born physicist Lord Kelvin at the entrance to the botanic gardens.
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Queen's University Belfast Boat Club based in Stranmillis, racing University College Dublin on the River Lagan.
