European Heritage Open Days - Derry and Strabane

What to Expect

European Heritage Open Days is Northern Ireland’s largest annual celebration of built, cultural and natural heritage, giving free access to buildings and sites that are not usually open to the public, alongside guided tours of well-known landmarks that normally charge admission. In Derry and Strabane district, the weekend typically includes bookable guided tours of the Guildhall, with its Plantation of Ulster exhibition and stained-glass windows telling the story of the London livery companies, and guided tours of the Tower Museum on the city walls, which covers the Spanish Armada wreck La Trinidad Valencera and the wider Story of Derry. Other local heritage groups, churches and historic buildings across the district also open their doors, run talks, or lay on family activities over the two days, with the full local programme published closer to the date on Discover Northern Ireland and Visit Derry. The event runs across the whole of Northern Ireland at the same time, coordinated by the Department for Communities, so it is worth checking the interactive national map too in case a heritage site outside the city centre, such as a historic church or graveyard elsewhere in the district, is also participating. The 2026 national theme is “Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine”, with organisers encouraging participating sites to highlight buildings or traditions currently under threat.

Good to Know

• Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September 2026, times vary by venue
• Guildhall tours can be booked on 028 7137 6510 or guildhall@derrystrabane.com
• Tower Museum tours can be booked on 028 7137 2411 or tower@derrystrabane.com
• All participating events are free, though some require advance booking due to limited capacity
• The full Derry and Strabane programme, including any additional venues, is published on discovernorthernireland.com and visitderry.com ahead of the weekend
• A wider Northern Ireland-wide interactive map of participating sites is available at europeanheritagedays.com

Getting There

The Guildhall and Tower Museum both sit within the walled city in Derry city centre, a short walk from each other and from the main bus and rail stations. City-centre car parks, including Foyleside Shopping Centre, are within easy walking distance of both venues.