Collins Barracks Military Museum, the place to visit in Blackpool
This is a list led by museums or galleries, 15 of its 26. Only one place to visit is inside Blackpool’s neighbourhood, but 25 more are within 5 km of its edge. Close to the centre, within 1 km, are 6 of them. Further afield lies Blarney Castle and Gardens, at 7.3 km.
Highlights of Blackpool
Collins Barracks Military Museum aside, the next best known are 2 cathedrals, a castle and a museum.
CathedralSt. Fin Barre's Cathedral1.1 km outside town, to the southwest
CathedralCathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne200 m outside town, to the southwest
CastleMTU Blackrock Castle Observatory4.1 km outside town, to the east
MuseumCork Butter Museum300 m outside town, to the southwest
Abbey or prioryRed Abbey900 m outside town, to the southEach has a page of its own: what it is, who runs it, the weather month by month and what else is near it.
Where to go
Out at 4.8 km is MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory, the farthest.
The dashed line is Blackpool’s neighbourhood; orange marks its middle (where most people live). Numbers match the list below. © OpenStreetMap contributors · CSO 2022 outline
The list by type
Ahead are museums or galleries (15); next, castles or historic places (11).
Green: inside Blackpool. Grey: within 5 km of its edge.
All of them, one by one
26 places in all: one in town and 25 within 5 km of its edge.
7
8
9
10The one inside Blackpool comes first, then the places within 5 km, close and well known first. Churches, protected structures and monuments belong to the History page, not here.
Monuments and historic buildings in Blackpool → · Parks, footpaths and green space in Blackpool →
Further afield: the best known within 40 km
Allow a day for Blarney Castle and Gardens, 7.3 km away, the pick of 12.
CastleBlarney Castle and Gardens7.3 km west
ZooFota Wildlife Park11 km east · 415K visitors a year (2022)
CathedralSaint Colman's Cathedral14 km southeast
MuseumSpike Island15 km southeast
CastleCarrigrohane Castle6.3 km west
Castle · Office of Public WorksCharles Fort Military Fortress24 km south
CastleBallincollig Castle9.5 km west
MuseumDesmond Castle Kinsale23 km south
CastleBelvelly Castle12 km east
Abbey or priory · Office of Public WorksTimoleague Abbey36 km southwest
CastleKilcrea Castle18 km west
CastleBarryscourt Castle15 km eastPlaces well known beyond Blackpool (Wikipedia articles in several languages, published visitor counts, or a Office of Public Works or National Parks and Wildlife Service property), close and famous first. Distances are straight lines from the middle of the town.
Asked about places to visit in Blackpool
What are the main attractions in Blackpool?
The place to visit inside Blackpool’s neighbourhood is Collins Barracks Military Museum. In all, 1 place to visit is mapped inside the town, and 25 more within 5 km.
Does Blackpool have a museum?
15 museums and galleries are in or within 5 km of Blackpool: Collins Barracks Military Museum, Cork Butter Museum, Crawford Art Gallery and Lewis Glucksman Gallery.
Is there a Heritage Ireland (OPW) or national park property near Blackpool?
None within 5 km. The nearest well-known one on our list is Charles Fort Military Fortress (Office of Public Works), 24 km south.
What are the best-known days out near Blackpool?
Within 40 km: Blarney Castle and Gardens (7.3 km), Fota Wildlife Park (11 km), Saint Colman's Cathedral (14 km), Spike Island (15 km).
How is this list made?
From Fáilte Ireland’s open data on attractions (museums, castles, historic houses, abbeys, gardens, national parks, landscapes, islands, zoos and visitor farms: restaurants, pubs, shops and tour operators are left out), OpenStreetMap (places open to visitors; a ruined castle on farmland needs a sign it can be visited) and Wikidata (what each place is, who looks after it, its Wikipedia articles), merged into one list and placed in the town’s CSO 2022 outline or within 5 km of its edge.
Places to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL) and Wikidata (CC0), placed in each town’s CSO 2022 outline. Visitor counts are the latest Wikidata gives, with their year.
Photos: each place’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (21)
- St. Fin Barre's Cathedral: Flickr member Charlie cravero, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cathedral of St. Mary & St. Anne: JohnArmagh, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- MTU Blackrock Castle Observatory: Raúl Corral, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cork Butter Museum: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Red Abbey: HarryLande, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Crawford Art Gallery: The Speckled Bird, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Elizabeth Fort: John M, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Lewis Glucksman Gallery: Lewis Glucksman Gallery, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Cork Public Museum: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Blarney Castle and Gardens: Gerd Eichmann, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fota Wildlife Park: Hywel Williams, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Saint Colman's Cathedral: DeFacto, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Spike Island: Kondephy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carrigrohane Castle: Garry Dickinson, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Charles Fort Military Fortress: The Speckled Bird, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ballincollig Castle: Brendandiamond, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Desmond Castle Kinsale: ME, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Belvelly Castle: Mike Searle, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Timoleague Abbey: Ingo Mehling, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kilcrea Castle: Richard Fensome, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Barryscourt Castle: The Speckled Bird, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).