FX Excursions

FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
Wherever Awards

Cork, Ireland’s, Blackrock Castle is More than Just a Castle

by Aoife O'Riordan

Jan 6, 2023

© Patryk Kosmider | Dreamstime.com

Europe

From the outside, Blackrock Castle in Cork City, Ireland, appears like any other 16th-century castle in Ireland. Towers and turrets and dark stone, all of the elements expected of a castle, adorn Blackrock, but a visit within promises to surprise all family travelers.

 

Hidden within the castle is an award-winning science center and observatory. Here, visitors of all ages can explore a wide variety of topics relating to our world and the greater universe. One of the castle’s permanent exhibitions, Ireland in Space, delves into the history of Ireland from the Stone Age onward. This exhibition also explores how Irish scientists contribute to the world of astronomy and space exploration.

 

One of the coolest aspects of Blackrock Castle is its interactive guided tour through the cosmos. Resident astronomers lead visitors into a tented planetarium dome to reveal positions of stars and planets. Shows last 20 minutes and fully immerse guests into space with specialized software.

 

The castle’s newest exhibition, Alien Worlds, runs through April 2023. Visiting this exhibition entails learning about how scientists discover different planets and celestial bodies, what they have learned about them, and how scientists continue to search for other forms of life in the universe.

 

Guests also interested in the history of Blackrock Castle can embark on a guided castle tour, taking visitors through 400 years of history. The tour covers the castle’s beginnings as a fort to defend Cork harbor against pirates, as well as the castle’s function today as a science center with a modern telescope dome. The tour also brings visitors to the top of the tower for beautiful views of the river Lee and Blackrock area.

 

Blackrock Castle is open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Tickets can be booked online.

#WhereverFamily

Insta Feed
Destinations / North America
Apr 21, 2025

5 Things You Can Only Do in Delaware County, New York

More and more family travelers seek immersive experiences hyper-specific to a particular destination, and spots like Delaware County in upstate New York promises activities the whole family can both enjoy and experience nowhere else.

Madrid: A Destination for All Ages

However one is traveling, what matters is having fun and creating unforgettable memories. Among many ways to travel, multigenerational trips — on which grandparents, parents and children get to spend quality time together — are gaining popularity. Setting out on this sort of adventure? Madrid has something to offer everyone!

Hotels
Apr 18, 2025

Nemacolin Debuts Exclusive Luxury Stay Experience for Guests 16 Years and Older

Family travelers with older kids won’t want to miss this new luxury stay at Nemacolin. This luxury resort reintroduces Falling Rock, the architectural masterpiece inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s Falling Water, as an exclusive stay for travelers 16 years and older.

Destinations
Apr 18, 2025

Head to Garden in the Woods in Massachusetts for a Springtime Wonderland

Without going far, family travelers in Boston and surrounding towns can step into a serene woodland environment, where the forest floor is carpeted in wildflowers. Garden in the Woods, in Framingham, Massachusetts, is a botanical garden dedicated to native plants, showcasing them on 45 acres of open forest, ravines, ridges and wetlands.

Destinations / North America
Apr 18, 2025

WonderWorks Myrtle Beach Celebrates Spring with Focus on Education, Entertainment

Family travelers know WonderWorks Myrtle Beach provides fun, educational opportunities year-round. But, this spring, the venue takes things to the next level by offering special events, ticket deals and group offerings — with something for everyone.

Destinations / North America
Apr 17, 2025

Experience the Night Sky Like Never Before in Oregon’s Outback

I’ve looked up at the night sky almost every night of my life and have always been fascinated by the way the experience changes from day to day and place to place. But on recent family travel to Oregon, I got to experience it like never before in the Oregon Outback. I was staying at the lovely Brasada Ranch in Powell Butte (not far from Bend) and, as the day came to a close, my group boarded a van with Wanderlust Tours and began the journey into a region of the Oregon desert known as the Oregon Outback.