Renowned 20th century Northern Irish professional football player George Best's family home in Belfast has opened to the public for overnight stays and visits.
Visitor Experience Details
EastSide Tourism, which has opened the house to the public along with regeneration charity EastSide Partnership following funding from Tourism NI, stated, "Get ready to step back in time as the regeneration charity EastSide Partnership and EastSide Tourism opens the door to the 1960s at the George Best family home in east Belfast's Cregagh Estate. With funding from Tourism NI's Visitor Experience Development Grant, the entire house has been retro-refurbished to how it would have looked in 1961 when a 15 year old George Best left Belfast to follow his football dreams in Manchester.
"Visitors can enjoy flicking through old school reports and letters a young George sent home to his parents, looking at personal family photos as well as iconic images from George's illustrious career and exploring an illustrated timeline of George's incredible achievements. For ardent George Best fans, or those looking for a truly unique experience, the house is available to book for an overnight stay.
"Over the next few weeks, EastSide Tourism will announce details of an exciting new audio tour developed in partnership with George's sister, Barbara McNarry, which will include fond childhood memories and stories of the family home. This will be available for day visitors to enjoy.
"Purchased from the Best family in 2011, EastSide Partnership has sought to preserve and celebrate the legacy of the area's homegrown footballing legend."
EastSide Tourism Representative Statement
Chris Armstrong of EastSide Tourism stated, "EastSide Partnership and EastSide Tourism are delighted to open the doors to this fantastic new visitor experience at the George Best House in Cregagh Estate, east Belfast. The retro-refurbishment of George Best House will transport visitors back to the sixties to a very special and important time in George's life. This is a unique experience for fans of George Best. This project would not have been possible without the support of Tourism NI's Visitor Experience Development Programme, which has enabled us to enhance the visitor experience at the George Best House."
Tourism NI Funding Manager Statement
Meanwhile, Tourism NI funding manager Caroline Bell stated, "Tourism NI is delighted to have provided funding from our Experience Development Programme for this very distinctive and engaging experience associated with one of Northern Ireland's sporting legends. It will add to the range and quality of visitor experiences in the east of Belfast and meet the increasing demand for local and authentic tourism offerings."
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