Fodor's Expert Review Museum of Free Derry

At Free Derry Corner stands the white gable wall where in 1969 Catholics defiantly painted the slogan "You are now entering Free Derry" as a declaration of a zone from which police and the British Army were banned until 1972, when the army broke down the barricades. The black lettering became instantly recognizable as a symbol of resistance, and more than 50 years later the words are still there but have taken on much wider significance. They also now represent social and international themes, including marriage equality, gay pride, or medical issues such as cancer, when for several weeks the wall is painted a different color. On January 30, 1972, 13 civil rights marchers were shot and killed by British soldiers and a 14th man died later from his wounds. Thirty-eight years later, the British government released its official report on the shootings, which resulted in a hugely significant official apology from Prime Minister David Cameron, saying that he was "deeply sorry" for what happened on Bloody Sunday and that it "had been unjustified and unjustifiable." His speech to the House of Commons is played in its entirety on a loop in one room. The £2.2 million, two-story museum built on the same site and opened by the civil rights activist Reverend Jesse Jackson in 2017 tells the complete story of that day and the many years of campaigning for an apology. Saved sections of the front face of the old building retain the bullet scars from that fateful day and glass cabinets display clothes worn by some of the victims. Eyewitness talks are also held in the museum and take place every Wednesday and Friday at noon.

One-hour Free Derry Walking Tours (£5) leave from the museum at 10, noon, and 2 each day.