Plans for a major £2.4m expansion of the Ulster American Folk Park in Omagh, County Tyrone, have been announced by the Northern Ireland culture minister, Nelson McCausland.

The expansion plans form the first phase of a ten-year development programme due for completion in 2011 at the outdoor museum, which outlines the story of emigration from Northern Ireland to the US during the 18th and 19th centuries. An additional 30 acres (12.1 hectares) of land will be incorporated into the folk park and will be transformed into a series of American frontier landscapes in order to display the attraction's increasing number of original Ulster settler buildings.

Funding for the expansion plans has been provided by the Northern Ireland Executive's Department for Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL), along with National Museums Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) will also contribute £75,000 after it agreed to match a private donation. McCausland said: "The Ulster American Folk Park is a wonderful exploration of Ulster's own rich history as well as the role that Ulster emigrants played in shaping American life and culture.

"This investment from DCAL will further improve visitor experience at the museum and allow the Ulster American Folk Park to expand the New World area. We are keen to continue to invest in our national museums to ensure they are of an exceptional standard with international appeal."