When is Castle Rushen open?

Castle Rushen is open: Thu - Mon 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor . If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.

Do you need to book in advance to visit Castle Rushen?

We recommend booking Castle Rushen tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 4 Castle Rushen tours on Tripadvisor

What hotels are near Castle Rushen?

Hotels near Castle Rushen: (0.02 mi) Ellan Vannin (0.02 mi) Ellan Vannin - sleeps 5 guests in 3 bedrooms (0.02 mi) Packet House - a holiday cottage that sleeps 4 guests in 2 bedrooms (0.02 mi) Packet House (0.03 mi) Keys Cottage View all hotels near Castle Rushen on Tripadvisor

What restaurants are near Castle Rushen?

Restaurants near Castle Rushen: (0.01 mi) Costa Coffee (0.03 mi) Kizuna (0.04 mi) The Castle Arms (0.10 mi) Tuscany Restaurant (0.09 mi) The Secret Pizza Co. View all restaurants near Castle Rushen on Tripadvisor

Castle Rushen (Castletown) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

506 reviews

#1 of 13 things to do in Castletown

Castles

Top ways to experience Castle Rushen and nearby attractions

The area

Address

Best nearby

Restaurants

20 within 3 miles

Tuscany Restaurant

133

526 ft$$ - $$$ • Italian • Mediterranean • Deli

The Secret Pizza Co.

50

487 ft$$ - $$$ • Pizza • Vegetarian Friendly • Vegan Options

Leonardo's Restaurant and Cafe

404

205 ft$$ - $$$ • Moroccan • Mediterranean • European

Curry Club

106

0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Indian • Asian • Balti

307 ft$$ - $$$ • Bar • British • Pub

The Sidings

88

0.3 mi$ • Quick Bites • Bar • British

The Cupcakery

6

0.1 mi$$ - $$$ • Dessert • Cafe • British

Costa Coffee

27

76 ft$$ - $$$ • Quick Bites • Cafe

See all

Attractions

30 within 6 miles

The Old House of Keys

244 ftSpeciality Museums

Derby Fort

1

0.1 miCastles

Manx Aviation and Military Museum

266

0.9 miSpeciality Museums

Castletown Railway Station

36

0.4 miHistoric Sites • Points of Interest & Landmarks

Hango Hill

1

0.5 miHistoric Sites

Scarlett Visitor Centre and Nature Trail

10

0.7 miVisitor Centers

Isle of Man Steam Railway

1,256

Points of Interest & Landmarks

Murrays Motorcycles Museum

113

Speciality Museums

The National Folk Museum at Cregneash

263

Art Museums

See all

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5

506 reviews

Excellent

351

Very good

132

Average

20

Poor

2

Terrible

1

Elaine C

3 contributions

An Impressive Fortress

Jun 2022

We visited Castle Rushen in June . It's a wonderful, well- preserved medieval castle with a drawbridge and two portcullises and MURDER HOLES!!!! It was once the home of the kings and lords of Mann. What more could you and your kids want for an exciting day out? There are many floors to be explored and the possibility to get lost in what feels like a rabbit warren of tunnels and nooks and crannies. It's educational and fun and is highly recommended.

On the top floor I encountered Jill who was a mine of information. After explaining to her that our next two visits were to the Old Grammar School and the Nautical Museum she revealed to me that they were closed owing to staff shortages. Apparently, there are tours every Saturday of the castle and these two historical buildings but we had been unaware of that. On witnessing my dismay she made a phone call and arranged to take us across to the Old Grammar School (see my review on the Old Grammar School) and give us a tour and Andrew opened up the Nautical Museum and also gave us a tour to remember (see my review on the Nautical Museum). Many thanks to Jill and Andrew for going way beyond the call of duty and making our visit memorable.

Written July 4, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nicholas D

Larne, UK1,115 contributions

Enchanting Castle Rushen

Aug 2021

Exchanting Castle in the centre of Castletown with its tall stone walls, winding narrow staircases and incredible fairytale like myths, stories and decorations. This castle is full of interesting facts, materials and exhibitions which tell the story of how the castle came into existence, as well as information on its past masters and lives of the people of the Isle of Man. There are also multiple towers which enable you to see all sides of the surrounding areas of Castletown.

Written August 21, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sharon O

1 contribution

Castle rushden not dog friendly for good reason it’s too dangerous for them

Sep 2021

Excellent visitor experience. NOT dog friendly for very good reasons - you access the experience in a one way system which is by spiral staircase and then across the roof line. There are no real areas you could safely take a dog hence the no dogs. Well worth a visit

Written September 26, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Claire E

Portsmouth, UK8 contributions

Castle with plenty of history

Oct 2021 • Family

We visited the castle after getting off the train from Douglas. I used my English Heritage pass which got us in for free. The 2 staff we encountered in the first courtyard were very knowledgeable about the history of the castle and helpful with pointers on what to look at and the way round. Watched a video of the history of the castle and then began the climb up the winding staircase. The castle is in excellent condition and the views from the roof are great to see Castletown. The guide on the roof was helpful in pointing out the various different areas of the roof that are available to access. One word of caution if you have little ones up on the roof, the walk way round the wall has no barrier to stop you falling down onto the actual roof. It’s not a huge drop but enough that could cause an injury to a leg or back. As long as you’re careful, you’ll be fine.

Written October 19, 2021

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RicherTrips

Monterrey, Mexico3,992 contributions

Walk around it

Jul 2022

Isle of Man has two castles worth a short visit. The one at Peel is in ruins, but it’s big, majestic, and makes beautiful pictures from the seashore.
This one, Castle Rushen, in Castletown is complete, but cramped in the middle of the city and almost empty, so a lot of dummies have been added.

It looks very different from every angle, so the exterior deserves more pictures than the interior.

Written July 28, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ruth B

3 contributions

Rushe Castle in the Isleof Mann

Sep 2022

This Castle is really like going back in time. Well reserved in all areas and not a restored tourist attraction. We had a guide named Ged, ( a local guide) who took us all over The Isle of Man and explained the highlights. We spend two and half days there and there is lots to see.

Written March 5, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

manxseasider

Ramsey, UK318 contributions

Well preserved historic castle

Jul 2020 • Family

This impressive castle in the heart of the former Capital of the Island offers much in the way of history of the power vested in the Kings and Lords of Mann over the centuries. However, we visited with 2 grandchildren and whilst they enjoyed climbing the spooky dark staircases and battlements, I felt that the castle seemed to have less interactive material now than when I visited with my son over 20 years ago. Yes, the figure straining on the toilet is still there (and was much appreciated by the children), but didn’t there used to be figures in the guardroom and some of the cells??
I’m not suggesting we turn history into a Disney style experience, but more interactive features to fire the imagination of our youngsters can surely only be a good thing?

Written August 2, 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

janine_richardson1

Ashton-under-Lyne, UK95 contributions

Enjoyable visit

Jul 2022 • Family

Really enjoyed our visit here, spent a good hour walking around. They had a kids treasure hunt on that was an extra £1 and you had to find stuff that doesn’t belong in the castle, like tomato sauce on a banquet table for example which my son loved to do.
The castle itself is interesting and has lots of rooms to investigate. The view from the top are also amazing.
Bonus was it was free to enter as we are national trust members.
Would recommend
The guy on reception was also really nice and friendly as were all the other staff members we met.

Written August 7, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Travel Bilash

Hertfordshire, UK7 contributions

A fantastic visit to Castle Rushen!

May 2023 • Couples

We visited Castle Rushen in Castletown on our last day in the Isle of Man. It was free for National Trust members. You can visit most of the rooms and the roof. Views from the roof were extensive. You can learn how they used the castle and their rooms throughout the century and a 4-minute video recording. Highly recommended👌👍👏

Written May 26, 2023

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Krabate

123 contributions

Lovely Castle

May 2022

Lovely , well kept castle. Staff is friendly and gave us a lot of informations. They accept all heritadge cards from UK and Ireland. Nice video with castle history a lot of informations. The view form the roof is lovely and you have nice view to see Castletown. One way route so there is no problem in the castle stairs,

Written May 11, 2022

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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