History Museums in Dublin

THE 10 BEST Dublin History Museums

History Museums in Dublin

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Museums
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Travelers' Choice Awards winners (including the "Best of the Best" title) are among the top 10% of listings on Tripadvisor, according to the reviews and opinions of travelers across the globe.
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What travelers are saying

  • Alan 325
    4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Happened to pass by The Little Museum of Dublin at its current location on Pembroke Street I suggested it to my friend and he agreed. The staff were warm and friendly and we received a lovely welcome. The host of our tour was Emma, she combined a fun delivery with engagement with her audience. The information she gave was both factual and funny. Thoroughly enjoyed the tour. Thanks Emma and team.
    Written February 13, 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Tim P
    Oxford, United Kingdom9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Epic is just what it says! An exceptional Grade 1 Experience throughout. Incredibly moving in parts from the great Introduction vid on. In particular it cleverly covers off such a long period rite thru to the recent. I was born nearby in 1957 & left Ireland @ 10 Months Old. Altho i'm reconnected for a while now this visit was still massively important & informative with no tedious drag. The Irish work done around the world in frontline care as well as amazing constructions couldn't help but be a cause of Pride & altho i knew all this, the contrasting Magdalene stuff etc, antigay to first on gay marriage the presentation was real neat/balanced all through. Great Staff, clean safe etc. Go there ok! l'l return which is rare for me with a 'museum'! Thanks for a special experience. Tim
    Written January 22, 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • YorkTraveller1962
    York, UK443 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    This is a great place to wander and take in the history of Ireland.

    Lots of artifacts - some more interesting than others as is always the case with museums in my experience, but the wall boards with the additional information and back stories were really appreciated and interesting.

    Well worth a visit and it is free - although a contribution to their running costs is a reasonable request.

    Enjoy
    Written December 16, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Rodrigo N
    12 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Today, we were walking around the neighborhood and decided to join a guided tour at 14 Henrietta Street. It turned out to be a truly delightful experience.

    The history of the building is fascinating, and the warm welcome from the lady at reception (I wish I could remember her name) set the tone for our visit. Our guide, Elisabeth, brought the stories to life and made our evening unforgettable.

    Thank you for sharing this incredible piece of history with us!
    Written February 13, 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • boothy22
    Valencia27 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Clare was fantastic the tour was booked up on the first day but we came back and we where so glad we did.Clare makes it so interesting her enthusiasm is infectious to tell the story of the famine ship and its captain and doctor.Thank you Clare it was a great tour keep telling the peoples stories.
    Written February 13, 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Margaret D
    Ballymena, UK25 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Staff here were so friendly and recommended a combination ticket for the Christ Church cathedral next door! Was a good a day out and a lot of interesting info but beware there are a lot of steps
    Written February 6, 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • JnVSydney
    Greater Sydney, Australia25,769 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Just outside of the city, on through, LUAS line, within the old army barracks is this wonderful exhibition, of furniture, art and various pieces through the ages, and it is all free.
    Written December 2, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • ML E
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We went in a group of ten people around lunchtime. Varvara welcomed us in and took us through the whole history of the printing press while showing us around the museum. The visit was super entertaining, dynamic, fun and we left feeling that we had learned loads without even noticing. Would 100% recommend a visit to the museum and to get somebody as enthusiastic and fantastic as her as your tourguide!
    Written February 12, 2025
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • jefrench43
    Chapel Hill, NC2 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    We enjoyed a family visit to this wonderful city this past June and enjoyed the museum and introduction to the culture, the experiences , and Dublins and Irelands history immensely. The Irish people were cosmopolitan, approachable, engaging, and hospitable. Our time in this city and others during this trip by automobile to the west and along the Atlantic coast was a journey to intimate places with many friendly citizens willing to share and engage with visitors. The weather we experiences was fantastic and may have helped to promote our time outdoors and engagement with the Irish and other visitors like ourselves . We are planning another trip and holiday in order to build this knowledge and experience.
    Written October 20, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Margaret R
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A terrific exhibition! Go see it!

    I happened to notice a guy on the street outside a shopping centre in Grafton St with a placard advertising it. Very glad I did.

    The exhibition is informative, easy to navigate, well curated and supported with excellent research and visual documentation.
    It covers it all.

    I’m an Australian and only exist because a family from County Clare managed to get on a boat and emigrate because of the potato famine. It’s a dark period in Irish history which affected so many other countries long into the future.

    Well done and thank you for such an informative experience.
    Written August 23, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • fionaalfa
    Belfast, UK71 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Great spot for a rainy day. The Yeats exhibit was especially good. Friendly helpful staff. Central location so accessed easily by foot.
    Written December 25, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • HowyaMilo
    Limerick, Ireland20 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing tour. The fact that it was free was mind blowing. If you have any interest in art or literature or creativity, you must go. We got a tour and it was incredible.
    Written November 3, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • redeco
    Warren, MA9,433 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Customs House stands proud over the Quayside of the River Liffey. Dating to 1791, the Customs House represented the British domination of the Irish through taxation. The IRA burned the building in 1921 in order to destroy tax records. This magnificent classical architecture was completely restored after the revolution. Today, the building houses the Irish Department of Environment, Heritage, and Local Government.

    A Visitor Center with a historical audio tour is available for a fee. I opted to enjoy the exterior. Very impressive.

    Enjoy!
    Written October 12, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Rusmir
    Dublin, Ireland190 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Building dates from 18 century, it's located in Dublin city center - Dame street. It's next to the Dublin castle, so it's great to do both tours. In town hall you'll find beautiful exhibition about historical Dublin.
    Written October 14, 2020
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
  • Maddi R
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    I wanted to add a positive review about the genealogy services and to counter some of the negative comments I've seen about what they offer.

    I'm an amateur who has been continuing my great-grandmother's research into my family's genealogy for almost 10 years. Our Irish ancestors have been the most difficult to track down and verify, so my mom and I were thrilled to find this service before traveling to Ireland. I was a little nervous about the price after reading some of these negative reviews, but I'd like to say that the session was incredibly worth it, and we're glad we paid for 80 minutes. We opted for a zoom session.

    I’ve seen other visitors complain about the center 'simply sitting you down in front of Ancestry' or searching certain family history websites. The thing is, these websites aren’t just research tools for laymen, they are databases that contain many vital records that experts know how to navigate better than the average enthusiast.

    Our session did begin with our genealogist searching ancestry but it went so far beyond that. The genealogist we spoke with introduced us to additional resources I wouldn't have found on my own, with access to a variety of Irish records. She expertly cross-checked between multiple sources and was a wealth of knowledge on what records to specifically search for, based on when Ireland started recording births as well as baptisms, whether certain records were known to be destroyed, and so on. She also provided a very clear list of next steps we could take to try and discover more with the data we currently have. She emailed every single resource, link, and screenshots of any potentially helpful information she found, and made sure we knew where to go from there. She genuinely seemed to care.

    She was able to decipher a mother's Irish surname we've been puzzling over for decades, that ended up being very rare. She was able to confirm that our family surnames were, indeed, common in the county we believed our immigrant ancestor came from. She was able to tell us which parish they likely belonged to. And, she told us where we could upload our ancestry DNA information to potentially find more matches in Ireland (and sent instructions)!

    I’ve also seen other visitors complain that sessions felt like a ‘rip off’ because the genealogists weren’t able to help them. If you are looking into this experience expecting a guarantee, rather than support from an expert to enhance your chances of finding more information, then maybe you should forego genealogy services, because that’s not how they work.

    It's important to know going in that if you don't have your ancestors' approximate birthdays and parents' names, they probably can't do much for you; research can only go so far. That isn’t the center’s fault, it’s the nature of genealogy. We came to the session with that information for one ancestor, but also another for whom we only knew the birth year and a potential mother's name. Our genealogist spent a lot of time on both and genuinely seemed to want to get concrete information for us. I really appreciated the thoroughness.

    Yes, the session essentially consists of a genealogist searching records for you, but they have so much historical and practical expertise to search and cross-check in ways that the layman can't. We really enjoyed learning from her and even though our lack of surviving records meant we weren't able to make any huge discoveries, I learned so much that I can apply to my family history work moving forward. I'm excited to see if the next steps she gave us lead to anything new!!
    Written August 16, 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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