It takes a great museum to know a great museum.
Here at EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, we know a good museum when we see one, and luckily our capital city is full of them. On both sides of the Liffey you will find thought provoking, evocative venues, dedicated to history from all facets of life, whether it’s literature, history, music, sports, or art.
So without further ado, find our list of the 10 best museums in Dublin. And if you’re looking for one to start off in… look no further.
1. EPIC The Irish Emigration Musem
Location: The chq Building
Not to toot our own horn, but we think that we’re pretty great, and so do a fair few others, having won Europe’s Best Tourist Attraction three consecutive times.
At EPIC, you’ll discover how Irish emigrants built lives abroad, how our culture has influenced everything from country music to Riverdance, how athletes and leaders have made their mark globally, and how Irish imagination continues to inspire breakthroughs in literature, science, and beyond.
2. The Jeanie Johnston Famine Ship
Location: Custom House Quay
Moored just outside EPIC is The Jeanie Johnston, a replica famine ship that evokes the same dimensions and feelings associated with the original, to give visitors an immersive experience, and allow them to step into the shoes of those who fled the famine.
The story is extraordinary – The Jeanie Johnston was no ordinary vessel, as visitors will learn – and there is perhaps no better way to empathise and understand the plight of Irish people forced to emigrate than explore what became known as the miracle ship.
3. Kilmainham Gaol
Location: Kilmainham
An iconic setting in Dublin, Kilmainham Gaol tells the story of Ireland through those incriminated, for offences big and small. Many of its prisoners were those who fought tooth and nail for Ireland’s independence, everyone from those involved in the 1798 Rebellion, to the Irish Civil War in 1923.
The gaol was officially passed over to the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 1986, and has since been restored and used as a attraction, with movies like Paddington 2 even using it as a set.
4. Little Museum of Dublin
Location: Stephen’s Green
You will find the Little Museum of Dublin off St Stephen’s Green, situated within an 18th Century Georgian townhouse. It documents the little local histories of the city. Through a guided tour, famously little, like the rest of the museum at only 29 minutes, visitors fully absorb the hospitality, humour, and histories of Dublin.
A fan favourite amongst locals and tourists alike, The Little Museum also documents how the city centre has changed over the last 100 years.
5. Museum of Literature
Location: Stephen’s Green
If you’re a lover of literature, there’s no place in Dublin quite like MOLI to spend an afternoon.
Dedicated to celebrating Irish writers – the likes of Samuel Beckett, Elizabeth Bowen, Maeve Binchy, and of course, James Joyce – the Museum of Literature is a quiet place to muse on the many achievements of the authors, poets, and playwrights that have been putting Ireland on the map for hundreds of years.
They have a special focus on Joyce and Ulysses, and every Bloomsday host a fantastic event in celebration of Leopold Bloom’s walk through Dublin on the 16th June 1904.
MOLI also boasts gardens to sit in when the weather is nice, and a gorgeous restaurant, making it one of the best museums in Dublin.
6. GAA Museum
Location: Croke Park
The GAA Museum is the national custodian of all the archives and artefacts of the Gaelic Athletic Association, which has only grown in popularity on a global scale in the last 100+ years. It provides an immersive space to fully understand the game and how it has developed from an ancient sport to something truly beloved in the modern age.
It vividly brings to life how important GAA was to a country trying to gain independence in the early 1900s, and the cultural, social and sporting heritage it maintains today. Featured exhibitions include the original Sam Maguire and Liam MacCarthy Cups, the rousing Hall of Fame, and a whole floor dedicated to the games as they are today.
Visitors can also test their own skills in their Interactive Game Zone section – try your hand (or your foot) at hurling or football.
7. National Gallery of Ireland
Location: Merrion Square
For the art lovers visiting Dublin, the National Gallery is a must-visit. Their aim is to provide an outstanding experience that inspires an interest in and an appreciation of art for all, no matter your level of access to art, or the depth of your understanding. The Gallery is a great location to bring children, to spark an early interest or fascination with art.
Best of all? Much of the National Gallery is free for visitors to access, besides the occasional exhibition that does require paid entry and often to be booked in advance.
They also have a gorgeous café and gift shop which visitors can spend an entire morning or afternoon in.
8. IMMA
Location: Kilmainham
Nestled in 48 acres of land in the heart of Kilmainham, IMMA is the Irish Museum of Modern Art and boasts an impressive and curated collection of pieces that come from both Irish and international artists.
Based on the gorgeous grounds of the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, a day can easily be spent at IMMA, with food offerings on-site as well as a varied gift shop.
9. Dublinia
Location: St Michael’s Hill
Housed beside the impressive Christ Church, Dublinia is an examination of Viking Dublin. Visitors immerse themselves entirely in the civilisation, seeing what the vikings ate, drank, where they slept and raised families. You follow them over the centuries as they dealt with plague, death, and sickness, and where they played games, told stories, and passed the time.
You can also climb the tower at Michael Hill and see the city from a whole new perspective, if you’re willing to climb the 96 steep steps.
10. GPO Museum
Location: O’Connell Street
A sight to be seen, the GPO Museum is one of the most spectacular buildings you’ll see in Dublin, and not just for its architecture. It acted as a base for the rebels during the 1916 Rising, even sporting bullet holes from the conflict to this day. Outside of it on the 24th April, Ireland was declared a sovereign nation on Easter Monday.
Within the museum, you can see where history was made for the Irish Free State. While the Rising ultimately failed to achieve its goals in the moment, the repercussions reverberated through history, finally leading to an independent Ireland in 1921 and a declaration of the republic of Ireland coming in 1949.
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