These quirky museums in Ireland will be sure to give you a laugh and fill you with knowledge you ever thought you’d need. Read on to find out more.
We think spending some time wandering around a museum is a perfect way to spend an afternoon, especially when visiting somewhere new. You get the chance to learn something unique about wherever it is you happen to be.
Plus, museums are simply fun to explore. It is a good way to spend the day away and break up your trip, and, trust us, with these unique institutions in Ireland, you’re sure to have a laugh along the way.
We’ve compiled a list of five quirky museums in Ireland for you to visit, the perfect opportunity for some learning and, hopefully, some laughs along the way.
5. The Cork Butter Museum – to learn about butter, of course
Don’t roll your eyes, this is actually quite an interesting tour. Yes, it may sound funny, but the folks at the Butter Museum really know how to churn out some fascinating history.
Okay, okay. We’re sorry, we had to get one in. No more puns—we promise!
This place has everything you could ever want to know about Cork’s butter industry. From the history to the manufacturing and storing of butter, it’s all here.
They also hold butter making demonstrations at noon on Saturdays, so you can make your own at home. A good start to our list of quirky museums in Ireland to visit.
Address: O’Connell Square, Shandon, Cork, Ireland
4. Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio – why the heck not?
This place sold us on the name alone. It’s a wonderful little museum located in Dublin, and it’s filled to the brim with a collection of old vintage radios, gramophones, and other radio-related items.
By the way, when we say this museum is small, we really mean it’s small. We’re sure you’ve heard the saying “Great things come in small packages”, and that’s exactly true with this fabulous little museum.
You’ll be greeted with a wealth of information related to all things radio from the 1900s onwards. The location of this museum also means visitors get fabulous views of the sea and the neighbouring Howth village. It’s easily one of the quirkiest museums in Ireland.
Address: Martello Tower, Museum of Vintage Radio, Abbey St, Howth, Co. Dublin, D13 V099, Ireland
3. Glasnevin Cemetery Museum – for a tasteful tour in an eerie location
We know that a museum tour based in a cemetery might seem a bit grim, but that really isn’t the case with this wonderful place. It’s very tasteful and filled with some amazing Irish history.
The Glasnevin Cemetery Museum provides visitors with the chance to learn all about the history of the cemetery and the prominent Irish figures buried within it, such as the likes of Michael Collins, Éamon de Valera, and Charles Stewart Parnell.
The cemetery was established 1832 by legendary Irish statesman Daniel O’Connell, and visitors (if they chose to do a guided tour) can be assured of a dedicated and knowledgeable guide filling them in on everything and anything they could want to know about his life and the creation of the cemetery.
Address: Finglas Rd, Glasnevin, Dublin, D11 H2TH, Ireland
2. The National Wax Museum Plus – because they even have a dinosaur exhibit
Do you guys remember that cheap 2005 film remake of the horror classic House of Wax? That movie completely ruined wax figures for us. Now every time we look at one we have to remind ourselves there isn’t a real person beneath the wax.
*Shudders*.
This place is one of Ireland’s best quirky museums—they have a lot of figures from pop culture, so you can expect to see wax faces of the Game of Thrones cast members and the legendary Mrs Brown from Mrs Brown’s Boys.
They also have two velociraptors housed in their museum, which aren’t made of wax, but hey! Dinosaurs are cool, so we’re not complaining. Why not take a trip to this quirky museum in Ireland the next time you visit the capital?
Address: The Lafayette Building, 22-25 Westmoreland St, Temple Bar, Dublin 2, D02 EH29, Ireland
1. National Leprechaun Museum – the best of the quirky museums in Ireland to visit
The very concept of a leprechaun museum is wild, and we adore it.
With a choice between day and night tours (we’d recommend the night one simply because that’s the one we did), your tour around this strange and wonderful museum will be filled with amazing storytelling and snippets of Irish leprechaun folklore.
The day tour operates from 10 am to 6.30 pm Monday to Sunday, and lasts about 45 minutes. You get to learn and enjoy folklore in a fun way. Tickets can cost between 10 to 16 euro.
The night tours are a little more expensive, coming in at 18 euro. These tours only happen on Friday and Saturday evenings and are restricted to 18+. They last for about an hour. You’ll learn all about amazing twisted tales of the leprechaun from the darker side of Ireland; trust us, it’s well worth the money.
Address: Twilfit House, Jervis St, Dublin, Ireland
