Since its inception in 2000, the Guinness Storehouse located in Dublin City has been a frontrunner for leading tourist attractions on the island of Ireland and one of the best things to do in Dublin.
The Guinness Storehouse is a state-of-the-art interactive experience which welcomes a staggering amount of guests year-round, from all over the globe, as well as local Guinness-lovers, too. There are many things you can’t miss on the Guinness factory tour.
Celebrating in the history and evolution of Guinness – an Irish stout, which has become synonymous with the Emerald Isle – the experience, which is located at St. James’s Gate, has consistently been named a key attraction in the capital city.
The Story
The Guinness Storehouse is a love letter to the famous Irish stout: Guinness.
Created in Dublin by now local legend, Arthur Guinness at St. James’s Gate, in 1759, Guinness is a cold dark stout served with a creamy head.
Over generations, this stout has gone on to be a leading symbol of the Emerald Isle. In fact, it is considered one of the most popular alcoholic beverages and known worldwide.
Guinness is available in around 120 countries and brewed in almost 50 – although it is a well-known fact that it tastes best on the Emerald Isle.
Today, the Guinness Storehouse sits abreast the still-working brewery and the experience offers guests from all over the world, as well as local lovers of the “black stuff” (colloquial term for Guinness) a peek behind the curtain at St. James’s Gate.
The Tour
Located close to Dublin city centre is St. James’s Gate. Buses, taxis and the Luas (light rail or over-ground tram) “red line” are easy ways to access the attraction, but on foot, it is only about thirty minutes from College Green (a centre point of Dublin).
The attraction is a state-of-the-art, multi-story experience and it is built with masses in mind. Streamlined and efficient ticket checking and entrance procedures allow for an easy flow of people, even when there are floods streaming in and out of the venue.
The tour itself is self-guided and usually takes about 90 minutes. Every main section has a designated tour guide who starts a mini-tour applicable to the area in which they are standing, every five minutes.
You can choose to engage with these Guinness-experts as much or as little as you like, which is a nice alternative to the usual all or nothing (self-guided versus guided) approach to large-scale attractions.
Visitors meander through super-experiential and immersive rooms which trace the history and heritage of the Irish stout over seven floors.
Beginning from the bare necessities, starting with the first ingredients and tracing the production process, right through to advertising and its cultural impact, the tour ends at the Gravity Bar, which offers cloud-level 360-degree views over Dublin City, which is one of the bars in Dublin many celebrities have been to.
To top it all off, you even get to pour your own pint of the “black stuff”!
The Actual Experience
Overall, the Guinness Store is a truly impressive, immersive experience.
Giving a whole view of the history of Guinness, from its humble beginnings to total world domination, it is an engaging tour from start to finish.
With a huge focus on interactive exhibits, art and visual installations, lighting fixtures and creative pieces, the experience, on a whole, is a wonderland of things to look at and marvel in.
Cleverly, the Guinness Storehouse is built with mass bodies in mind. Its open-plan layout accommodates large numbers spread out and seeing as this is one of Ireland’s most popular tourist attractions, this makes sense.
With this, there is no real route to take when wandering around the attraction; anything goes! Escalators run up the centre of the space and you can go up and down and around from space to space as you please.
In addition, an open-plan, café area is located on the middle floor and intermingles with exhibit spaces, offering guests an opportunity to take a break for all there is to take in, easily, without detouring from the experience.
Our Verdict
Overall, it is plain to see why this is one of Ireland’s leading tourist destinations; it has a lot going for it.
It is a state-of-the-art immersive experience that is brilliantly capable of holding its capacity, comfortably.
It’s interspersed amenities and sit down areas make it all the more easy to hang about.
It traces the history of (potentially) the world’s most iconic drink and makes it alluring for both tourist and locals.
Depending on personal interests (i.e. natural ingredients, processing methods, advertising, or just learning how to pour your own pint), there’s a little something for everyone.
The simple six-step “pour your own pint” is a fun addition to the experience, and then guests can enjoy their creation in the Gravity Bar overlooking Dublin. More so, this is a fully operating bar, and guests are made to feel welcome to stick around.
Miscellaneous
A few insiders tip for planning your trip to the Guinness Storehouse are as follows. First of all: they sell Guinness-flavoured crisps (potato chips) at the café on the middle floor – try them and you can thank us later.
Avoid weekends and bank holidays, especially during the Summer months; although the venue is designed to hold a huge capacity, you’re experience will be far more enjoyable during the off-season.
More Info
Address: St James’s Gate, Dublin 8, Ireland
