City & Regional Museums in Ireland
State, city and local history museums that bring the history of their region to life.
County Dublin (13)
14 Henrietta Street
National Transport Museum of Ireland
Airfield Estate
Christ Church Cathedral
Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre
Drimnagh Castle
Dublin City Hall – The Story of the Capital
Skerries Mills
St Audoen’s Church and Visitor Centre
St Patrick's Cathedral
Teeling Whiskey Distillery
The Museum of Curiosities
The Round Tower, Clondalkin
County Cork (12)
County Kerry (11)
Kerry County Museum
Lartigue Monorail and Museum
Gallarus Oratory Visitor Centre
Ionad an Bhlascaoid – The Blasket Centre
Kerry Bog Village Museum
Kerry Writers’ Museum
Molly Gallivan’s Cottage & Traditional Farm
Músaem Chorca Dhuibhne
The Old Barracks Heritage Centre
Valentia Island Heritage Centre
Tarbert Bridewell Courthouse & Jail Museum
County Donegal (10)
Donegal County Museum
Donegal Railway Museum
Doagh Famine Village
Glencolmcille Folk Village
Lifford Old Courthouse
Newmills Corn and Flax Mills
St Connell's Cultural and Heritage Museum
Inishowen Maritime Museum and Planetarium
Isaac Butt Heritage Centre
Monreagh Heritage Centre
County Wexford (8)
County Limerick (7)
County Tipperary (7)
County Leitrim (6)
County Waterford (6)
County Clare (5)
County Galway (5)
County Laois (4)
County Mayo (4)
County Roscommon (3)
County Sligo (3)
County Carlow (2)
County Kilkenny (2)
County Louth (2)
County Monaghan (2)
County Wicklow (2)
County Cavan (1)
County Kildare (1)
County Longford (1)
County Westmeath (1)
City & Regional Museums in Ireland: Overview & Tips
Our guide lists 118 city and regional museums in Ireland, spread across 24 counties and 97 towns and cities. Most of them are in County Dublin (13), County Cork (12), and County Kerry (11).
At the city level, Dublin (10), Cobh (3), and Carlow (2) lead the way – ideal if you want to see several city and regional museums in a single day.
32 museums are free to visit. For the others with a published price, a regular adult ticket costs €9 at the median, and the middle half charge between €5.50 and €12.
40 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, 57 offer dedicated programs for families, and 47 have a café or restaurant. These figures come from our ongoing research – museums whose details we haven’t verified yet aren’t included in the counts.
Top 10 city and regional museums in Ireland
The best-known city and regional museums in Ireland
Galway City MuseumRegional · Galway
Rothe House & GardenHistory · Kilkenny
The Butter MuseumSpecial · Cork
14 Henrietta StreetHistory · Dublin
Donegal County MuseumRegional · Letterkenny
Irish Agricultural MuseumHistory · Wexford
Irish National Heritage ParkRegional · Ferrycarrig
National Transport Museum of IrelandTechnology · Howth
Stradbally Woodland RailwayTechnology · Stradbally
Cavan County MuseumRegional · Ballyjamesduff
City and regional museums in Ireland with free admission
- Galway City MuseumRegional · Galway
- Donegal County MuseumRegional · Letterkenny
Clare MuseumHistory · Ennis
Cork Public MuseumHistory · Cork
County Museum DundalkRegional · Dundalk
National Museum of Ireland – Country LifeHistory · Castlebar
Sligo County MuseumRegional · Sligo- Adare Heritage CentreRegional · Adare
- Ballinamuck Visitor CentreHistory · Ballinamuck
Carlow County MuseumRegional · Carlow
City and regional museums in Ireland with programs for families
- Galway City MuseumRegional · Galway
- Rothe House & GardenHistory · Kilkenny
- The Butter MuseumSpecial · Cork
- Donegal County MuseumRegional · Letterkenny
- Irish Agricultural MuseumHistory · Wexford
- Irish National Heritage ParkRegional · Ferrycarrig
- Stradbally Woodland RailwayTechnology · Stradbally
- Cavan County MuseumRegional · Ballyjamesduff
- Clare MuseumHistory · Ennis
- Connemara Heritage & History CentreRegional · Clifden
Wheelchair-accessible city and regional museums in Ireland
- Galway City MuseumRegional · Galway
- The Butter MuseumSpecial · Cork
- 14 Henrietta StreetHistory · Dublin
- Donegal County MuseumRegional · Letterkenny
- Irish Agricultural MuseumHistory · Wexford
- Stradbally Woodland RailwayTechnology · Stradbally
- Clare MuseumHistory · Ennis
- Connemara Heritage & History CentreRegional · Clifden
- Cork Public MuseumHistory · Cork
- County Museum DundalkRegional · Dundalk
City and regional museums in Ireland with the highest published visitor numbers
By county
Cities with the most museums
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How many city and regional museums are there in Ireland?
Our directory currently lists 118 city and regional museums in Ireland across 97 towns and cities.
What are the best-known city and regional museums in Ireland?
Some of the best known are Galway City Museum, Rothe House & Garden, The Butter Museum, 14 Henrietta Street, and Donegal County Museum.
Which city and regional museums in Ireland offer free admission?
32 museums are free to visit – for example Galway City Museum, Donegal County Museum, Clare Museum, and Cork Public Museum.
Which city and regional museums in Ireland are open on Mondays?
Many museums are closed on Mondays, but according to their regular hours 68 are open, such as Donegal County Museum, Irish Agricultural Museum, and Irish National Heritage Park.
Which city and regional museums in Ireland are wheelchair accessible?
40 museums are fully wheelchair accessible, including Galway City Museum, The Butter Museum, and 14 Henrietta Street. Others are partially accessible – you’ll find the details on each museum’s page.
How much does it cost to visit city and regional museums in Ireland?
A regular adult ticket costs €9 at the median, with prices ranging from €3 to €22. Children, students and families usually pay less.
Other categories: Art & Design · History & Cultural History · Natural History · Science & Technology · Archaeology & Antiquity · Memorials · Castles, Palaces & Monasteries · Open-Air Museums · World Cultures & Ethnology · People & Literature · Special-Interest Museums