Arklow Heritage Museum
Museum in Arklow’s Bridgewater Centre with ship models, lifeboat and fishing history, and objects linked to Francis Chichester’s Gypsy Moth III.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
Arklow Heritage Museum, formerly the Arklow Maritime Museum, began in the early 1970s when local people realised that the souvenirs and seafaring objects kept in the town’s houses were being thrown away as the economy improved. Exhibitions held around 1970 and in March 1973 showed how much survived and how good it was, and a committee set out to find a permanent home.
The museum opened its doors in February 1976 in two rooms of the former technical school on St Mary’s Road, and its collection grew through loans and donations. It later moved to its present home in the Bridgewater Shopping Centre on North Quay. In 2025 it took the name Arklow Heritage Museum to reflect a wider focus on the town’s whole history, and it marked its fiftieth anniversary in 2026.
The displays centre on Arklow’s boatbuilding, lifeboat and fishing traditions. They include photographs of the port from the mid-19th century, models of vessels built in Arklow, tools, navigational equipment, paintings and items connected with Sir Francis Chichester’s yacht Gypsy Moth III. Other themes include shipwrecks and rescues, the Lusitania survivors rescued by Arklow fishermen, the RNLI, fishermen’s folklore and the history of the town’s industries.
Highlights
- Photographs of Arklow harbour from the mid-19th century
- Models of ships built in Arklow and items linked to Gypsy Moth III
- Operational model of a trawler’s wheelhouse controls, popular with children
- Displays on lifeboats, shipwrecks and rescues, including the Lusitania
- Library, photographs and books for school projects and local research
Permanent exhibition
- Arklow’s maritime and local heritage – Ship models, tools, navigational equipment, paintings and photographs show Arklow’s boatbuilding, fishing, lifeboat and wider local history, including objects linked to Gypsy Moth III.
- Founded
- 1976
Admission & discounts
| Adults | €7 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €5Seniors and students |
| Seniors | €5 |
| Students & apprentices | €5 |
| Groups (8+ people) | –Price on request for groups of more than 7 people; discounts are offered for group bookings. |
| Families | €15Covers groups of 3 to 7 people |
The standard ticket is advertised as “from €7”.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
Great for kids & families
| Family ticket | €15 · Covers groups of 3 to 7 people |
|---|
The museum offers a family ticket and school visits; an operational model of a trawler’s wheelhouse is of particular interest to children.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Arklow lies halfway along the Dublin to Rosslare railway line (Irish Rail) and on the Dublin to Wexford bus route (Bus Éireann route 2).
By car
Parking available
Car parking is available at the rear of the shopping centre.
The museum is in the Bridgewater Shopping Centre on North Quay; look for the red sea mine that marks the entrance. From the M11 take junction 20 (Arklow North) or junction 21 (Arklow South) onto the R772.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum is beside a café and a restaurant in the Bridgewater Centre.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | School visits can be organised for different age groups, with quiz sheets that can be adapted to the curriculum, and guided tours can be tailored to a group’s interests. The museum also has a library and photographs that students can use for projects. A visit takes up to about an hour. |
