Bishop's Palace

About the museum

The Bishop’s Palace stands on The Mall in the Viking Triangle, the oldest part of Waterford. It is an 18th-century stone townhouse, and a historian of Waterford writing in 1746 already praised its fine front on the Mall and its handsome portico. For generations it was one of the grand residences of the city.

The building opened as a museum in June 2011 and is now one of the Waterford Treasures museums. The ground and first floors are furnished as a Georgian townhouse, and further rooms look at Victorian Waterford.

The museum is especially known for its Waterford glass. It holds the oldest surviving piece of Waterford glass, a Penrose decanter of 1789, and the shell cabinet of Elizabeth Penrose with its small glass animals, which returned to the city in 2014. The earliest known oil painting of Waterford, made by William van der Hagen in 1736, is also on view.

A costumed guided tour led by a housekeeper or butler is included in the ticket and tells stories of life behind the doors of Georgian Waterford. A 4D film about the Penrose family and the glassworks has also been shown in the house.

Highlights

• Rooms furnished as a Georgian townhouse
• Oldest surviving piece of Waterford glass, a Penrose decanter of 1789
• Elizabeth Penrose’s shell cabinet with glass animals
• Van der Hagen’s 1736 painting, the earliest oil view of Waterford
• Costumed tour of Georgian household life

Permanent exhibition

• Georgian and Victorian Waterford – Rooms furnished as a Georgian townhouse show furniture, silver, porcelain and Waterford glass, with the Penrose collection at the centre.

Founded

2011

Operated by

Waterford Treasures

Admission & discounts

The ticket includes the guided tour of the house. Booking online saves 15% on the single ticket and 10% on the pass. Individuals do not need to book.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

A lift serves all gallery floors, and wheelchairs and mobile stools can be borrowed at reception. Toilets are on the lower floor. Blue badge parking spaces are on The Mall and Greyfriars Street. Labels are in English, Irish, French and German.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Baby changing is available on the ground floor. Pushchairs can be left at the entrance at the museum’s discretion, as space is limited.

Getting there & parking

All Waterford Treasures museums lie within five minutes’ walk of each other in the Viking Triangle.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Restaurant: not available
• Museum shop
• Coat check

Bishop’s Palace Café on the ground floor serves breakfast, lunch and cakes, with a terrace beside the medieval town wall, and ticket holders get 10% off. A small gift shop is inside the main entrance. Large bags can be left at reception.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Corporate events

Corporate events can be arranged through Waterford Treasures. The palace and its gardens can be used for wedding photography from October to April.

Plan your visit