Brú na Bóinne Visitor Centre

About the museum

Brú na Bóinne is a World Heritage property in a bend of the River Boyne, with some of the most important Neolithic monuments in Europe. The great passage tombs of Newgrange, Knowth and Dowth were built about 5,000 years ago and hold the largest concentration of megalithic art in western Europe. The area is managed by the Office of Public Works (OPW), and the visitor centre on the south bank of the river is the only way to reach Newgrange and Knowth.

The visitor centre houses an exhibition on the people who built the tombs, their farming and ritual life, and the landscape they shaped. The tombs themselves can only be visited on guided tours: shuttle buses take small groups from the centre to the monuments, where guides explain the architecture and the carved stones.

Newgrange is best known for its roof box, which lets the rising sun light the inner chamber around the winter solstice. Knowth has an unusually large group of satellite tombs and more decorated kerbstones than any other site in Europe, although its chambers cannot be entered. Because access is limited, tickets for the tours are released online in advance and often sell out.

Highlights

• Interactive exhibition on Neolithic life in the Boyne Valley
• Guided tours of Newgrange, including the passage and chamber
• Guided tour of Knowth with its decorated kerbstones
• Audio guide for the exhibition

Permanent exhibition

• Brú na Bóinne exhibition – An interactive exhibition on the Neolithic people, landscape and monuments of the Boyne Valley.

Operated by

Office of Public Works (OPW)

Admission & discounts

Entry to the exhibition alone costs €5 and needs no booking. The tours to Newgrange and Knowth must be booked in advance online, and everyone, including children and babies, needs a ticket. Tickets sold by other websites are not valid. The OPW Heritage Card gives unlimited access to OPW sites.

Accessibility

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

The visitor centre has a lift and an accessible toilet. Access at the monuments is limited, and the Newgrange passage and chamber are low and narrow, which may not suit visitors with mobility problems or claustrophobia. There is no access to the chambers at Knowth. Wheelchair users and visitors who need help should email the centre before booking. Only assistance dogs are admitted.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Every visitor, including children and babies, needs a ticket for the tours. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Getting there & parking

The visitor centre is the starting point for all visits to Newgrange and Knowth, and tour shuttle buses leave from there.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Café, gift shop and bookshop, picnic area, baby changing. WiFi is listed among the visitor centre facilities.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit