National Famine Museum

About the museum

The National Famine Museum stands on the former Strokestown Park estate in the planned town of Strokestown, County Roscommon. The estate belonged to the Pakenham-Mahon family for more than three centuries. In 1847 its landlord, Major Denis Mahon, was killed during the Great Famine, and the estate papers from those years survived in the house, among them tenants’ petitions and landlord correspondence. When the house was sold in 1979 and bought by a local group, around 50,000 documents from the famine period were found among its contents and saved.

The museum was set up in the estate buildings to tell the story of the Famine through this archive. It was later redeveloped and now presents the parallel lives of the landlord family and their tenants through original documents, everyday objects, audio-visual displays and touchscreens. Themes include hunger, eviction, assisted emigration and the wider political and economic causes of the disaster.

Since 2015 the property has been cared for by the Irish Heritage Trust, an independent not-for-profit body. Visitors can combine the museum with a guided tour of the Georgian Palladian house, which keeps much of its original furniture and a galleried kitchen, and with the Victorian walled garden and the Serpentine Woodlands.

Highlights

• Museum on the Great Famine built around the Strokestown estate archive
• Original documents such as the Cloonahee Petition of 1846
• Guided tour of the Palladian house with nursery, school room and galleried kitchen
• Victorian walled garden and Serpentine Woodlands
• Audio guides in six languages

Permanent exhibitions

• National Famine Museum – A self-guided museum telling the story of the Great Famine through the parallel lives of the landlord family and their tenants, with original documents, objects and audio-visual displays.
• Strokestown Park House guided tour – A one-hour tour of the Georgian Palladian house, including the nursery, the school room and the galleried kitchen.

Founded

1994

Operated by

Irish Heritage Trust

Admission & discounts

The prices shown are for the museum alone. Members of the Irish Heritage Trust enter free with a membership card and photo ID. The woodland is temporarily closed for building work. No pre-booking is needed for the museum, but booking is advised for the full ticket with the house tour.

Accessibility

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

The museum, café, gift shop and visitor centre are wheelchair accessible. The house is accessible on the ground floor only, and information on the first floor is available at the welcome desk. The garden paths are gravel and suit wheelchairs and buggies; the woodland walk has uneven surfaces. Assistance dogs are welcome throughout.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly

The museum offers a family activity guide and interactive displays and says it suits visitors of all ages. The house tour includes a nursery and a school room. The woodland has a fairy trail and an outdoor xylophone, but it is currently closed for building work. Seasonal family events include Easter egg hunts.

Getting there & parking

The museum is in the centre of Strokestown on Bawn Street, 144 km from Dublin and 23 km from Longford on the N5.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Wi-Fi

Woodland Café in the former granary and a gift shop with books and replica documents. Free Wi-Fi is available in the visitor centre and café only, not in the museum or the house. Dogs are welcome in the café and grounds but not in the museum or house.

Events & venue rental

• Spaces for rent
• Private parties
• Corporate events
• Weddings / ceremonies

Rooms in the museum and visitor centre, the vaulted stables and the Palladian house can be hired for meetings, conferences and celebrations.

Plan your visit