Morsilla

One day in Dublin, Ireland

One day in Dublin with children can begin at the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology on Kildare Street, continue to Collins Barracks for Decorative Arts & History and the Dead Zoo Lab natural history galleries, and finish in Phoenix Park at Dublin Zoo via Dublin Bus route 99.

Children are 2 to 11 years old; infants are under 2.

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Updated 23 October 2026

Plan your trip to Dublin

National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology on Kildare Street in the morning

Start in Dublin city centre at the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology on Kildare Street, Dublin 2. Admission is free and families do not need to book in advance. The museum opens Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on Sunday and Monday from 13:00 to 17:00, with a recommended last entry time of 16:30.

Inside, children can explore permanent exhibitions including Viking Ireland, Ór – Ireland's Gold, The Treasury, Kingship and Sacrifice, Medieval Ireland 1150–1550 and Ancient Egypt. Accessible toilets are on the ground floor beyond the central rotunda, and baby-changing facilities are provided in all toilet facilities throughout the building.

Collins Barracks and the Dead Zoo Lab at midday

Head west to the National Museum of Ireland – Decorative Arts & History at Collins Barracks on Benburb Street, Dublin 7, which is also free to enter and open Tuesday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday and Monday from 13:00 to 17:00 (with late opening until 20:00 on the last Thursday of every month). All galleries at Collins Barracks are accessible for pushchairs and strollers via four lifts in the main reception area and two lifts in the Soldiers and Chiefs exhibition, and wheelchairs are available at reception.

While the Natural History building on Merrion Street is closed for renovation works, Collins Barracks hosts the free Dead Zoo Lab exhibition space. Families can see roughly 1,300 natural history specimens spanning mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, insects, geology and marine life, including delicate 19th-century glass marine models crafted by father-and-son glass artisans Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka.

Dublin Zoo in Phoenix Park in the afternoon

From nearby Parkgate Street or Heuston Station (a 20-minute walk from the zoo gate), ride Dublin Bus route 99—which runs seven days a week between 09:00 and 18:30 between Parkgate Street and the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre—directly to the Dublin Zoo stop in Phoenix Park. Dublin Zoo opens daily at 09:30, closing at 18:00 from March to September (last admission 17:00), 17:30 in October (last admission 16:30), 17:00 in February (last admission 16:00), and 16:00 in January, November and December (last admission 15:00).

Explore habitats housing more than 400 animals and 2,000 plant species, including the African Savanna with giraffes, southern white rhinos, zebras, ostriches and scimitar-horned oryx; the Kaziranga Forest Trail elephant herd; The Himalayan Hills with red pandas and snow leopards; and Zoorassic World, home to living reptiles and Stan, a life-size Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton.

Sea Lion Cove and The Family Farm before closing

Before the African Plains habitat closes (30 minutes before the main zoo closing time), stop at Sea Lion Cove for the underwater viewing area—where sea lion presentations take place at 14:15 daily in summer and on weekends in winter—and visit The Nocturnal House (open from 10:30) to spot Madagascar aye-ayes.

Finish at The Family Farm, where children can meet cows, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, rabbits and chickens and try milking a life-size dairy cow model, then take Dublin Bus route 99 back to Parkgate Street or walk 20 minutes to Heuston Station for Luas and rail connections.

Plan your one day in Dublin

Check museum hours if you visit on a Sunday or Monday: both National Museum of Ireland sites (Kildare Street and Collins Barracks) open at 13:00 rather than 10:00 on Sundays and Mondays, so start your morning at Dublin Zoo (open daily from 09:30) and visit the museums in the afternoon on those days. Both museum sites close on Christmas Day, St Stephen's Day and Good Friday, and cloakroom storage is restricted to small bags.

Two central museum buildings are currently closed: the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History at Merrion Street is closed for works (visit the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks instead), and the Chester Beatty museum in Dublin Castle is closed from 15 June through the end of December 2026. At Dublin Zoo, visitors under 16 must be accompanied by an adult, 12 loaner wheelchairs are available at the Visitor Operations Office, and a Changing Places bathroom is located beside the Discovery & Learning Centre behind Family Farm.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Are the National Museum of Ireland sites in Dublin free for families?

Yes. Admission is free at both the National Museum of Ireland – Archaeology on Kildare Street and Decorative Arts & History (including the Dead Zoo Lab) at Collins Barracks, and advance booking is only required for groups of eight or more.

Is the Natural History Museum on Merrion Street open?

No. The Merrion Street Natural History building is closed for works, but families can see approximately 1,300 natural history specimens and the Blaschka glass marine models free of charge at the Dead Zoo Lab at Collins Barracks.

How do you get to Dublin Zoo by public transport?

Dublin Bus route 99 runs seven days a week from 09:00 to 18:30 between Parkgate Street and the Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and stops directly at Dublin Zoo. You can also take the Luas or train to Heuston Station and walk 20 minutes to the zoo.

What time is last admission at Dublin Zoo?

Last admission at Dublin Zoo is always one hour before closing time (17:00 from March to September, 16:30 in October, 16:00 in February, and 15:00 in January, November and December), and the African Plains habitat closes 30 minutes before the main zoo closes.