Dublinia
Interactive Viking and medieval museum beside Christ Church with costumed guides, hands-on exhibits and a 96-step climb up St Michael’s Tower.
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About
Dublinia is a living-history museum beside Christ Church that lets families step through Viking and medieval Dublin under one roof. The visit moves floor by floor: first through Viking streets with a rebuilt longhouse, warship and everyday objects, then into the noise and grime of medieval lanes, markets and a merchant’s house. Kids can handle replica artefacts, try on helmets, write their name in Viking runes and follow simple trails at their own pace. Costumed guides chat about coin minting, crafts, cures and battles, and there is a short film that flies over a digital version of the old city. Most families spend around an hour and a half working through everything. If legs allow, you can finish by climbing the 96 steps of St Michael’s Tower for city views, which older children usually love.
- Three linked exhibitions covering Viking Dublin, Medieval Dublin and archaeology through the History Hunters displays.
- Costumed living-history guides who chat about everything from Viking crafts and coin minting to medieval medicine and daily life.
- Hands-on elements where children can handle replica artefacts, try on helmets and write their name using the Viking runic alphabet.
- A short audio-visual film that flies over a digital recreation of medieval Dublin from a child’s point of view.
- A 96-step climb up St Michael’s Tower for views over the city for visitors who are comfortable with stairs and heights.
- Option to buy a combined ticket with Christ Church Cathedral, linked by the enclosed medieval bridge over the street.
Where to find it
Good to know
About
Dublinia is a living-history museum beside Christ Church that lets families step through Viking and medieval Dublin under one roof. The visit moves floor by floor: first through Viking streets with a rebuilt longhouse, warship and everyday objects, then into the noise and grime of medieval lanes, markets and a merchant’s house. Kids can handle replica artefacts, try on helmets, write their name in Viking runes and follow simple trails at their own pace. Costumed guides chat about coin minting, crafts, cures and battles, and there is a short film that flies over a digital version of the old city. Most families spend around an hour and a half working through everything. If legs allow, you can finish by climbing the 96 steps of St Michael’s Tower for city views, which older children usually love.