National Wax Museum Plus

Dublin's wax museum sits on Westmoreland Street, directly opposite Trinity College and next to the Bank of Ireland at College Green. Spread across three floors, the National Wax Museum Plus mixes Irish legends, international megastars, a horror chamber and a hands-on level you can actually touch – a colourful stop right in the city centre that works especially well on a rainy afternoon or with children in tow.

What you'll find

The collection leans heavily Irish: politicians, writers, sportspeople and freedom fighters stand alongside film villains, monsters and figures from myth and folklore. Most visitors will recognise Oscar Wilde or Easter Rising leader Patrick Pearse, but names like Patrick Sarsfield, Albert Reynolds or Gerry Ryan are far more obscure to anyone visiting from abroad.

That makes the internationally famous faces all the more welcome. In the Hall of Megastars you'll find U2, Phil Lynott, Elvis Presley, Madonna, James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, Yoda and Liam Neeson as Qui-Gon Jinn. Some figures in the Chamber of Horrors are even animated. And on the staircase, a slightly stiff wave awaits from the two popes, John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

The three floors

The museum spreads across roughly three floors and about 1,200 square metres. One highlight is downstairs: the old, heavy bank vaults now house the Time Vaults of Irish History – staged scenes from Irish history and mythology behind massive vault doors. These vaults close 30 minutes before the museum itself.

• Wax figures and Time Vaults: Irish personalities, megastars and the historical scenes inside the old bank vaults.
• Chamber of Horrors: the horror chamber, with some figures animated.
• Hands-on floor: a level with experiments to try out and a karaoke studio where you can film yourself as a pop star – often the real highlight for children.

Allow plenty of time for the top floor, where simply looking gives way to joining in.

Tickets and prices

Adults pay from €17.50, students and seniors from €14.50, children under 12 from €11.50; children under 5 go in free. The family ticket for two adults and two children starts at €56.00, with each extra child costing €5.00 more. Tickets can be booked online in advance, and the newsletter offers 10% off your first booking.

Turning up without a booking is usually no problem. During the July and August peak season the museum fills up noticeably, so booking a time slot online is worth it. Group tickets are available, along with murder-mystery and educational tours and children's birthday parties on request. For an overview of tickets and discount passes for Dublin's sights, see the guide Tickets.

Getting there and practical tips

It doesn't get much more central: the museum sits opposite Trinity College, within walking distance of Temple Bar, College Green and Grafton Street.

• Luas: The green line stops right outside at Westmoreland station, with Trinity the next stop heading south.
• Bus: Numerous routes stop nearby, including 16, 27, E1, E2, 4, 7, 19, G1 and G2. More in the guide Public Transport.

Open daily from 10:00 to 19:00, with last admission at 18:00. The museum is closed from 24 to 26 December. A low-sensory Autism Awareness Hour runs Sundays from 10:00 to 11:00. Allow about 1 to 1.5 hours for a visit; it's quietest first thing at opening or in the late afternoon.

If you have more time, the museum pairs well with its neighbours: Trinity College and the Book of Kells sits directly opposite, the Bank of Ireland's Parliament House is next door, and lively Temple Bar is just a few steps away. For more ideas on planning your day, see the overview Attractions.