What can I see in the National Museum of Ireland- Natural History?
In August 2022, we reopened the ground floor only of the museum following a closure to enable building works. On your visit you’ll be able to see the Irish Animals, including our iconic Giant Irish Deer, a selection of our Blaschka glass models and the Wonder Cabinet, with its hands-on display for inquisitive young minds.
What is the next step in the National Museum of Ireland - Natural History Refurbishment?
The refurbishment of the NMI – Natural History is a flagship project for the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media under the National Development Plan and will be delivered by the National Museum of Ireland working in partnership with the Office of Public Works.
Architects Fitzgerald Kavanagh & Partners have now been appointed to lead the integrated design team for the refurbishment of the National Museum of Ireland – Natural History. This appointment marks the beginning of the first phase of the design works and will see the building close this September to enable the full decant of specimens and commencement of investigative work which will inform the extensive refurbishment required.
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Further information about the redevelopment plan
Why is this refurbishment necessary?
The Natural History Museum was constructed in 1856 and is often referred to as a ‘Museum in a Museum’. A magnificent Victorian artefact in its own right, it has changed very little in the last 168 years. A full refurbishment of the building is necessary to ensure that the building is protected, conserved, and made accessible for future generations. The refurbishment project will also address long-standing issues with accessibility, enhance the museum experience and engage visitors with the Museum’s unique collection and role in addressing biodiversity loss and climate change.
What exactly is the scope of the project?
The project extends to the entire NMI – Natural History building and included in the scope is:
- A comprehensive refurbishment of the Museum which will meet best practise sustainability and environmental control standards.
- Improved collections care, collections management and stewardship.
- Addressing accessibility issues including lifts, internal staircases and upper balcony areas.
- Creating additional learning, exhibition and multi-functional spaces within the historic building.
- Protecting, restoring and conserving the historic building fabric and improving health and safety, including fire safety.
Didn’t the Natural History Museum already close, why is it closing again?
In 2010, the Museum had to close the upper galleries due to their unsuitability for safe visitor access. In 2020, the Museum closed temporarily to facilitate the removal of the whale skeletons suspended from the roof and the packing and removal of 20,000 specimens, and in order to install an internal platform and environmental seal. This internal platform structure is protecting the building and its contents, while also enabling initial investigative works on the roof and informing the overall project scope more accurately.
Since the Museum reopened in 2022 only the ground floor has been open to the public. This next phase will see the complete closure of the NMI – Natural History to the public from September 2nd, to enable the remaining 10,000 specimens to be carefully wrapped up and removed from the building, followed by the development of the design and planning for the extensive conservation and refurbishment works.
How long will it be closed?
The building will close to the public on September 2nd. The investigative works and design phase will determine the full programme of works, duration and total cost of the project. Everyone working on the project wants to ensure that it is only closed for the minimum amount of time possible.
What will happen the Natural History Museum collection when the Dead Zoo is closed?
The natural history collection will be moved to the Museum’s collection storage facility, and also to a new ‘Dead Zoo Lab’ which will be developed in the Riding School at the National Museum of Ireland Collins Barracks site from Spring 2024. The Dead Zoo lab is being created to ensure that the public can still visit some favourite specimens when the Dead Zoo is closed, such as Spoticus the Giraffe and the Giant Irish Deer, and also some specimens that haven’t been on display for years such as the collection of Blaschka glass models of marine life.
I want to visit before it closes - can I reserve a space / visit?
At the moment there is no need to reserve a space, our opening times can be found on our website.
All groups that wish to visit the Museum must book in advance through the Bookings Office. Due to reduced capacity and expected visitor volumes there will be restrictions on group visits to the Museum. Please see further information outlined below.
How much is it to enter?
Entrance to the museum is free, but if you would like to support our work, you can make a donation online or when you visit.
How long will my visit take?
Your visit should take approximately 45 minutes. However, due to significant demand there may be long queues for entry. This is particularly the case on school holidays and weekends, when queuing times may be over one hour. If you have special requirements, which means queuing is difficult, during the week please contact the Bookings Office please contact bookings@museum.ie for further information or if at the weekend please let NMI staff know.
Due to the limited capacity and high demand, group visits are scheduled for a duration of 45 minutes and must be made through our bookings office bookings@museum.ie.
Can groups visit?
All groups that wish to visit the NMI - Natural History, including educational visits, Summer Provision and community groups, must book in advance through the Bookings Office.
Due to reduced capacity and expected visitor volumes, we’re unable to accommodate groups such as International schools, colleges and universities based in Ireland or abroad, after-school groups, summer camps and language schools, tour groups and special interest groups for visits at the NMI – Natural History in July or August 2024. We apologise for any disappointment.
If you wish to enquire about arranging a group visit to the Museum, please visit the Bookings Office and Group Visits page for more information.
As there is greater capacity we recommend our other Dublin sites or our site in Co Mayo for group visits
Can I have a tour for my class?
Curriculum-linked tours and workshops for primary & post-primary schools are currently booked out. Please visit the Engage And Learn | Natural History pages for more information on classroom resources and activities. You can also tour the building virtually on our website.
What is there for families to do?
Individuals and family groups no longer require tickets to visit, as entry is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. If a family member has special requirements which means queuing is difficult, please contact the Bookings Office at bookings@museum.ie for further information or if at the weekend please let NMI staff on site know.
We have activity sheets for younger visitors to enjoy, including a seasonal trail and ‘My Favourite Animal’. You can pick up a copy at our reception area. Don’t Forget Your Pencil! You can find out more about events for families by checking out the event listings on the Events Section.
Can I touch any of the displays?
Most of our displays are very fragile and should not be touched, but our Wonder Cabinet has some specially selected objects that you can touch, from the softest fur to a piece of Giant Deer fossil over 10,000 years old. You can find more information here.
Why is only the ground floor open?
The rest of the Museum is a building site, to enable investigative works throughout the building and the roof. The Office of Public Works (OPW) have built a roof access platform underneath the glass ceiling to enable access to the roof and understand the structure of the building, which is over 160 years old. These investigative works will all contribute to the detailed design & planning stage. We will aim to keep the ground floor of the building open for as long as possible during the design and planning stage. In the meantime, you can visit the first floor, and the upper balconies virtually.
Why can’t we see the animals upstairs?
The work we have been carrying out over the last three years has been to enable a bespoke platform to be inserted into the building just below the roof. This will enable investigative roof works to occur as well as a greater understanding of the building fabric to enable the design and planning stage. Our Natural History Team spent almost a year carefully packing and moving over twenty thousand specimens, including our whale skeletons and Spotticus the giraffe, from the upper galleries and first floor, so they would be safe while the building phase of the work took place. That building phase lasted until the end of June 2022 with the reopening of the ground floor occurring in August 2022.
Find out more on our Tales of the Decant webpage, where you can hear about the work that took place behind the scenes.
When will the first floor be open again?
The National Museum of Ireland – Natural History was built in 1856 and has changed very little in the last 166 years. The building is showing its age and work is now underway to address some of the problems – in particular the roof. This work will take some time. We will be keeping our visitors updated on the progress of this exciting project. Learn more about our redevelopment plan.
Is the Museum now fully wheelchair accessible?
The ground floor of the museum is wheelchair accessible. We will be making the first floor of the museum accessible as part of our re-development project. Learn more about our redevelopment plan.
Is sketching permitted in the galleries?
Yes. We are delighted to see people sketching our specimens.
Be mindful of the view of other visitors, any groups that wish to arrange a sketching visit must contact the Bookings Office too, in advance. Due to the limited capacity and high demand, all visits, including sketching visits, are limited to 45 minutes in duration.
Is photography permitted in the galleries?
Yes, we encourage photography, but we don’t have space for tripods and please don’t use flash photography.
Are there dinosaurs?
When the dinosaurs were alive, Ireland was under the ocean, so there are almost no dinosaur fossils found in Ireland and we don’t have any dinosaur fossils on display. However, we do have a lot of birds on display, from tiny wrens to huge eagles, and they are all the modern descendants of the dinosaurs. We do also have some fossils on display in the Irish Room, like our iconic Giant Irish Deer.
How do I learn about upcoming onsite and online events and tours?
To discover upcoming onsite and online events and tours for the public, including families and adults, please check the Events Section.
Teachers, check out the online schools' programmes and updates for site visits.
To keep up to date and be one of the first to know about forthcoming events sign up to the newsletter here.
Why is the basking shark still falling apart?
While we were closed, our work was focused on moving over twenty thousand objects from the upper floors of the Museum. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to conserve some of our historic specimens like the basking shark, which will need specialist repairs. If you would like to help us in funding this kind of work, please visit our donations page.
Is there anywhere we can have lunch? Is there a café?
We don’t have a café in the museum but there are lots of local cafés near the museum.
Is there a baby change facility on-site?
Yes, there is a baby change facility in the accessible toilet beside the ground floor reception area.
Is there anywhere I can leave my pram/buggy?
The ground floor is fully accessible: prams and buggies can be brought along with you on your visit.
Is the shop open?
The shop is temporarily closed but you can support the work of the Museum and purchase Natural History themed products and books at our shops in the National Museum of Ireland- Archaeology and Decorative Arts & History in Dublin and National Museum of Ireland- Country Life shop in Castlebar Co. Mayo. Purchases made from these shops go on to support the work of the National Museum of Ireland.
How can I support the re-development project?
Please leave a donation in the donation boxes in the museum or online.
Your donation supports our work.
I enjoyed my visit: How do I show my appreciation?
Please leave a review on trip advisor or via our social media platforms. You can also email marketing@museum.ie You can also leave a donation.
I have a further question which is not covered by the above, who do I contact?
Please send an email to marketing@museum.ie