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Dublin: EPIC Museum Entrance Ticket
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Around 70 million people worldwide claim Irish heritage, and EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum tells the story of how that happened. It’s housed in the restored CHQ Building in Dublin’s Docklands, a warehouse that once stored goods bound for the same ships that carried emigrants across the Atlantic. That context matters. You feel it as soon as you walk in.
EPIC covers the full sweep of the Irish diaspora: the reasons people left, the journeys they made, and the extraordinary things they built when they arrived. This isn’t a museum of glass cases and faded labels. It’s hands-on throughout, with 20 interactive galleries using touch screens, motion sensors, and audio-visual storytelling to draw you into individual stories. You’ll find Irish scientists, politicians, artists, soldiers, and outlaws who shaped communities on every continent. The approach is personal rather than academic, which is why it took home Europe’s Leading Tourist Attraction at the World Travel Awards three years in a row.
The self-guided format means you go at your own pace, and there’s no time limit on your visit. Some people spend an hour, others stay for three. The Irish Family History Centre is on site as well, worth knowing if you’re trying to trace your own roots.
The CHQ Building itself is worth a look as you arrive. Built in 1820, it was used to store tobacco, wine, and spirits under bond, and the cast-iron structure is still intact. The building is one of the finest examples of early 19th-century commercial architecture in Dublin.
If you’re tracing Irish ancestry, come with as much information as you already have: surnames, counties, approximate dates of emigration. The Family History Centre on site can help you search records and point you toward the right sources. It’s a practical resource, not just a display.
The Jeanie Johnston is a 2-minute walk from EPIC and tells the companion story from the other direction, what the Atlantic crossing actually looked like. The Jeanie Johnston is a replica of a 19th-century tall ship that carried emigrants to North America without losing a single passenger. Booking both in the same afternoon makes sense if the emigration story is what you came for.
The Docklands has changed dramatically in the last 20 years and the area around the CHQ Building is now home to some good cafes and restaurants along the quays. It’s a pleasant place to walk along the River Liffey either before or after your visit, especially if the weather is behaving.
If you have children with you, EPIC holds up well. The interactive design means they’re not standing in front of cases waiting to move on. The motion sensor quizzes especially tend to get a good reaction.