Saturday Guided Tours - Limavady Workhouse Museum

What to Expect

Limavady Workhouse Museum, on Benevenagh Drive on the edge of the town, opens every Saturday for 45-minute guided tours led by heritage professionals, offered at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm. The workhouse was built in 1842 under the Poor Law and later operated as Roe Valley Hospital until 1998, and the tours take in nearly two centuries of Irish social history through its original corridors, dormitories, dining halls and infirmary wards, most of which survive largely unaltered. Guides cover the experiences of the workhouse’s residents, including themes of hardship, family separation and resilience, drawing on the building’s near-continuous use as an institution over more than 150 years and on records and oral testimony gathered from former hospital staff and patients. A self-guided option on the ground floor is available for visitors who cannot manage the stairs and uneven floors on the full guided route, so the site remains accessible even if the upper storeys are not. Because the tours run every week, they suit both first-time visitors passing through Limavady and local residents wanting to bring family or friends back for a return visit, and the museum sometimes layers extra themed programming, such as talks or special openings, on top of the standard Saturday slots.

Good to Know

• Every Saturday, guided tours at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm, each lasting around 45 minutes
• Booking required via Eventbrite ahead of your chosen slot; the museum does not offer refunds
• The main guided tour involves stairs and uneven floors; a self-guided ground-floor option suits visitors with mobility concerns
• Suitable for all ages
• Free parking is available on site
• Additional special programming, including themed talks, is sometimes added on top of the regular Saturday openings

Getting There

The museum sits on Benevenagh Drive at the edge of Limavady town, with free on-site parking and Limavady’s town centre bus links a short distance away.