National Museum of Ireland, Merrion Street

A museum display of Irish Elk skeletons with intact antlers on a chequered floor with additional animal displays behind
Model elephant wrapped in white paper and back tape standing on a wooden display
Mahogany coloured display cases with artefacts in a museum setting
  • Family friendly
  • Rainy days
  • Free to visit
The National Museum of Ireland, Merrion Street in Dublin City is currently closed to the public for a full refurbishment project. However, some of the collections are now on display in the Dead Zoo Lab at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks.

The National Museum of Ireland, Merrion Street in Dublin City, affectionately known as the Dead Zoo, has remained largely unchanged since it opened in 1857, just before Darwin published On the Origin of Species.

The museum features galleries of Irish animals and geological exhibits from a collection of around two million specimens. Famous for its Victorian cabinet style displays, the museum showcases both living and extinct Irish wildlife. It has also served as a filming location for shows like Ripper Street and Penny Dreadful.

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