The best things to do in Dublin with kids

Dublin’s history goes back millennia – but the Irish capital is perpetually young at heart. The city brims with memorable attractions and experiences, including or even especially for those traveling with younger family members.

From exploring Viking museums and kid-friendly galleries to wandering along bracing beaches and seeing deer in the park, here are the best things to do in Dublin with children.

Is Dublin good for kids?

Yes, most definitely. The city is very stroller friendly, and you’ll find playgrounds in neighborhoods all over.

“Cead míle fáilte” means “one hundred thousand welcomes” in the Irish language, and families and children are welcomed with open arms into most restaurants and pubs. However, the law states that children can’t stay in bars past 9pm (10pm from May to September). Many Dublin restaurant menus have a separate kids’ menu, and many hotels have family rooms or interconnecting rooms that can accommodate adults traveling with children.

If you don’t want to bring all your baby gear with you, Stork Rentals is a baby and children’s equipment-rental service based at Dublin Airport that uses quality brands.

Best things to do in Dublin with babies and toddlers

Visit the Dublin Zoo

With over 600 species of wild animals, tropical birds and reptiles, Dublin Zoo in Phoenix Park is all but a guaranteed hit . The well-planned layout is scattered with cafes, playgrounds and open-plan habitats such as African Savanna, home to giraffes, rhinos and ostriches; Gorilla Rainforesta huge enclosure housing lowland gorillas; and Sea Lion Cove, where you can watch sea lions swim underwater through huge underground glass panels. Even if your little ones have to stay in the stroller, they’ll be enthralled.

Meet the deer of Phoenix Park

One of the largest city parks in the world, this vast green oasis west of the city center provides a variety of options for little ones with lots of energy but short attention spans. In addition to Dublin Zoo, Phoenix Park contains ponds, meadows, rolling hills, walled gardens, cafes and the famous resident deer – which, let’s face it, are the real draw. They’re very calm around people; just don’t let curious little ones get too close. And never feed them.

Best things to do in Dublin with kids

Visit the “dead zoo”

There are no bells and whistles at the National Museum of Ireland, Merrion Street – also called the Natural History Museum or, affectionately, the “dead zoo.” One of Dublin’s quirkier treasures, it’s a throwback to the Victorian era that kids will love, especially when they catch a glimpse of the 40,000-year-old leg of a woolly mammoth, a giant whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling and row upon row of (real) stuffed animals.

Get a dose of culture at the Ark and the National Gallery

The city is sprinkled with child-friendly galleries and museums for rainy days, most of which you’ll find in the city center. Little thinkers and doers get busy down at the Ark cultural center in Temple Bar with age-specific programs from 2–12 that are designed around visual arts, music and crafts. A regular stream of workshops and mini-courses, often with leading Irish and international artists, are a sure-fire hit, especially in school holidays.

Encourage your budding Picassos while you get a culture hit at the National Gallery of Ireland, a good spot to wait out a rainstorm or escape the crowds. The "Through a Lens" range of self-guided tours selects artworks that can be enjoyed with babies and toddlers as well as family favorites. The museum also offers art workshops and a child-friendly cafe.

Wander the grounds of the Airfield Estate

The Airfield Estate is a bucolic surprise smack in the middle of the busy shopping area of Dundrum, just south of Dublin. Expect fabulous 38-acre retreat that swings between walking trails and gentle woodland to an adventure playground and working farm where kids can watch the cows being milked and help collect the hens’ eggs. The Overend family home and vintage-car garage are also open for visitors to explore.

In summer, there are daily drop-in workshops for kids on topics like ecology, mindfulness, gardening and knitting, plus a food market at the weekends. Bring a picnic and lie out on the grass, or enjoy farm-to-fork take-out from the superb Overends Kitchen.

Encounter leprechauns and Vikings

“Folklore made fun” is the basis of the fairy-tale trek at the Leprechaun Museum, where children over the age of 6 can experience what it’s like to live as a leprechaun in mythical Ireland. Across the Liffey, Dublinia brings a fun, child-friendly approach to the Viking Age, complete with sound effects, smells and reconstructions that will delight even the most easily bored youngster. Kids can try on medieval costumes, get locked up in the stocks and browse the selection of objects recovered from Wood Quay, the world’s largest Viking archaeological site.

Best things to do in Dublin with tweenagers and teenagers

Try some water sports in the city center

If you want some high-octane water adventure in a more controlled setting, head to Surf Dock at Grand Canal Dock, where you can rent paddleboards and kayaks and even try wakeboarding. If a lazy paddle is more your thing, you can see the city from another angle as you drift down the River Liffey under the Ha’Penny and O’Connell Street bridges with City Kayaking.

Take a day trip north to Howth, for a hike...

To the north of the city lies the pretty fishing village of Howth, chock-full of fine seafood restaurants, a seaside playground and the scenic Howth cliff walk. (While an ideal family excursion, the walk is not quite suited to younger children due to its varied terrain.) When you’ve finished, head back to the village for some well-earned fish and chips from Beshoffs while watching the resident seals splash about in the harbor. To discover hidden trails, take a walking tour with local guides.

...or south to Dún Laoghaire, for a swim

To the south are the great granite walls of Dún Laoghaire harbor, where you and your brood could easily while away an afternoon walking the pier, followed by a 99 (vanilla soft serve) from Teddy’s ice cream; a wander through People’s Park, where the kids can blow off some steam at the playground and parents can take a coffee break at Fallon & Byrne cafe; and a stroll through Sandycove to famous swimming spot the Forty Foot, taking the deep plunge – if you dare.

Go ghost hunting at Malahide Castle

Built in the 12th century by Richard Talbot, Malahide is a proper castle, complete with a gory history and beautiful gardens (which also contain the Casino Model Railway Museum, butterfly house, the wonderful Avoca cafe and a superb playground). Young ghost hunters might be interested in the resident ghosts said to haunt the castle’s halls, intent on ridding it of any Talbot heirs. After touring the house, hit the nearby beach for a stroll, followed by lunch in the pretty village.