Irish Rock N Roll Museum: What the Tour Is Like

The Irish Rock N Roll Museum is a small guided museum inside a real music venue, so the tour is more like a backstage visit than a gallery walk. This guide covers the cost, the route, what you see and how to fit in a night out afterwards.

Dublin Castle is closed to visitors until January 2027, so a music tour is a good plan for now. You can still look at Dublin Castle pictures and plan a visit for later.

Step 1: Know what the Irish Rock N Roll Museum tour is and what it costs

The museum is a guided tour of about 60 to 75 minutes, and adult tickets cost €22 to €26. The museum's plan your visit page says prices vary with weekends and high season. It lists €19 to €23 for students, seniors and teens, €15 to €19 for a child, and €65 to €79 for a family of two adults and two children. Children under 5 go free.

Doors are open seven days a week. The first tour starts at 10:30 and the last tour at 17:00. Groups are small, with up to 12 people and a maximum of 15, as the museum's FAQ states.

Each tour lasts 60 to 75 minutes, per the museum. Its home page says 60 minutes, and the booking listing says 75, so plan on the longer time.

Key Takeaway Expect a guided tour of 60 to 75 minutes, from €22 for adults, with no self-guided option.

Step 2: Find the museum entrance on Curved Street

The museum is on Curved Street in Temple Bar, at the entrance to the Button Factory music venue. The address is Curved Street, Temple Bar, Dublin 2. The reception area is on your right as you reach the Button Factory door.

From Dame Street, the museum gives these directions. Turn onto Temple Lane, then take the next left onto Curved Street, a small pedestrian lane. If you arrive by DART, the museum suggests Tara Street station. Walk up the Quays to the Ha'penny Bridge, climb the steps to Merchants Arch and cross Temple Bar Square.

Buses stop on Dame Street and College Green near the museum. The museum lists routes 9, 13, 16, 27, 40, 54a, 65, 65b, 68, 77a, 83 and 150. You cannot tap a bank card on Dublin Bus, Luas or DART today, because Transport for Ireland's contactless news covers only some Local Link buses so far. Use a Leap card or cash, and see getting around Dublin for the options.

Pro Tip From Dame Street, turn left onto Temple Lane and then take the next left onto Curved Street. Reception is on your right, at the Button Factory entrance.

Step 3: Know what you see on the Irish Rock N Roll Museum tour

The tour takes you through rehearsal rooms, a cinema, a stage and a recording studio, and a guide tells the stories as you go. The museum's group page describes the route. It starts in the Temple Lane rehearsal studios and moves on to a short film on the history of Irish music in the cinema.

Next comes the Jam Room, where your group can play in a rehearsal room. Then you visit the Green Room, where you can read rider requests that the Button Factory has received from famous acts. After that you go up to the Button Factory stage. You finish in a second building on Cecilia Street, in Apollo Studios, home of the Thin Lizzy collection.

The museum's tour page lists a U2 Room and a Thin Lizzy Room. It also names Rory Gallagher Corner and one of Ireland's largest framed vinyl collections. The Thin Lizzy room holds Phil Lynott's guitars and juke box, plus his school report card.

A music museum is easiest to enjoy when a guide tells the stories behind the objects.

There is one clear limit. The museum is in an old building and is not wheelchair accessible. It is not suitable for children under 5, and the museum recommends ages 7 and up. If you want a museum that suits all ages and abilities, look at the Little Museum of Dublin or EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum instead. The Little Museum says it is wheelchair accessible.

Step 4: Book your ticket for the Irish Rock N Roll Museum

You can book online or walk in, but the museum advises booking ahead because of demand. Walk-ins are welcome at reception. You can buy the same tour from the museum or through a listing. The Irish Rock 'N' Roll Museum guided tour is run by the museum itself.

A ticket is from €22 per person, rated 4.7 from 411 reviews, with free cancellation. The listing says the tour lasts 75 minutes and is offered in English or French. It does not include access to restricted areas or concert tickets. The meeting point is the museum on Curved Street.

A private tour is possible too. Private groups can have up to 15 people, and you can ask for a tour that focuses on your favourite artists. The museum's group page states a starting price of €14.40 for tailored tours, so ask for a quote.

Step 5: Plan an evening in Temple Bar after the museum

The easiest next step is a live music night in Temple Bar, because the museum is already in the middle of it. For ideas on pubs and venues, see bars in Temple Bar Dublin.

The Temple Bar pub says its live traditional music runs from opening time until closing. It opens at 10:30 on weekdays, and it closes at 01:30 from Monday to Wednesday and at 02:30 from Thursday to Saturday. It takes no bookings or reservations, so arrive early for a table.

In Things to Do in Dublin's count of GetYourGuide listings on 25 October 2026, 6 listings with "music" in the title cost from €25 to €79 per person. Two of them fit a museum day well.

For real sessions with a guide, try the traditional music pub tour with a local musician. It is run by Real Dublin, lasts 3 hours and starts at the Skyview Tower on Arran Quay in Smithfield. The price is from €67 per person, rated 4.9 from 128 reviews, with free cancellation. It includes one small Guinness at each of three pubs. Food is not included, so eat first. It is not suitable for under 18s, and good mobility is needed.

For a lighter night, the Irish music and dance show with a dance lesson is run by The Irish Dance Party In Dublin. It lasts 2 hours and meets upstairs at The Merchants Arch Bar on Wellington Quay. A ticket is from €25 per person, rated 4.6 from 1,455 reviews, with free cancellation. Food and drink are not included.

Prices and ratings as shown on GetYourGuide on 25 October 2026.