The Guinness Storehouse: One Of Dublin’s #1 Activities
After a week of touring the Irish countryside, our very first stop in Dublin had to be the Guinness Storehouse. It turned out to be a perfect introduction to the city. What could be better than a couple pints of the black stuff while sitting at the top of a building with 360-degree views of the capital?
After all, Guinness is probably one of the first things you think of when you think of Ireland. It’s become so entwined with the culture of the country that visiting the Guinness Storehouse is a must-do if you find yourself in Dublin.
Updated September 2024
Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, I will earn a small commission. This occurs at no added cost to you.
What to Expect on Your Guinness Storehouse Tour
If you’ve done brewery tours before, you’ll quickly realize that the Guinness Storehouse is different from what you’re familiar with. It’s actually not a brewery at all, but rather a museum going through the history of Guinness with a brief detour into how beer is made.
The Guinness Storehouse is divided into seven floors with each having its own theme or layout. It’s nicely organized in a way that makes the visit simple and efficient.
Here’s what you can expect at each exhibit.
The Story of Guinness – Ground Floor
The first floor of the Guinness Storehouse is the part of the tour that is most like a traditional brewery tour. You learn more about the five ingredients that make up beer and some interesting facts about how Guinness is produced.
For me, this was the least interesting part of the whole tour. I drink my fair share of beer, so I already knew a lot of this information. If you’re a beer amateur, it should be interesting.
What it does have, though, is a lot of fun audio/visual effects that make for good photos and videos. The designers seemed to have Instagram in mind when they assembled these exhibits.
Meet Arthur Guinness – First Floor
The second floor is a bit of a mishmash of exhibits, but they all have the connecting thread of explaining the history of Guinness. It starts with an area discussing Arthur Guinness and how he started the Guinness brand. You can even view the document from 1759 granting Arthur Guinness a 9,000-year lease to the St. James brewery space.
Next, walk to the exhibit detailing how coopers made the barrels to store and transport the black stuff. This is a very well-done area with old videos showing the difficulty of the work, text documents to read and tools of the trade. If you read my article on the Jameson Experience Tour, you know that I think barrels are interesting stuff, and this exhibit is no different!
The final highlight of this floor is the large, hand carved pint of Guinness covered with various illustrations showing the history of Guinness. It’s a beautiful piece of art. You’ll want to look at it up close to see each scene, but make sure to step back to take it all in, too.
The Tasting Experience – Second Floor
The Tasting Experience is a tour through the various smells that go into creating the unique taste of Guinness.
I remember seeing this part of the tour, but for some reason, we skipped it. Neither Michelle nor I can recall why we didn’t do it. I think it had something to do with the time because we were touring the Guinness Storehouse towards the end of the day. Maybe they were closing? Who knows!
Guinness World of Advertising – Third Floor
This floor was easily my favorite of the Guinness Storehouse. I’ve always loved the quirkiness of some of Guinness’s advertising campaigns, so it was a lot of fun seeing these exhibits in person.
There are statues of well-known characters, posters from old advertising campaigns, collectible trinkets and buttons, a mechanical fish on a bicycle…wait, what? Yep, there’s a mechanical fish riding a bicycle.
Some of it is a bit surreal, but that’s the best part of much of Guinness’s advertising.
Another highlight is the immersive theater showing famous Guinness ads. I’m not sure how many commercials they show, but I stood in there for around 10 minutes and saw a few excellent commercials that I couldn’t recall seeing in America. It’s worth checking out for at least a few minutes.
The Guinness Academy – Fourth Floor
If you’ve watched an expert bartender pour a Guinness, you might have noticed that it’s a precise process that takes just under two minutes to do correctly. At the Guinness Academy, you’ll learn for yourself how to do the perfect pour of a Guinness Stout.
The Guinness Academy was closed when we visited due to Covid precautions, but it has since reopened to the public.
The Connoisseur Experience
If you really want to get a more intimate experience with Guinness, the Connoisseur Experience is for you. Here, a Guinness Beer Specialist will take you through a tasting tour of four of their most popular beers. The specialist will also provide more details on the craft and history that has gone into making each beer what it is today.
Unfortunately, the Connoisseur Experience was closed when we visited due to Covid precautions.
Guinness Storehouse Gravity Bar
The Guinness Storehouse saves its best for last. After all that walking through the lower floors, it’s time to sit back and relax while taking in some of the best views in Dublin. If that isn’t enough, did I mention you get a complimentary Guinness with your entry into the storehouse?
That’s right! You get your choice of one Guinness beer as part of your visit to the Guiness Storehouse. So, enjoy that staple of Irish culture while taking in those gorgeous views.
Don’t worry if you aren’t a fan of Guinness Stout. There are several options to choose from to serve every palate. I actually chose a Guinness Porter because I had had so much Guinness Stout throughout the rest of our trip. It was a nice change of pace, but I do kind of wish I had stuck with the stout because the moment seemed to call for it.
It’s important to note you can only visit the Gravity Bar by purchasing a ticket to tour the rest of the Guinness Storehouse. Additionally, you cannot have more than one drink at the Gravity Bar. Once you’re done with your complimentary drink, you have to leave. So, take your time and relish those views.
After the Tour
Once you’re done with the Gravity Bar, your tour of the Guinness Storehouse is complete. But that doesn’t mean you have to go home just yet.
Head down to the fifth floor to have a drink and some food at either Arthur’s Bar or 1837 Bar & Brasserie. Arthur’s Bar is walk-up only whereas 1837 Bar & Brasserie requires a reservation.
If you visit either, try a Black Velvet cocktail. It’s a mix of Guinness Extra Stout with sparkling white wine. It doesn’t sound like it would be very good, but you’ll thank me after!
Final Thoughts on the Guinness Storehouse Tour
The Guinness Storehouse is one of the top-rated attractions in Dublin for good reason. It offers an extensive history of the history of this iconic piece of Ireland while giving you a view of the city that you won’t get anywhere else.
I would like to see a tour of the actual Guinness brewery without having to pay extra, but this is the next best thing. Even if the museum were only the Guinness World of Advertising and the Gravity Bar, it would be worth the price of admission. They could maybe move things around to make the ground floor more interesting, but other than that I don’t have any big complaints.
Ticket Options for the Guinness Storehouse
General admission starts at €20 and gives you access to each floor of the storehouse. Your admission also includes a pint at the Gravity Bar.
If you’re looking for a kitschy add-on to your admission, you can spend an additional €8 for a STOUTie. What’s a STOUTie, you ask? It’s your selfie created in the head of a Guinness pint. It’s a bit touristy, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
Other experiences you can purchase are the Guinness Academy and the Connoisseur Experience, which are each an additional €12 and €75, respectively.
An additional option I didn’t describe above is the Guinness Storehouse plus tastings at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery. The tasting limited-edition beers being brewed up this Guinness-owned brewery. You can purchase this for another €17.
How to Get to the Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is located in the western part of the Liberties neighborhood in Dublin. If you’re coming from one of the hotels along Meath Street, it’s about a five-minute walk west along Thomas Street.
If you can, turn left on Crane Street from Thomas Street to get to the entrance. The walk along this street has the iconic Guinness gate that you may have seen on social media. There’s also some other Guinness-themed street art along the way. My favorite was the 3D Guinness toucan balancing a pint of Guinness on its beak!
Once you turn off Thomas Street, you’ll see plenty of large signs pointing you in the direction of the entrance to the Guinness Storehouse.
Thank you for reading this post. Paul Passing Through is a labor of love to which I’ve dedicated a lot of free time. If you’d like to show your support for my blog, you can Buy Me a Coffee to help fund the future of Paul Passing Through. I appreciate any contributions!
Resources to Book Your Trip to the Guinness Storehouse
Whether you’re looking for tours, hotels or flights, here are some tools to help get you started planning your trip to Ireland!
Look for activities and tours offered through GetYourGuide or Viator!
Search Flights
Still can’t find what you’re looking for? Check out my travel essentials pages for more of my recommendations.
Pin This Post!
