Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
A rediscovered medieval gem and its demesne
Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
A rediscovered medieval gem and its demesne
26 October 2025:
A Road Closure Order will be in place for the upcoming Dublin Marathon event that will take place in the Phoenix Park on Sunday 26 October 2025
All roads and gates will re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.
All road closing orders are also available to view on the homepage of www.phoenixpark.ie
Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
Ashtown Castle is a tower house that probably dates from the seventeenth century, but may be as early as the fifteenth.
For years it was completely hidden within the walls of a Georgian mansion once occupied by the under-secretary for Ireland. When that house was demolished in the late 1980s, the castle was rediscovered. It has since been fully restored and now welcomes visitors.
Surrounding the castle is Ashtown Demesne, which boasts a plethora of attractions. Chief among them is the walled kitchen garden, which has being beautifully restored to its original Victorian layout. There are also woodland walks, picnic areas and a universal-access playground.
The Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, adjoining the castle, contains an entertaining exhibition on the park’s history from 3500 BC right through to the present day. There is a charming restaurant in the visitor-centre grounds.
Gallery
Opening Times
Note : 26 October 2025: A Road Closure Order will be in place for the upcoming Dublin Marathon event that will take place in the Phoenix Park on Sunday 26 October 2025. All roads and gates will re-open as soon as it is safe to do so.
All road closing orders are also available to view on the homepage of www.phoenixpark.ie*
Open throughout the year .
Daily 09:30- 18:00
Last admission 17:00
Average Length of Visit: 1 hour.
The Victorian Kitchen Walled Garden, beside the Visitor Centre, is open to the public daily from 10:00 to 16:00
Closed 25, 26, 30 and 31 December
Notice
Please note that the visitor centre may be closed to the public at short notice. We are sorry for any inconvenience that may be caused.
Getting Here
4km from centre of Dublin in the Phoenix Park, signposted from the Phoenix Monument.
Click the relevant icon below to open Maps directions
Facilities
- Art
- Audio Description
- Audio Visual Show
- AV presentation
- Baby Changing
- Bike Trail
- Bookshop
- Brochure
- Café
- Car park
- Changing exhibitions
- Coach parking
- Exhibition
- Family Toilet
- Guided tours
- Interpretive exhibit
- Lift
- Picnic Area
- Playground
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Wheelchair Accessible Toilet
Restrictions
- Appropriate footwear
- Dogs on lead
Nearby sites to visit
Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
Áras an Uachtaráin
A taste of presidential elegance
Approx. 1.0 km from Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
Phoenix Park and Biodiversity Centre
Where Dublin goes to breathe
Approx. 1.1 km from Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
Grangegorman Military Cemetery
Remembering the fallen of the British Empire
Approx. 1.8 km from Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle
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Resources
Social Guide
Download, print and read our social guide (PDF) about visiting Phoenix Park Visitor Centre – Ashtown Castle. This will help first-time visitors, families and people with developmental and learning disabilities to prepare for a visit to Phoenix Park Visitor Centre – Ashtown Castle.
Download the Social Guide