Phoenix Park Visitor Centre and Guided Tours

What to Expect

At over 700 hectares, the Phoenix Park is one of the largest enclosed city parks in Europe and one of Dublin’s great outdoor treasures. Home to the President of Ireland’s residence Aras an Uachtarain, Dublin Zoo, the US Ambassador’s residence, historic forts and monuments, and a herd of over 400 fallow deer that roam freely across the park, it is a genuinely extraordinary place to spend time.

The Phoenix Park Visitor Centre, housed in the restored 17th-century Ashtown Castle, offers free admission with exhibits on the history of the park from its origins as a royal deer park through to the present day. Guided tours of the park are available on selected days, taking visitors through the landscape, wildlife and stories of this remarkable urban green space.

Spring and early summer are an ideal time to visit, with the deer visible most mornings in the grasslands, wildflowers coming into bloom and the walled kitchen garden at the Visitor Centre looking its best. Entry to the park itself is always free, every day of the year.

Good to Know

• Phoenix Park and Visitor Centre open year-round
• Visitor Centre admission free; check phoenixpark.ie for opening hours
• Guided tours available on selected days
• Home to a herd of over 400 free-roaming fallow deer
• Also contains Dublin Zoo (separate admission)
• Accessible cycling routes throughout the park
• Cafe at the Visitor Centre

Getting There

The Phoenix Park is accessible from multiple entry gates. The main Parkgate Street entrance is served by the 37, 39 and 70 buses from the city centre. Cycling through the park is popular and highly recommended. The Luas Red Line stops at Heuston, from which the park is a 10-minute walk. There are large car parks inside the park near the zoo and visitor centre.