The Jeanie Johnston Tall Ship — officially subtitled An Irish Famine Story — is a guided-tour attraction moored at Custom House Quay in Dublin’s Docklands, Ireland. It’s a full-scale replica of the original 19th-century emigrant vessel that carried passengers from Ireland to North America during the Great Famine of 1845–1852. This 2026 travel guide covers opening hours, ticket prices, transport, parking, accessibility, and practical tips for planning your visit.
To skip the detail and just buy your ticket, head here. If planning to visit several Dublin attractions, including the Jeanie Johnston, it’ll probably work out cheaper to invest in a Go City Dublin Pass.
Last updated: February 2026. Two pieces of information in older guides require correction. First, the attraction is widely referred to as the “Jeannie Johnston Famine Ship Museum” — the correct spelling of the ship’s name is Jeanie Johnston (one ‘n’ in Jeanie), and it is not a museum in the conventional sense: all visits are guided tours only, with no self-guided option available. Second, the ship is not wheelchair accessible, not accessible for mobility scooters, and not accessible for buggies — access onto the vessel is via a gangplank and the tour involves movement between decks. This is a critical planning detail that is absent from many travel guides.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Custom House Quay, Dublin 1, Ireland (opposite the Hilton Hotel, beside The chq Building) |
| Open | 7 days a week, year-round |
| Tour times (Mon–Sun) | 10:00 · 10:30 · 11:00 · 11:30 · 12:00 · 12:30 · 13:00 · 13:30 · 14:00 · 14:30 · last tour 15:00 |
| Tour duration | 50 minutes |
| Adult (18–64) | €15.00 |
| Senior (65+) | €13.00 |
| Student (with ID) | €13.00 |
| Teenager | €12.00 |
| Child (6–12) | €10.00 |
| Infant (0–5) | Free |
| Family (2 adults + 1 child) | €34.00 |
| Family (2 adults + 2 children) | €39.00 |
| Nearest Luas | George’s Dock (Red Line) – 5-minute walk |
| Nearest train | Connolly Station – 5-minute walk |
| Nearest parking | ParkRite IFSC, Commons Street, Dublin 1 |
| Wheelchair / buggy access | Not accessible – gangplank and multi-deck access required |
| Toilets on board | None – nearest toilets in The chq Building (5-minute walk) |
| Typical visit duration | 50–60 minutes |
Jeanie Johnston opening hours
The Jeanie Johnston is open seven days a week, year-round. Guided tours run daily at fixed half-hourly intervals from 10:00am, with the last tour departing at 3:00pm. There are no tours after 15:00; visitors who arrive expecting a 4:00pm or 5:00pm closing time based on older guides may find tours have ended for the day. The ticket office is on the quayside beside The CHQ Building. Tours depart from the gangplank on Custom House Quay, directly across the road from the Hilton Hotel.
Opening hours were checked on the official website and last updated in February 2026.
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Jeanie Johnston ticket prices
Tickets are priced as follows. All prices are in euro.
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult (18–64) | €15.00 |
| Senior (65+) | €13.00 |
| Student (with valid student ID) | €13.00 |
| Teenager | €12.00 |
| Child (6–12) | €10.00 |
| Infant (0–5) | Free |
| Family: 2 adults + 1 child | €34.00 |
| Family: 2 adults + 2 children | €39.00 |
| Additional child (added to family ticket) | €8.00 |
A Jeanie Johnston + EPIC combination ticket is also available, which bundles the Jeanie Johnston guided tour with a self-guided visit to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, located a two-minute walk away on Custom House Quay. Combo prices are: Adult €32 · Senior/Student €29 · Teenager €23 · Child (6–12) €17 · Infant free. The two attractions can also be visited separately and on different days with individual tickets.
Tickets can be booked online. Booking in advance is recommended, particularly during summer and at weekends, when the 15-passenger tour capacity fills quickly. Preferential parking rates at ParkRite IFSC can be added when booking online.
Entry is free with the Go Dublin City Pass, which also covers other Dublin attractions such as Malahide Castle, Skerries Mills, the Little Museum of Dublin and the National Wax Museum Plus.
Ticket prices were checked on the official website and last updated in February 2026.
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How to get to the Jeanie Johnston
The Jeanie Johnston is moored at Custom House Quay, Dublin 1, in Dublin’s Docklands. The ticket office is located quayside beside The chq Building, and the ship is docked directly across the road from the Hilton Hotel.
On foot: The ship is a 10-minute walk from O’Connell Street. Walk along Eden Quay with the Custom House on your left and the River Liffey on your right; continue past The chq Building and the ticket office is immediately before the footbridge. The location is straightforward to navigate along the quays.
By Luas: Take the Red Line to the George’s Dock stop, then walk east through The chq Building. The ship is a short walk along the river from the stop.
By Irish Rail or DART: The ship is a 5-minute walk from Connolly Station (served by all Northern Commuter, Enterprise, and many DART services) and a 7-minute walk from Pearse Station and Tara Street Station (both on the DART).
By Dublin Bus: Bus stop 2499 is the nearest stop to the ship. Multiple routes serve this stop, including the G1/G2 (running every 15 minutes), routes 14, 15, 27, 31, 32, 42, 43, 53, and 130 (to Amiens Street/Connolly Station), and routes 151 and 60. The Jeanie Johnston is also Stop 20 on the City Sightseeing hop-on hop-off bus tour.
By bicycle: The nearest DublinBikes docking station is Station 8, directly in front of Custom House Quay.
By car: The ship is a 5-minute drive from Dublin Port, the south exit of the Dublin Port Tunnel, and the East Link Toll Bridge.
Parking at the Jeanie Johnston
There is no dedicated on-site car park. A small amount of on-street paid parking is available on Custom House Quay, but spaces are limited. The nearest multi-storey car park is ParkRite IFSC, located on Commons Street, Dublin 1, a few minutes’ walk from the ship. Preferential parking rates at ParkRite can be pre-booked when purchasing Jeanie Johnston tickets online. Discounted parking is also available when purchasing the combination ticket with EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum.
Given the central Dublin location, public transport or walking are more practical options for most visitors; parking in central Dublin is expensive and limited at peak times.
How long to spend at the Jeanie Johnston
Each guided tour lasts 50 minutes. The tour is structured and guided throughout — visitors do not move at their own pace. There is no separate exhibition, café, or visitor centre to explore after the tour. Most visitors spend 50 to 60 minutes on site in total. Visitors who wish to extend their Dublin Docklands experience can combine the tour with a visit to the Famine Memorial (immediately adjacent on Custom House Quay, free to view) or proceed to EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, a 2-minute walk away.
Accessibility at the Jeanie Johnston
The Jeanie Johnston is not wheelchair accessible, not accessible for mobility scooters, and not accessible for buggies. Access onto the ship is via a gangplank, and the tour involves movement between decks via steps and ladders on a working vessel. Visitors must be able to walk across the gangplank unaided. Scooters and buggies can be stored in the ticket office during the tour.
There are no toilets on board the ship. The nearest public toilets are in The CHQ Building, approximately a 5-minute walk from the quayside. Visitors should plan accordingly before boarding.
Inside the Jeanie Johnston: what to see and do
All visits are guided tours — there is no self-guided option. Tours are led by costumed and knowledgeable guides and last approximately 50 minutes. Tours accommodate small groups; the replica ship is licensed to carry 40 people including crew, and individual tour groups are considerably smaller than this.
The tour begins on the upper deck, where the guide introduces the history of the original Jeanie Johnston, explains the social and political context of the Great Famine (1845–1852), and describes the ship’s design and construction. Visitors can examine the rigging, masts, and deck equipment of the three-masted barque at close quarters.
The tour then descends below deck into the passenger quarters, where the conditions endured by the famine emigrants are re-created and explained. The original Jeanie Johnston carried between 193 and 254 passengers per voyage; the replica ship communicates the extreme crowding of that space. Passengers on the original voyages spent most of their time below deck, emerging for only 30 minutes of fresh air per day.
A central part of the narrative is the remarkable safety record of the original Jeanie Johnston: across 16 transatlantic crossings between 1848 and 1855, carrying a total of approximately 2,500 passengers and crew, not a single life was lost. This was attributed to the ship’s captain, James Attridge, who refused to overload the vessel, and to the presence of a qualified ship’s doctor, Richard Blennerhassett, on every voyage — an unusual provision at the time. This record contrasted sharply with the many so-called ‘coffin ships’ of the period, which suffered catastrophic mortality rates.
The guide covers individual passenger stories drawn from historical records — names, places of origin, ages, and ultimate destinations — giving a personal dimension to the historical account. The tour also addresses the mechanics of the transatlantic crossing: the typical voyage length (an average of 47 days), the routes taken (Tralee to Quebec, Baltimore, and New York), and what awaited passengers on arrival in North America.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book in advance | Tour capacity is limited. During summer and at weekends, tours can sell out. Booking online allows you to select a specific tour time and secures your place. |
| Arrive a few minutes early | Tours depart on time from the gangplank on Custom House Quay. Late arrivals may miss the tour they have booked and be transferred to the next available slot, subject to availability. |
| Last tour is at 3:00pm | The final tour of the day departs at 15:00. Many guides and listing sites state a closing time of 4:00pm or 5:00pm; this is incorrect. Arriving after 3:00pm will mean no tour is available. |
| No toilets on board | The ship has no toilet facilities. Use the bathrooms in The CHQ Building before boarding; it is approximately a 5-minute walk from the ticket office. |
| Wear appropriate footwear | The tour involves walking on deck surfaces and descending into the hold via ship’s ladders. Flat, non-slip footwear is advisable. High heels are not suitable. |
| Dress for the weather | A significant part of the tour takes place on the open upper deck. The quayside is exposed to wind off the Liffey. Bring a layer, particularly in spring, autumn, and winter. |
| No wheelchair or buggy access | The ship cannot be accessed by wheelchair, mobility scooter, or buggy. Contact the team in advance ([email protected]) to discuss any alternative arrangements. |
| Photography | Photography is permitted throughout the tour. |
| The content covers distressing historical events | The tour deals with famine, forced emigration, death, and poverty. The content is presented respectfully but may be emotionally affecting for some visitors, including children. |
Frequently asked questions about the Jeanie Johnston
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Do you need to book tickets in advance for the Jeanie Johnston? | Advance booking is strongly recommended. Tour groups are small and capacity is limited. During summer and at weekends tours can sell out. |
| Is the Jeanie Johnston open every day? | Yes, seven days a week, year-round. Tours run from 10:00am with the last tour at 3:00pm. |
| Is the Jeanie Johnston wheelchair accessible? | No. The ship is not accessible by wheelchair, mobility scooter, or buggy. Access is via a gangplank and the tour involves steps and ship’s ladders. Contact [email protected] in advance to discuss your requirements. |
| Is the Jeanie Johnston suitable for children? | Yes, for children aged 6 and over. Infants (0–5) enter free but must be held throughout the tour as buggies cannot board. The tour covers distressing historical content; parents should consider whether younger children are ready for this material. |
| Are there toilets on the Jeanie Johnston? | No. The nearest toilets are in The CHQ Building, approximately a 5-minute walk from the quayside. |
| Is the Jeanie Johnston a self-guided or guided tour? | Guided tours only. There is no self-guided option. All visitors join a structured tour with a guide. Tours last approximately 50 minutes. |
| What is the difference between the Jeanie Johnston and EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum? | The Jeanie Johnston is a guided tour of a replica famine tall ship, focused on the emigrant voyage experience. EPIC is a self-guided museum in The CHQ Building covering the broader story of Irish emigration across centuries. They are two minutes apart and offer a combined ticket. |
| Is parking available near the Jeanie Johnston? | No dedicated car park. The nearest is ParkRite IFSC on Commons Street, Dublin 1. Preferential rates can be pre-booked online with your Jeanie Johnston ticket. Public transport is recommended. |
Things to do near the Jeanie Johnston
All of the following are within easy walking distance of Custom House Quay and can be combined with a visit to the Jeanie Johnston in the same trip.
Famine Memorial, Custom House Quay – A series of bronze sculptures by Dublin artist Rowan Gillespie, located immediately beside the Jeanie Johnston’s mooring. The sculptures depict emaciated famine emigrants making their way to the ships. One of the most visited public art installations in Ireland and a natural companion to the ship tour.
EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum – Located in the vaults of The chq Building, approximately a 2-minute walk from the ship. A self-guided, interactive museum covering 1,500 years of Irish emigration and diaspora history. Combined tickets are available with the Jeanie Johnston for a discount versus buying separately.
Custom House (free to view externally; visitor centre ticketed) – James Gandon’s 18th-century Custom House, one of Dublin’s finest Georgian buildings, is directly adjacent to the ship’s mooring. The visitor centre inside covers the history of the building and its role in Irish political history.
14 Henrietta Street – Located in the north Georgian quarter of Dublin, approximately a 20-minute walk from Custom House Quay. An award-winning tenement museum in one of Dublin’s oldest Georgian streets, covering 300 years of social history within a single building. Highly relevant as a companion to the Jeanie Johnston’s coverage of poverty and emigration.
Glasnevin Cemetery Museum – Located approximately 3km north of the city centre, accessible by bus. The museum covers the history of the cemetery, which contains the graves of many significant Irish historical figures including Daniel O’Connell and Éamon de Valera. The cemetery was founded in 1832, predating the Famine, and contains a dedicated Famine grave.
The Docklands Boardwalk and Grand Canal Dock – The riverside boardwalk along the north bank of the Liffey and the regenerated Grand Canal Dock area provide a free, pleasant walk through Dublin’s contemporary Docklands, with views of the Samuel Beckett Bridge and the Convention Centre. Several waterfront restaurants and cafés are located in the area.
More Dublin travel
Other Dublin travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- Taste Ireland’s finest at the Guinness Storehouse Experience, the Jameson Distillery Bow Street and the Teeling Whiskey Distillery.
- Practical guide to visiting Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral and Dublinia.
- What you’ll see at the National Botanic Gardens in Dublin.
- Discover which parts of Dublin Castle are free to visit.
- Trace the tale of the Easter Rising at the GPO Museum.
