Russborough House is a Palladian mansion in County Wicklow, built for Joseph Leeson in the 1740s and later home to the art-collecting Beit family.
This guide was updated in July 2026. The adult house tour ticket now costs €16, up from the €12 that several 2025-dated guides still quote, and weekday tour hours have narrowed to a shorter midday window than the daily 10am–4pm some listings still describe. You can book in advance through Viator to confirm your ticket before you travel.
Quick facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Address | Russborough House & Park, Blessington, County Wicklow, W91 W284, Ireland |
| House tour hours | Mon–Fri 12pm–3pm; Sat–Sun 10am–4pm (tours on the hour) |
| Parklands hours | Daily, 9am–6pm |
| Adult ticket | €16 |
| Student/senior | €13.50 |
| Child (5–16) | €7 |
| Nearest transit | Limited Dublin Bus route 65 service to Ballymore Eustace, stopping at Russborough |
| Typical visit duration | About 1 hour for the house tour; 3–4 hours for a full visit |
Why book Russborough House tickets?
- 🏛️ A Palladian mansion built 1741–1755, designed by Richard Cassels, one of Ireland’s finest Georgian houses.
- 🎟️ Ticket prices have just risen, so booking now locks in your visit before the next change.
- 🌿 200 acres of parklands, including a beech hedge maze and a restored 18th-century walled garden.
- 📜 A world-class art collection that survived two of Ireland’s most notorious art heists.
- 💰 Free for under-5s, with reduced rates for students and seniors.
Opening hours for Russborough House
House tours now run Monday to Friday, 12pm to 3pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm, on the hour. This is a shorter weekday window than the daily 10am–4pm hours some older listings still describe. The Parklands stay open daily from 9am to 6pm, the café from 9:30am to 5pm (food until 4:30pm), and the shop from 9:30am to 5:30pm. The Walled Garden keeps its own limited hours: Wednesday and Saturday, 10:30am to 3pm; Tuesday and Thursday, 11am to 4pm; and Sunday, 2pm to 5pm, closed Monday and Friday. Hours can shift around events such as the Kaleidoscope Festival, held on the grounds each July, so check ahead if your visit falls in early summer.
Ticket prices for Russborough House
| Ticket type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult | €16 |
| Student/senior | €13.50 |
| Child (5–16) | €7 |
| Under 5 | Free |
The Bird of Prey Centre is a separate attraction on the grounds with its own admission, €9 for adults, and isn’t included in the house or parklands ticket. Parking costs €4 a day, paid by coins or contactless, and is free for members. Book through Viator if you’d rather have your ticket confirmed ahead of time.
How to get to Russborough House
By car: Russborough is about 20km from Dublin, roughly 30 minutes via the N81, and around 4.5km from Blessington town.
By bus: Dublin Bus route 65 runs a limited service towards Ballymore Eustace, stopping at Russborough.
By bike: the estate is a popular cycling destination from the surrounding Wicklow countryside, with cycle racks on site.
Parking
Parking at Russborough costs €4 for the full day, payable by coins or contactless card, and is free for members.
How long to spend at Russborough House
The house tour itself takes about an hour. Most visitors spend 3 to 4 hours in total, adding the parklands, maze, Walled Garden, and a stop at the café.
Accessibility at Russborough House
Russborough offers wheelchair-accessible parking, a lift within the house, and accessible ground-floor routes and toilets. Strollers are welcome on the house tour, though infants must sit on a parent’s or guardian’s lap during the visit.
What to see at Russborough House
The house tour takes in the Lafranchini family’s stuccoed ceilings, which took 15 years to complete, alongside West Indian mahogany, the first use of the material in an Irish house, and marble imported from Sicily.
The Vernet Drawing Room, newly restored, displays four 1750s paintings depicting morning, midday, sunset, and night, commissioned for Russborough, alongside a rare 1750 scagliola masterpiece by Pietro Belloni.
The Beit Museum tells the story of the Beit family through photographs and film, tracing their journey from diamond mining wealth to art collecting.
The art collection’s dramatic history runs through the whole visit: works by Goya, Velázquez, Vermeer, and Rubens survived a 1974 theft and a 1986 raid by Martin Cahill’s gang, still Ireland’s largest art heist, before most of the collection was donated to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1988.
The Grand Tour, a new exhibition on Russborough’s architecture and 18th-century origins, marks a significant anniversary for the house in 2026.
Practical visitor tips
| Tip | Detail |
|---|---|
| Book weekday tours in advance | The Monday to Friday window is shorter than weekends, so slots fill up faster. |
| Bring coins or a card for parking | It’s €4 a day, though free for members. |
| Book the Bird of Prey Centre separately | It’s not included in general admission and runs its own schedule. |
| Check for festival closures | Events like the Kaleidoscope Festival can close parts of the estate for several days each summer. |
| Wear good shoes for the parklands | With 200 acres, a maze, and a walled garden, this rewards a proper wander. |
FAQ
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| How much does a ticket cost? | €14.50 for adults, higher than the €12 some guides still quote, with €12 for students and seniors and €6 for children. Booking in advance confirms your ticket ahead of time. |
| What are the house tour hours? | Monday to Friday, 12pm to 3pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10am to 4pm, on the hour. |
| Is the Bird of Prey Centre included? | No, it’s a separately run and ticketed attraction on the grounds. |
| Is it wheelchair accessible? | Yes, with accessible parking, a lift within the house, and accessible ground-floor routes. |
| How long should I plan for? | About an hour for the house tour, or 3 to 4 hours for a full visit including the parklands. |
Things to do nearby
Blessington town, about 4.5km away, sits alongside the Blessington Lakes and Poulaphouca Reservoir, popular for walking and watersports.
The Sally Gap, a scenic mountain pass through the Wicklow Mountains, makes for a dramatic drive on the way to or from Russborough.
Powerscourt Estate and Gardens, one of Ireland’s grandest gardens, is about 30 minutes away and often compared with Russborough by visitors doing both.
Glendalough, an early medieval monastic site set among two lakes, is around 40 minutes’ drive further into the Wicklow Mountains.
The Wicklow Way, Ireland’s oldest waymarked walking trail, passes through the wider region for keen hikers.
What to visit tomorrow
Castletown House, in Celbridge, County Kildare, is Ireland’s largest Palladian country house, with its own guided tours, period interiors, and parklands. It’s about an hour’s drive from Russborough, and makes a natural companion for anyone touring Ireland’s grand 18th-century estates.
More Ireland travel
Other Ireland travel guides on Planet Whitley include:
- Explore Malahide Castle, Newbridge House and Farm and the Skerries Mills to the north of Dublin.
- What to expect when visiting Kilkenny Castle.
- What to see at the Medieval Museum in Waterford.
- Embrace the cheese at the National Wax Museum Plus and the earnestness at the Irish Rock ‘N’ Roll Museum Experience.
- Practical guide to visiting Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, Christ Church Cathedral and Dublinia.
