Little Museum of Dublin

The Little Museum of Dublin is a local history museum located at 15 St Stephen's Green in the heart of Dublin, Ireland. Founded in 2011, it occupies an 18th-century Georgian townhouse facing St Stephen's Green park and presents the social and cultural history of Dublin through everyday items donated by members of the public. The museum has distinguished itself through its community-driven collection model and has been recognized as a leading cultural attraction, ranked as the top thing to do in Dublin on TripAdvisor as of 2026.

The museum was the brainchild of director Trevor White, a food critic, journalist, and former editor of The Dubliner magazine. It was formed in April 2011 and officially opened to the public in October 2011. From its inception, the museum operated as a registered charity with support from patrons including Dublin City Council, the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, the Matheson Foundation, and The Ireland Funds. Early recognition came quickly: an Irish Times article in May 2013 named it the best museum experience in Dublin, and TripAdvisor awarded it a Certificate of Excellence for three consecutive years. In February 2014, it won a David Manley Emerging Entrepreneur Award in the Arts category. The museum underwent a significant interruption in April 2024, when it closed for major maintenance and improvement works. During this period, a selection of exhibits was displayed at a pop-up location on Pembroke Street. Following an investment of over 4 million euro, the museum reopened fully at its St Stephen's Green location in June 2025.

The Little Museum chronicles Dublin's history in the 20th century, covering the period from 1900 to 2000. Its collection encompasses over 6,000 artefacts, the vast majority donated or loaned directly by Dublin residents. The museum actively solicits contributions of paintings, posters, postcards, photographs, letters, telegrams, and other items that illustrate Dublin's social, cultural, and political history. Contributors who lend or donate objects receive two free and unlimited entries to the museum, and loans are accepted for a minimum period of five years. The collection addresses major events including the 1916 Rising, the Irish wars of independence, U.S. President John F. Kennedy's visit to Dublin, and the career of the rock band U2. The museum's programming extends beyond exhibitions to educational initiatives, including I Love Dublin classes for school children aged 6 to 17.

The museum is housed in an 18th-century Georgian townhouse owned by Dublin City Council, situated directly facing St Stephen's Green park at the centre of the city. The building provides three floors of exhibition space and one floor for office space. Its prominent location on one of Dublin's most historic and recognizable squares places it within a significant architectural and cultural context.

The Little Museum of Dublin is located at 15 St Stephen's Green, Dublin, Ireland. Visits are conducted by guided tour only. The museum is owned and operated as a registered charity, with Dublin City Council retaining ownership of the building. As of 2026, it holds the distinction of being ranked number one on TripAdvisor's things to do in Dublin. The museum's community engagement extended to the City of a Thousand Welcomes initiative, launched in June 2011, which sought to connect first-time visitors with local Dublin ambassadors for informal meetings over tea or a pint. The program aimed to recruit 1,000 ambassadors in three months but attracted 2,000 volunteers in its first week alone. As of 2021, the initiative was inactive due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland.