one pass, five Experiences
The discounted Freedom of Waterford ticket allows the visitor to enjoy an ‘Epic’ walking tour of the Viking Triangle with an expert guide, taking in 1,000 years of history in 1,000 paces. Plus complete access to : The Medieval Museum, Bishop’s Palace, The Irish Museum of Time, The Irish Silver Museum and Christ Church Cathedral Visitors can also choose to purchase tickets for King of the Vikings Virtual Reality or Mount Congreve Gardens which are not included in the Freedom Pass. Reginald’s Tower tickets available there.
Book Freedom Pass1,000 years in 1,000 paces
open access to five experiences
Discover the story of the city’s Viking foundations, be inspired by medieval wonders and experience elegant living in Georgian times. The Freedom of Waterford ticket entitles each visitor to a guided walking tourand complete access to the Medieval Museum, Bishop’s Palace, the Irish Museum of Time and the Irish Silver Museum. Visitors can also choose to purchase tickets for the King of the Vikings Virtual Reality, Reginald's Tower or Mount Congreve Gardens which are not included in the Freedom Pass.
opening times
Show opening timesFreedom of Waterford
On the ‘Epic’ guided walking tour the visitor will gain insights into both Waterford and Ireland’s history. Discover the story of Waterford’s Viking foundations, be inspired by medieval wonders and experience elegant living in Georgian times. The visitor can dive deeper into their favourite era of Ireland’s heritage with complete access to the Medieval Museum, Bishop’s Palace, the Irish Museum of Time and the Irish Silver Museum.
At the Medieval Museum visitors can take a step back into 13th and 15th-century Waterford and explore the atmospheric underground Choristers’ Hall and the 15th-century Wine Vault. Exhibition highlights include the medieval cloth-of-gold vestments and the 1373 Great Charter Roll of Waterford – viewed by Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles III on their visits to Ireland.
The Bishop’s Palace Museum is an authentic 18th-century Georgian grand residence built in 1743 which is also home to the oldest surviving piece of Waterford Crystal in the world. The spectacular 4D ‘Story of Glassmaking’ is included in the ticket.
The Irish Museum of Time boasts the finest and earliest collection of Irish timepieces in the world. It celebrates the incredible skills of the virtuoso Irish craftspeople who, since the 1600s, created timepieces of remarkable beauty and technological genius.
The Irish Silver Museum features one of the largest collections of Irish silver in the world. It takes the visitor on a journey through Irish history using beautiful, intimate and personal objects to celebrate the grandeur of Ireland’s past in silver from the Vikings to the Victorians.
The ‘Epic’
guided walking tour
From the Vikings to the Victorians – a thousand years of history in a thousand paces’. The only tour in Ireland that gives access to four national monuments ranging in date from 1190 to 1783. Your guide will bring you through the streets and buildings of Ireland’s oldest city, ‘Veðrafjǫrðr’/ Waterford in a fun engaging tour with lots of stories to engage and entertain the visitors, with numerous photo opportunities along the way.
A wonderful way to get an overview of Irish history both the historic and archaeological treasures and also experience the developments in architecture over a thousand years as you traverse the Viking Triangle.
The visit includes some of the following: Reginald’s Tower first mentioned in 1088, Greyfriars Medieval Franciscan friary 1240, Choristers’ Hall 1270, the Bishop’s Palace 1743 and Christ Church Cathedral 1783 (if a church service is not in progress).
The ‘Epic’ guided walking tour of the Viking Triangle, duration about 45 minutes, runs daily and is subject to availability on the day. It is available all year round for Group Bookings, please contact [email protected]. Meet at the entrance to the Bishop’s Palace.
discover
the attractions
Medieval Museum
Step back into Medieval Waterford as you begin your tour in the 13th century Choristers Hall and 15th Century Wine vault.
Bishop’s Palace
This exquisite architectural jewel, now a museum, continues to delight over 250 years later, the ground and first floors furnished as a very elegant 18th-century townhouse.
The Irish Museum of Time
This refurbished gothic-style church is a fitting home for what is beyond doubt the finest collection of Irish timepieces in the world.
Reginald’s Tower
Reginald’s Tower is Waterford’s landmark monument and Ireland’s oldest civic building.
Irish Silver Museum
Since the Viking period in Ireland, silver has been a most prized metal and a means of exchange.
King of the Vikings
Experience the thrill of raiding the Viking settlement they called 'Vadrefjordyr'. The King of the Vikings - the world's first Viking VR adventure.
Mount Congreve Gardens
Mount Congreve House and Gardens situated in Kilmeaden, Co. Waterford, in Ireland’s Ancient East is home to one of “the great gardens of the World”. Mount Congreve House, home to six generations of Congreves, was built in 1760 by the celebrated local architect John Roberts.
Located just 10 minutes from Waterford City Centre.
TAKE THE GUIDED TOUR
an epic tour guided by our experts
The only tour in Ireland that gives you access to six national monuments (duration 45 minutes).
Your guide will bring you through the streets and buildings of 1100 years of Waterford’s history from the Vikings to the Victorians, in Ireland’s oldest city, ‘Veðrafjǫrðr’,(Waterford).
This guided walking tour, the ‘Epic Tour of the Viking Triangle’, includes access to six national monuments ranging in date from 1190 to 1783, it is a wonderful way for visitors to get an overview of Irish history both the historic and archaeological treasures and also experience the developments in architecture over a period of a thousand years as visitors traverse the Viking Triangle. We market the experience as ‘From the Vikings to the Victorians – A thousand years of History in a Thousand Paces’.
The visit includes Reginald’s Tower first mentioned in 1088, Greyfriars Medieval Franciscan friary 1240, Choristers’ Hall 1270, the Mayor’s Wine Vault 1448, the Bishop’s Palace 1743 and if there is not a church service in progress then Christ Church Cathedral 1783 is also included. It’s a fun engaging tour with lots of stories to engage and entertain you the visitors, with numerous photo opportunities along the way.
‘Now including is a visit to the new exhibition titled ‘Mayors through the Ages, Eight Centuries of Civic Government in Ireland’, which has been put in place in City Hall. Twenty-three select objects – the earliest AD1080 and the most recent a Waterford Crystal piece given to Mayor ‘Cha’ O’Neill – trace the mayoralty and the evolution of democratic parliamentary and local government through the centuries and dramatically-lit panels list the mayors of Waterford up to the present-day since the first-known in 1284-85, Roger le Lom.’
Epic Tours of the Viking Triangle are run daily at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm (please arrive 5 minutes prior to start time to book in), tours are subject to availability on the day. Outside of these times the Epic Tour of the Viking Triangle is available all year round for Group Bookings, please contact [email protected] for more details. The Epic Tour of the Viking Triangle starts at the entrance to the Bishop’s Palace.
some of our Awards to date
Medieval Museum
Number 1 Attraction in Waterford on Tripadvisor
Current
Bishop’s Palace
Number 2 Attraction in Waterford on Tripadvisor
Current
King of the Vikings
Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best
2020
Medieval Museum
Stone Federation Great Britain - New Build Natural Stone Award 2015
2015
Medieval Museum
Shortlisted for Mies van der Rohe prize
2015
Medieval Museum
RIAI [Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland]- Best Public Building
2014
Medieval Museum
UK Civic Trust award
2014
Waterford Treasures
Irish Building & Design Awards - Local Authority Members Association Best Building and Best Heritage Project, 2013
2014
Waterford Treasures
Full Accreditation, Museums Standards Programme for Ireland
2014
Waterford Treasures
Shortlisted, European Museum of the Year
2014
Waterford Treasures
Best Local Authority Museum
2009-2010
Waterford Treasures
Listed 12th Top 50 Delights of Ireland – Rough Guide to Ireland
Waterford Treasures
All Ireland Museum of the Year - Best Publication 2004 Award for Waterford Treasures: A Guide to the historical and archaeological treasures of Waterford City
2004
Waterford Treasures
Shortlisted, European Museum of the Year
2002
Waterford Treasures
Irish American Cultural Institute Heritage Award
2001
Waterford Treasures
Designated Museum
Since 2001
Waterford Treasures
All Ireland Museum of the Year
1999 -2000
testimonials