All you need to know to plan a visit to Russborough House and Gardens, a wonderful estate with wonderful House tours, nature walks and kids attractions perfect for a family day out near Dublin.
If you are looking for an easy and fun day out near Dublin, then I recommend you plan a day at the Wonderful Russborough House and Gardens, one of our favorite family hangouts in the Dublin area
Located in Blessington, a short car ride from Dublin, Russborough is a stately home surrounded by wonderful lands, now open and equipped to welcome visitors of all ages.
The estate comprises of a beautiful, elegant home, large gardens, a maze, a very well equipped playground and a bird of prey center.
As if this wasn’t enough, Russborough also has a lovely coffee shop, a fairy walk, artisan shops and an array of activities, from horse and carriage rides to sheepdog demonstration!
We go to Russborough often and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a relaxing yet fun day out with the children.
This is all you need to know.
Where is Russborough House and how to get there
Russborouigh House is in Blessington, Co Wicklow. It is about 20KM South of Dublin and easy to reach by car following the N81.
Large parking spaces are available and, once inside, all areas are easily accessible on foot.
Access to the estate is ticketed: official info on prices and booking options are here
Things to do in Russborough House
Russborough is a large estate in covering over 200 acres of parkland.
Enjoying your day there is as easy as walking in, get a cup of coffee from the tea room and let the kids go wild in the large playground, but I highly recommend you do more than that and make the most of the activities on offer.
Take a tour of Russborough House
If you like elegant homes and interiors, then you will really enjoy the tour of the inside of the house, a wonderful, elegant home with incredible rooms and furnishings.
Russborough is a Palladian mansion built in the XVIII century and is stunning both in external grandeur and internal decor: it develops over two floors and it is packed with furniture, paintings and objects from all over the world.
English chairs, Spanish carpets, Italian marbles, every object carries a history so long and so interesting it is in itself a window into the past (it has a microscope donated to Marie Antoinette on her wedding day!).
This wealth of treasure wasn’t always a blessing for the house.
In the course of its history, the house endured four robberies and while all pieces were recovered, they eventually moved to the National Gallery of Ireland, in Dublin city center, for their own protection.
Despite losing some of its most important pieces, the house contains a wealth of art and some bespoke paintings that make the tour worthwhile.
Visit the Birds of Prey center
Russborough House hosts a good Bird of Prey Center, hosted just beside the main house.
This National Bird of Prey center hosts birds from around the world, from owls to falcons and hawks and it is a great place to learn about the birds and get up close and personal with some of them, under the safe guidance of the local staff.
The birds are kept in cages along the perimeter of the yard and on perches right in the centre and are an impressive sight.
Some are small and have a reasonably friendly expression while others have a more feral glance that leaves no doubt: despite the cages and the strings holding them, they are the ones in charge here!
You can take a stroll around the center on your own or take a tour and I highly recommend you do. The tour guides shares lots of tidbits and fun facts about the birds, their habits and habitat and, if you want, will also allow you to hold a bird (we held an owl and a falcon!)
My kids loved it but I found this an excellent activity for adults too: the birds are impressive!
GREAT IDEA. A walk with a hawk: If you are into falconry, a great activity you can do in Russborough is a hawk-walk during which you can fly one of the centre’s largest hawks. You must book this activity in advance and I believe it would be fantastic especially if visiting in a group.
Play to your heart content in Russborough playground and maze
The most child-friendly area of the Russborough estate is the garden at the back of the cafe, where you can find a large, well-equipped playground and a maze.
Russborough house playground is excellent and has many climbing frames and toys suitable for most ages
Access to the playground is free, but entry to the maze is ticketed. You can get your tickets are reception, where you will also get entry tokens to the maze, a map with a diagram of the maze and the estate phone number in case you get lost Do keep this map and phone number: you may actually need them!
At first, the map surprised me but as soon as we entered the maze I was grateful for it: do not underestimate that maze!
We had a lot of fun looking for the center and, later, for the exit, but it is no easy task: the sides of the maze are tall, the turns infinite and the center tantalizingly out of reach.
Just stay calm and embrace the fun: this is an excellent family activity and a great problem-solving exercise for the kids!
Go for a fairy walk
Russborough Estate is vast but easy to explore and one of the best ways to do it is following the nature walk along part of its perimeter.
This is an easy walk, suitable for all ages and levels of fitness, and a fun one for kids, especially since it, is dotted with fairy doors!
As well as the fairy walk, Russborough also has a tree walk, which is beautiful and, like the name suggests, being you among wonderful trees such as horse chestnuts and beech.
Fairy walks are one of our favorite things to do in Ireland with kids and this in Russborough is lovely!
Take a break at the coffee house
In the main Russborough House area, there is a nice cafe where you can have a warm meal or coffee and cake. Outside, in the good season, you also have an ice-cream shop!
Go shopping for artisan treasures
In the Russborough courtyard, there are several shops showcasing and selling artifacts by local artisans. Their creations are beautiful and perfect especially if you are looking for a special gift or a beautiful souvenir from Ireland.
The main area also has a souvenir shop with nice items for both adults and kids.
I hope you enjoyed this overview of Russborough House and it persuaded you to go visit. Safe travels in Ireland!
