Research your ancestry at the National Library of Ireland. Photo: Nico Kaiser.

Visiting on a rainy day in Dublin? Or maybe you just want to save a few euros so you have more money for an extra pint?

A Cheapo looking to wait out the storm indoors can explore one of the free museums in the city center. Whether you’re interested in art, literature or natural history, there is a free Dublin museum or library to match.

More tips for visiting Dublin:
• Our favorite budget hotels in Dublin
• 5 cheap eats in Dublin than locals love

5 Free museums in Dublin

Here are five of our top suggestions for exploring Dublin’s art and cultural scene on the cheap.

1. The National Library of Ireland

2/3 Kildare Street
website

After getting artsy with Jack, stroll over the National Library of Ireland to wax poetic with his brother William. The museum’s interactive exhibit dedicated to W.B. Yeats allows you to electronically scan through the poet’s private notebooks with a swipe of the finger. The exhibit also includes memorabilia, videos and famous Irish personalities reading his poems.

And if, after exploring the Yeats history, you’re inspired to research your own family, you’ve come to the right place. The Library has an impressive amount of genealogy records from parish registers to newspapers to help you trace your ancestors.

2. The National Gallery of Ireland

Merrion Square West
website

You could spend hours wandering through the halls of the National Gallery, but if you only go to one room, it should be the hall devoted to the paintings of Irish artist Jack B. Yeats. The vibrant colors of his paintings are unexpected and striking, and it’s fascinating to see so much work from one painter in a single space.

Accommodations: Hotels near the National Gallery of Ireland

The Giant Elk at the Natural History Museum. Photo: Neil

3. The Natural History Museum

Merrion Square West
website

Nicknamed “the Dead Zoo,” the Natural History Museum is a regular menagerie of stuffed and skeletal wildlife. Here you can learn about indigenous animals such as the Irish Elk (sometimes called a Giant Deer), an extinct animal with antlers that spread as far as 12 feet. There’s also a skeleton of a humpback whale hanging from the ceiling.

Accommodations: Cheap hotels near the Natural History Museum

4. The Hugh Lane Gallery

Charlemont House, Parnell Square North
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The Hugh Lane Gallery has an excellent collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures, as well as short-term exhibitions. But one thing really draws people to this gallery: the Francis Bacon Studio. When the artist died in London, his entire studio was transported back to his hometown of Dublin. It was reassembled in the Hugh Lane Gallery precisely as it was found in London.

Accommodations: Hotels near Hugh Lane Gallery

The Chester Beatty Library is located inside the Dublin Castle. Photo: Marie

5. The Chester Beatty Library

Dublin Castle
website

Located within the grounds of Dublin Castle, the Chester Beatty Library is an art museum and library where you can see everything from rare manuscripts and Egyptian papyrus texts to contemporary exhibitions. Art from 2700 BC through the present day is on display here. And don’t miss out on the roof garden on a sunny day.