Hey all,
Ever walked past a building in Dublin and wondered what was going on inside?
Well, this is your weekend to find out.
Open House Dublin is back, and it's one of my favourite ideas for a festival. Buildings that are normally closed to the public open their doors, with free tours, walks, exhibitions and workshops happening across the city.
There are over 200 events in this year's programme, running until Sunday 18th October.
Some of the more popular tours are already fully booked, but there are still plenty of things worth checking out.
I've picked a few that caught my eye, including a Dublin pub tour, a look inside the GPO, a ceramics studio and some of the city's most interesting historic buildings.
And there's a little Oscar Wilde bonus at the end.
What's On This Week
Open House Dublin 2026
The Architectural History of the Dublin Pub
Behind the Pillars: A Tour of the GPO
Trinity College Museum Building
The Custom House
Throwing Shapes Studio Tour
The Follies of St Enda's Park
National Botanic Gardens: Plant Palaces
Oscariana: A Wilde Dublin Festival
Open House Dublin 2026
Location: Across Dublin City and County
Date & Time: Friday 16th – Sunday 18th October
The main event this weekend.
Open House Dublin is Ireland's largest architecture festival, giving people the chance to explore buildings, streets and neighbourhoods they might not otherwise get to see.
We're talking everything from historic landmarks to modern homes, public buildings, parks and even construction sites.
All official Open House events are free, but some require advance booking.
Have a browse through the programme and see what's happening near you. There's far too much to squeeze into one email.
The Architectural History of the Dublin Pub
Location: Starting at 36 Amiens Street, Dublin 1
Date & Time: Saturday 17th October | 12pm
This one is right up my street.
A walking tour exploring the architecture of Dublin's pubs and how these buildings have shaped the city's social life.
There's more to a Dublin pub than a decent pint. The design, layout, interiors and history can tell you quite a bit about the neighbourhood around it.
An excellent excuse to look at pubs from a different perspective.
Behind the Pillars: A Tour of the GPO
Location: General Post Office, O'Connell Street, Dublin 1
Date & Time: Saturday 17th October | 10am, 11am & 12pm
Most of us have walked past the GPO hundreds of times.
This is a chance to get a closer look at one of Dublin's best-known buildings and explore its architecture and history.
It's hard to think of another building in the city with quite the same connection to Irish history.
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Trinity College Museum Building
Location: Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2
Date & Time: Saturday 17th October | 1pm, 2pm, 3pm & 4pm
You don't need to be an architecture enthusiast to appreciate this building.
Trinity's Museum Building is one of the more unusual buildings on campus, with elaborate stone carvings, decorative details and an interior that feels a world away from the busy streets outside.
If you've only ever wandered through Trinity on your way somewhere else, this is a good reason to stop.
Free | Check booking availability
The Custom House
Location: Custom House Quay, Dublin 1
Date & Time: Friday 16th, Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October | 2pm
Another Dublin landmark that deserves a closer look.
The Custom House is one of the city's finest Georgian buildings, designed by James Gandon and completed in 1791.
It's also a building with quite a history, having been badly damaged by fire during the War of Independence.
Open House tours offer a chance to learn more about the building and its place in Dublin's story.
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Throwing Shapes Studio Tour
Location: Throwing Shapes, Mill Street, Dublin 8
Date & Time: Friday 16th – Sunday 18th October | See programme for sessions
We featured Throwing Shapes' ceramics market a couple of weeks ago, and they're back again.
This time, it's a chance to look behind the scenes of their ceramics studio and get a better understanding of the space where all that pottery gets made.
A nice change from the historic buildings, particularly if you're interested in making things yourself.
The Follies of St Enda's Park
Location: Pearse Museum, St Enda's Park, Rathfarnham, Dublin 16
Date & Time: Saturday 17th & Sunday 18th October | 11am
Something for anyone who'd rather spend part of the weekend outdoors.
This walking tour explores the unusual architectural features and follies dotted around St Enda's Park.
The park has a fascinating connection to Patrick Pearse, but there's plenty more to discover around its grounds.
A good way to get a walk in while learning something new.
Plant Palaces at the National Botanic Gardens
Location: National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin 9
Date & Time: Friday 16th October | 11am & 2pm
One for anyone who enjoys the Botanic Gardens.
These tours focus on the glasshouses themselves, looking at the architecture and engineering behind the structures that protect the gardens' plant collections.
The glasshouses are impressive enough from the outside, but there's a lot of history and design behind them.
That's your lot for this week.
I really like the idea behind Open House Dublin.
We spend so much time walking around the city without giving much thought to the buildings around us. This is a chance to actually stop, go inside and learn a little about them.
And with so many events happening for free, it's well worth making the effort.
One last tip: Check the booking details before heading out. Some events are walk-ins, others need reservations, and the popular ones fill up quickly.
If you know someone who loves Dublin, architecture, history or just having a nose around places they're not normally allowed into, send this their way.
Catch you next week!
