Am I interested in brewing? Nope, not exactly… Did I just have to visit Guinness Storehouse on our visit to Dublin anyway? I sure did! Guinness Storehouse is much more than just another visit to a brewery. It is a gigantic experience center with experiences for every taste…
Guinness Storehouse – 7 floors of experiences
Guinness is not just a beer. Guinness is a brand, which outsiders like myself probably do not understand the extent of. On a visit to Guinness Storehouse, you are through 7 floors led through the history of Guinness, and you will get an insight to the part Guinness has played in the everyday lives of the Irish. The experience is built up in areas with different themes, and everywhere you will find interactive installations to try. Especially the fact that you can touch things, push buttons and listen to things is helping the experience to turn into something special. You are not just reading boring signs, but are involved with the experience in a totally different way. It might be difficult to understand without having been there yourself, but in the following, I will try to guide you through some of the highlights of my visit.
Brewery
As already mentioned: I have never had an interest in brewery. I have been on brewery tours in both Denmark and Poland, but it has never caught my interest. The experience at Guinness Storehouse was a bit different though. Here you do not visit the brewery itself, but the brewing process is explained in a visually very appealing and interesting way, that I actually enjoyed learning about it. Thumbs up to those, who have made this exhibition. If you can get me to be interested in beer, you have done your job well!
Storage and transport
One of the areas I found most interesting was the area explaining how Guinness has been stored and transported through the years. Old photographs, video clips and formerly used tools really made me impressed by the amount of work that has been involved with brewery back in the days. My dad, who has a weakness for old means of transportation, was very interested in the exhibition about how Guinness has been transported around the world. A very good example of how Guinness Storehouse has something for every taste!
Marketing
As I child, I loved to watch commercials. Therefore, it was no surprise that my favorite area at Guinness Storehouse was the one about their marketing. Not many Danes (including myself) might know it, but Guinness is known for their commercials, that have had an incredible ability to entertain people. The exhibit about these was very interesting, and again, very interactive. Also people who do not have a great interest in marketing, will have to smile when learning about the very creative and compelling commercials that Guinness has created.
Saving the best for last…
You say that you have to save the best for last. That might be the reason why the top floor of Guinness Storehouse houses a bar called Gravity Bar. You have a Guinness included in your entrance ticket, and even though there are several places you can choose to enjoy your beer, most visitors come up here to enjoy it. The bar offers a 360 degree view of Dublin. Quite a nice way to wrap up a visit, don’t you think?
Souvenirs
As usual, you have to pass the souvenir shop to get out of Guinness Storehouse again. You can think what you want about souvenir shops, but I believe that this one can impress even the most skeptical souvenir hater. Here, you can find almost EVERYTHING. Chocolate with Guinness, clothing with a Guinness theme, and personally engraved Guinness mugs. Everything that a Guinness theme can be put on, it has been put on. The prices are of course not in the cheap end of the scale, but just to look at the impressive selection of souvenirs can be entertaining.
All in all
My expectations towards our visit at Guinness Storehouse were quite big, but I have to say that they were fulfilled. It is difficult in text and photo to reproduce the work that has been put into making the entire visit a visually appealing and interactive experience. I can only say that Guinness Storehouse is worth a visit! Even though you are not a big fan of beer 😉
Find your way
Guinness Storehouse is situated just a bit outside Dublin city center, but it is still within a very manageable walking distance. It is one of Dublin’s, well even Ireland’s, most popular attractions, so it is easy to find. This also means that you should expect a lot of visitors though. A great tip is to start your visit as soon as they open. We did, and it was not overrun by people. You can read more about opening hours and tickets on Guinness Storehouse’s website.
Visited in July 2017
Are you looking for more inspiration on what to do in Dublin? Then take a look at all my posts about Dublin right here!
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