The National Museum of Ireland is marking World Autism Month with a strengthened commitment to accessibility through its ongoing partnership with AsIAm, Ireland’s national autism charity.
Building on staff-wide Autism Awareness Training completed in 2024, the museum is now implementing a range of initiatives informed by sensory environmental audits and feedback from the neurodiverse community. These developments include visual guides, sensory maps, sensory borrow bags, neurodiverse family programming, and relaxed sensory‑friendly hours, all designed to create a more inclusive and supportive experience for visitors across its sites in Dublin and Co Mayo.
News just in - we are delighted to announce that the National Museum of Ireland has achieved Autism-Friendly Accreditation from AsIAm, Ireland’s National Autism Charity, across its three major sites: Collins Barracks (including the Dead Zoo Lab), Kildare Street, and Turlough Park.
This significant milestone reflects the Museum’s commitment to delivering on its Strategic Plan priorities, placing audiences at the heart of its work and ensuring the National Museum of Ireland is more inclusive, accessible, and fully neuro-affirming for all visitors.
To mark World Autism Month this April, the following events have been planned:
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Relaxed Drop-In Workshop: Megalithic Big Draw
Thursday 2 April | 10:30 - 12:30 | Families | No booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Kildare Street, Dublin 7
To mark World Autism Day, take part in our quite access Megalithic Big Draw drop-in workshop. Learn about the different designs, patterns and shapes that people in Stone Age Ireland used to decorate megalithic tombs, just like Newgrange. Create your own cave hand print to take home with you.
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Relaxed Drop in Colouring and Bear Mask Making
Saturday 25 April | 10:00 - 11:00 | Families | No booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo
Enjoy a sensory‑friendly drop‑in workshop inspired by the Museum’s brown bear and Murmur of Bees exhibition. Families can create a bear mask or colour a bear picture, with support from a Museum Educator who will guide the activity and share stories behind the displays.
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Relaxed Sensory Friendly Children’s Workshop: Clarke’s Colourful Creations
Saturday, 25 April | 11:00 - 12:00 | Neurodiverse Families ages 5-10 | Booking required
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
To mark World Autism Month, book in to this sensory friendly workshop: Clarke’s Colourful Creations. Explore light & colour through activities designed to engage your child’s senses. Learn about the different designs, patterns and shapes that Harry Clarke used in his stained glass. Play with colourful tiles on a light box and create your own simple stained-glass effect artwork with paint to take home with you. There will be a sensory quiet hour taking place in the Museum galleries from 10:00 - 11:00 if you would like to visit the Harry Clarke's Stained Glass exhibition before the workshop.
QUIET HOUR: Sensory Friendly Hour at Turlough Park
Saturday 25 April | 10:00 - 11:00 | Families
National Museum of Ireland, Turlough Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo
Quiet Hour at Turlough Park offers visitors a calm and sensory‑friendly way to experience the National Folklife Collection. Designed especially for those who may find busy museum environments overwhelming, this dedicated hour features reduced or no background music, dimmed gallery lighting, and access to quieter spaces around the Turlough Park grounds. The initiative reflects the museum’s commitment to being autism‑friendly and provides a soothing atmosphere where visitors can explore at their own pace while making use of sensory supports, visual guides, and mindfulness‑focused educational resources.
QUIET HOUR: Sensory Friendly Hour at Collins Barracks
Saturday 25 April | 10:00 - 11:00 | Families
National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, Benburb Street, Dublin 7
Experience a gentler side of the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks during Quiet Hour, a dedicated time designed to create a more welcoming space for anyone who benefits from reduced sensory input. With softened lighting, minimized audio‑visual effects where possible, and trained staff supporting an autism‑friendly environment, the museum offers visitors a calm moment to explore its collections at their own pace.
Download our visual guides and sensory maps to help you navigate the Museum and know what to expect in the gallery spaces at Kildare Street, Turlough Park and Collins Barracks.
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Visual Guide of the National Museum of Ireland at Kildare Street
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Sensory Map of the National Museum of Ireland at Kildare Street
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Social Story and Sensory Map of the National Museum of Ireland at Turlough Park
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Visual Guide of the National Museum of Ireland at Collins Barracks
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Sensory Map of the National Musuem of Irealnd at Collins Barracks
Venue Accessibility – Learn about the visiting options available for mobility, visual, and hearing‑impaired visitors across our museum sites in Dublin and County Mayo
