# Guinness Storehouse
The Guinness Storehouse is a seven-floor visitor attraction at the St. James's Gate Brewery in Dublin, housed in a former fermentation plant converted in 2000 into an exhibition on the history, brewing process, and advertising of Guinness stout, crowned by the Gravity Bar with 360-degree views over the city.
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location | St. James's Gate, Dublin 8, D08 VF8H, Ireland[1](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/contact-us) |
| Building | Former fermentation house built 1902–1905; first steel-framed structure of its kind in Ireland, in the Chicago School style; fermentation ended 1988[2](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/whats-hoppening/the-gravity-bar) • [3](https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/50080244/guinness-storehouse-robert-street-market-street-dublin-8-dublin) |
| Opened | 2 December 2000; confirmed as Ireland's number one tourist attraction in its first year with 570,000 visitors[4](https://libertiesdublin.ie/guinness-storehouse-turns-25/) • [5](https://gowildmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GUINNESS-STOREHOUSE-2025-FACT-SHEET.pdf) |
| Atrium | Glass atrium shaped like a pint glass that would hold 14.3 million pints if filled[6](https://www.dublintourism.org/guinness-storehouse-vs-jameson/) |
| Visitors | 1,595,372 in 2024, of whom 87% were international; about 1.6 million a year[7](https://www.travelextra.ie/failte-ireland-visitor-attractions-survey-reveals-phoenix-park-visitor-centre-top/) • [8](https://www.dublintourism.org/guinness-storehouse-guide/) |
| Signature spaces | The Tasting Rooms, a Cooperage exhibit, and the Gravity Bar on the seventh floor[9](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/visit) • [10](https://d5qsyj6vaeh11.cloudfront.net/files/brochures/pdf/english/ePUB-TDA-DUB_V02-2016-636210412189152912.pdf) |
| Admission | Guinness Storehouse Experience from €24 (average 90 minutes); Guinness Academy add-on +€12; STOUTie add-on +€8[9](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/visit) |
## The building
The structure that houses the Storehouse was built between 1902 and 1904 as a fermentation plant for the St. James's Gate Brewery, and its design was inspired by the Chicago School of Architecture, making it the first steel-framed structure of its kind in Ireland[2](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/whats-hoppening/the-gravity-bar). The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage record describes it as a detached thirteen-bay, seven-storey former fermenting house built 1902–5, with later circular glazed roof extensions[3](https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/50080244/guinness-storehouse-robert-street-market-street-dublin-8-dublin). It housed the fermentation of Guinness beer until 1988, when that process relocated, and the way was clear for conversion to a visitor center[11](https://www.itic.ie/guinness-storehouse/).
**The conversion.** The transformation of the building into a visitor center commenced in 1997[2](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/whats-hoppening/the-gravity-bar). Design Week reported the £30m project, designed by the firm [Imagination](https://www.edgepedia.org/imagination), occupying over 16,000 m² of floorspace in the six-storey fermentation building, with two extra bars, a restaurant, gallery space, and conference facilities, alongside archive and training sections that kept it a working Guinness building[12](https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/21-september-2000/imagination-pulls-guinness-pint/). The design team later replaced Imagination with Event Communications after a €2.5m reworking of the ground and first floors around a more interactive exhibition[13](https://www.designweek.co.uk/event-drafted-in-to-lead-guinness-storehouse-design/).
## The visitor experience
The Storehouse is a self-guided, seven-floor brand experience rather than a brewery tour: visitors move through ascending floors of multimedia displays on Guinness's four ingredients (barley, water, hops, and yeast), the brewing process, the brand's history, and its advertising, ending with a drink and panoramic views[9](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/visit) • [14](https://effectivedesign.org.uk/sites/default/files/DiageoGuinnessStorehouse_DBA_entrycompressed.pdf). The interior is organized around a giant glass atrium shaped like a pint glass; filling it would take 14.3 million pints[6](https://www.dublintourism.org/guinness-storehouse-vs-jameson/). A copy of the 9,000-year lease signed by [Arthur Guinness](https://www.edgepedia.org/arthur-guinness) in 1759, at the founding of the brewery on the site, is displayed on the ground floor[15](https://www.guinness.com/en/experiences/guinness-storehouse) • [16](https://gazette.com/2015/11/22/history-and-pints-on-tap-at-dublins-guinness-storehouse-0625b5fc-817d-5f13-93ac-8addf4e2e18f/). A Cooperage exhibit is dedicated to the craft of the cooper, who hand made the wooden Guinness barrels that stored and transported the beer until the 1960s[10](https://d5qsyj6vaeh11.cloudfront.net/files/brochures/pdf/english/ePUB-TDA-DUB_V02-2016-636210412189152912.pdf).
The Gravity Bar sits on the seventh floor as the crowning element of the design[2](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/whats-hoppening/the-gravity-bar). It offers 360-degree views of Dublin, and a pint of Guinness or Guinness 0.0 is included with the standard self-guided tour[17](https://www.ireland.com/things-to-do/attractions/guinness-storehouse/). It was doubled in size in 2020[15](https://www.guinness.com/en/experiences/guinness-storehouse).
**Ticket tiers.** The basic self-guided Guinness Storehouse Experience starts at €24 and averages 90 minutes[18](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/booking/date). Add-ons include the Guinness Academy, where visitors learn the six-step pour ritual and pull their own pint (+€12), and STOUTie, which prints a selfie on the head of a stout (+€8)[9](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/visit). The Home of Guinness Experience, a fully guided tour of the seven floors finishing with a pint at the Gravity Bar, starts at €48 and is offered in English only, strictly over 18s[18](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/booking/date). A combined ticket adds a tasting paddle of limited-edition experimental brews at the Guinness Open Gate Brewery, a four-minute walk away on James's Street, from €41[18](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/booking/date). The Guinness Brewery Experience is a guided tour of the working St. James's Gate brewery itself, offered in English and strictly for those over 18[19](https://www.guinness.com/en-us/frequently-asked-questions). The Storehouse uses dynamic pricing, so the price paid depends on the day, time, and how far in advance a ticket is booked[20](https://trips.ie/guinness-storehouse/).
## Attendance and awards
The Storehouse was confirmed as Ireland's number one tourist attraction in its first year of operation, welcoming 570,000 visitors[5](https://gowildmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GUINNESS-STOREHOUSE-2025-FACT-SHEET.pdf). Under managing director Paul Carty, who led the site from its opening year, visitor numbers increased six-fold, from under 300,000 to almost 1.8 million in 2019[21](https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/33/committee_of_public_accounts/submissions/2023/2023-12-19_correspondence-received-from-brendan-keehan-assistant-secretary-department-of-tourism-culture-arts-gaeltacht-sport-and-media-r2181-pac33_en.pdf).
In Fáilte Ireland's 2024 visitor attractions survey it recorded 1,595,372 visitors, second overall behind the free Phoenix Park Visitor Centre (1,741,588) and ahead of the [Cliffs of Moher](https://www.edgepedia.org/cliffs-of-moher) (1,490,000), and 87% of its visitors came from abroad[7](https://www.travelextra.ie/failte-ireland-visitor-attractions-survey-reveals-phoenix-park-visitor-centre-top/). Travel industry reporting credits it as the most visited attraction in Ireland for 15 consecutive years, having overtaken [Dublin Zoo](https://www.edgepedia.org/dublin-zoo) in 2010, and notes it welcomed its 25 millionth visitor in 2024, its 25th anniversary year[22](https://www.travelextra.ie/guinness-storehouse-most-visited-attraction-in-ireland-for-15th-successive-year/). It was awarded World's Leading Beer Tour Visitor Attraction 2024[5](https://gowildmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GUINNESS-STOREHOUSE-2025-FACT-SHEET.pdf).
## Development and investment
Diageo announced a €16 million expansion plan for the Storehouse, adding a three-storey building for the Guinness Archives, which chronicle the company's history from 1759, plus retail storage and an employee hub[23](https://www.diageo.com/en/news-and-media/press-releases/2017/guinness-storehouse-announces-16-million-expansion-plan). The Guinness Archive is Ireland's only corporate archive open to the public and is used by Guinness marketing communities, brewing historians, and collectors[11](https://www.itic.ie/guinness-storehouse/).
**Redesigned ground floor.** A redesigned Ingredients Experience launched in 2024, created by Dalziel & Pow with Diageo Brand Homes, can process over 1,000 visitors an hour; post-reopening net promoter scores rose 26% against a 10% target, and 40% of surveyed visitors named the Ingredients Area their favorite part of the visit[14](https://effectivedesign.org.uk/sites/default/files/DiageoGuinnessStorehouse_DBA_entrycompressed.pdf).
## Access and inclusion
The Storehouse is a certified autism-friendly attraction accredited by Ireland's national autism charity, AsIAm, and offers Sensory Friendly Hours once a month, on the first Wednesday, with reduced noise and lighting and marked sensory hotspots[24](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/accessibility). It holds a gold-standard accessibility rating assessed with Mobility Mojo, admits one carer free with the self-guided tour, and limits wheelchair access to the Gravity Bar to four users at a time for health and safety reasons[24](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/accessibility).
## References
1. [Contact Us | Guinness Storehouse](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/contact-us)
2. [Visit the Gravity Bar in Dublin | Guinness Storehouse](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/whats-hoppening/the-gravity-bar)
3. [Guinness Storehouse, Buildings of Ireland](https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/50080244/guinness-storehouse-robert-street-market-street-dublin-8-dublin)
4. [Guinness Storehouse Turns 25, The Liberties Dublin](https://libertiesdublin.ie/guinness-storehouse-turns-25/)
5. [GUINNESS STOREHOUSE 2025 FACT SHEET](https://gowildmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GUINNESS-STOREHOUSE-2025-FACT-SHEET.pdf)
6. [Guinness Storehouse or Jameson Distillery: Which to Book? Dublin Tourism Guide](https://www.dublintourism.org/guinness-storehouse-vs-jameson/)
7. [Phoenix Park Visitor Centre tops Fáilte Ireland visitor attractions list for 2024, Travel Extra](https://www.travelextra.ie/failte-ireland-visitor-attractions-survey-reveals-phoenix-park-visitor-centre-top/)
8. [Guinness Storehouse: The Complete Visitor Guide for 2026, Dublin Tourism Guide](https://www.dublintourism.org/guinness-storehouse-guide/)
9. [Visit the Guinness Store in Dublin | Guinness Storehouse](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/visit)
10. [Guinness Storehouse, Dublin tourism brochure (2016)](https://d5qsyj6vaeh11.cloudfront.net/files/brochures/pdf/english/ePUB-TDA-DUB_V02-2016-636210412189152912.pdf)
11. [Guinness Storehouse, Irish Tourism Industry Confederation](https://www.itic.ie/guinness-storehouse/)
12. [Imagination pulls Guinness pint, Design Week (22 September 2000)](https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/21-september-2000/imagination-pulls-guinness-pint/)
13. [Event drafted in to lead Guinness Storehouse design, Design Week](https://www.designweek.co.uk/event-drafted-in-to-lead-guinness-storehouse-design/)
14. [Guinness Storehouse Ingredients Experience, DBA Design Effectiveness Awards](https://effectivedesign.org.uk/sites/default/files/DiageoGuinnessStorehouse_DBA_entrycompressed.pdf)
15. [Guinness Storehouse | Guinness EN](https://www.guinness.com/en/experiences/guinness-storehouse)
16. [History and pints on tap at Dublin's Guinness Storehouse, The Gazette (2015)](https://gazette.com/2015/11/22/history-and-pints-on-tap-at-dublins-guinness-storehouse-0625b5fc-817d-5f13-93ac-8addf4e2e18f/)
17. [Guinness Storehouse | Ireland.com](https://www.ireland.com/things-to-do/attractions/guinness-storehouse/)
18. [Buy Tickets for Tours & Experiences | Guinness Storehouse](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/booking/date)
19. [Frequently Asked Questions | Guinness US](https://www.guinness.com/en-us/frequently-asked-questions)
20. [Guinness Storehouse | Dublin | Trips.ie](https://trips.ie/guinness-storehouse/)
21. [Correspondence re Fáilte Ireland Annual Report 2022, Houses of the Oireachtas](https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/committee/dail/33/committee_of_public_accounts/submissions/2023/2023-12-19_correspondence-received-from-brendan-keehan-assistant-secretary-department-of-tourism-culture-arts-gaeltacht-sport-and-media-r2181-pac33_en.pdf)
22. [Guinness Storehouse most visited attraction in Ireland for 15th year in a row, Travel Extra](https://www.travelextra.ie/guinness-storehouse-most-visited-attraction-in-ireland-for-15th-successive-year/)
23. [Guinness Storehouse announces €16 million expansion plan, Diageo](https://www.diageo.com/en/news-and-media/press-releases/2017/guinness-storehouse-announces-16-million-expansion-plan)
24. [Visitor Accessibility & Guides | Guinness Storehouse](https://www.guinness-storehouse.com/en/accessibility)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Food, customs, and everyday culture › Food, cooking and hospitality › Beverages and drink culture › Beer and brewing › Beer culture, festivals, and history › Beer and brewing museums*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license