Abbey Theatre
26/27 Abbey Street Lower, Dublin, Ireland
The Abbey Theatre in Dublin opened in 1904 and has been making literary waves ever since. The 600-plus-seat national theater of Ireland has staged shows of all genres, notably pieces from traditional Irish writers, such as W. B. Yeats. Among its claims to fame: When J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World debuted in 1907, the audience rioted.
The basics
The best way to visit the Abbey Theatre is by booking a show ticket or a behind-the-scenes tour on the theater’s website. You can also check out the theater on a hop-on hop-off Dublin bus tour that drops you near the theater, on self-guided walking tours, or guided walking tours of the Irish capital city.
Things to know before you go
If you want to see a show, you can buy tickets online in advance or at the theater’s box office.
You can tour the Abbey Theatre on days without shows—prebook your preferred tour day online; the tour runs about an hour and a half.
Park at the Irish Life Car Park on Gardiner Street Lower, about a 5-minute walk from Abbey Theatre.
This theater in Dublin is accessible to people using wheelchairs.
How to get there
If you’re taking the Dublin Area Rapid Transit (DART) railway, get off at Tara Street Station, as it’s the closest one to Abbey Theatre. If you’re taking the Luas tram system, take the Red Line to Abbey Street or the Green Line to O’Connell. If you’re driving, park at the Irish Life Car Park.
When to get there
Dublin’s Abbey Theatre is closed on Sundays. If you want to take a behind-the-scenes tour led by the theater staff, prebook online to guarantee a spot on the day you’d like to go. Plan and book ahead of your visit if you want to see a particular show, as tickets may sell out.
Book time at Kilmainham Gaol
Kilmainham Gaol, a former prison in Dublin, is a 30-minute drive from Abbey Theatre and well worth the trip, especially for history buffs. Now a museum, the jail first opened in 1796, and you can learn a lot about Irish history at the site—including details on some of its most famous prisoners. Access to it today is by guided tour only, so prebook your tour online if you want to go.
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