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Phoenix Park

#9of 10 places to visit in DublinDublin, Leinster, Ireland

Also known as The Phoenix Park · Pairc an Fhionnuisce

Quick answer

Opening hours: 07:00–22:45. Entry is free. Allow 2 hrs. Best time: Early morning or late afternoon in summer.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

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Photo: William Murphy / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Opening hours: 07:00–22:45; Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Main gates at Parkgate Street and Castleknock Gate stay open around the clock; side gates open roughly 07:00-22:45 per the park's own site.
Entry fee: Free
Time needed: 2 hrs
Best time of day: Early morning or late afternoon in summer
Best months: May – Sep
Address: Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, Ireland

About Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park is free and open 24 hours a day, every day, and its perimeter wall encloses about 707 hectares, one of the largest enclosed urban parks in any European capital. The park lies about 2.4 km west of O'Connell Street, and its long avenues, open grass and woodland hold a wild herd of fallow deer, the presidential residence Áras an Uachtaráin, Dublin Zoo and the Wellington Testimonial. Chesterfield Avenue, the straight main road through the park, runs about 4 km from Parkgate Street to Castleknock Gate.

Best time of day: Early morning or late afternoon in summer. When fallow deer graze in the open near the Furry Glen and Chesterfield Avenue.

Phoenix Park timings

Phoenix Park opens at 07:00 and closes at 22:45. Those hours hold on Saturday and Sunday too.

Opening hours: 07:00–22:45; Mon–Sun 07:00–22:45; Open 24 hours, 7 days a week. Main gates at Parkgate Street and Castleknock Gate stay open around the clock; side gates open roughly 07:00-22:45 per the park's own site.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	07:00–22:45

Good to know: Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle keep shorter, seasonal hours; check heritageireland.ie.

Opening hours compiled from phoenixpark.ie and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Phoenix Park ticket price

Entry fees for Phoenix Park
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	Free
Concession (student / senior)	Free
Children	Free

Entry to Phoenix Park is free as of 2026, and the park is open 24 hours a day, every day. Dublin Zoo, which sits inside the park, charges its own admission; verify at dublinzoo.ie. Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle admission has been reported as free, but verify current arrangements at heritageireland.ie.

Prices compiled from phoenixpark.ie and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Phoenix Park

Quiet
Moderate
Busy

06:00 - 09:00
Early morningBest time to go
Runners and dog walkers dominate, and deer graze near the main avenue.
Quiet
09:00 - 12:00
Morning
Cyclists and the zoo crowd build near Parkgate Street, while the far end of the park stays quiet.
Moderate
12:00 - 17:00
Afternoon
Weekend afternoons in fine weather fill the People's Gardens and the Visitor Centre car park.
Busy
17:00 - 21:00
Evening
Sports fields and running groups are busy, and low light over the Fifteen Acres is at its best in summer.
Moderate

History of Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park was laid out as a royal hunting park in the 1660s under the Duke of Ormond, the Lord Lieutenant, and opened to the public in 1747 under Lord Chesterfield. The name is commonly explained as an anglicisation of the Irish fionn uisce, meaning clear water, though the etymology is disputed, and Chesterfield erected the Phoenix Column, topped with a bird, in 1747.

The Wellington Testimonial, a granite obelisk 62 metres tall, commemorates Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who was born in Dublin, and is often cited as the tallest obelisk in Europe. Construction began in 1817 and was completed in 1861.

The herd of fallow deer, about 600 animals according to commonly cited figures, descends from deer introduced in the 1660s. In September 1979, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass near the Papal Cross in front of a huge crowd. The Áras an Uachtaráin, built in the 1750s as a ranger's lodge, is the official residence of the President of Ireland.

Rules & etiquette at Phoenix Park

Phoenix Park bans barbecues, camping and drones, and visitors should not feed or approach the fallow deer, which can be dangerous during the autumn rut. Keep a distance of several metres.

Main gates at Parkgate Street and Castleknock Gate stay open 24 hours, and side gates close overnight, roughly 22:45 to 07:00. Chesterfield Avenue carries traffic, so cyclists and pedestrians should use the cycle track and footpaths. Park rangers can be reached on +353 87 228 9688 daily from 06:30 to 23:30 and the Superintendent's Office on +353 1 821 3021 on weekdays.

Entry fees inside Phoenix Park apply to Dublin Zoo only; the rest of the park is free.

Tips for visiting Phoenix Park

1
Phoenix Park is large enough that a walk alone will not cover it, so choose a focus: the Visitor Centre and Ashtown Castle for history, the Victorian Flower Gardens at the People's Gardens for a calm stop, or the Wellington Testimonial and Fifteen Acres for open views. Cycling is permitted and covers the main avenue quickly.
2
The deer are most active at dawn and dusk and are easiest to see from Chesterfield Avenue across the open grassland toward the Papal Cross. Keep a respectful distance of several metres and do not stand between a stag and the herd in autumn.
3
The simplest access is Parkgate Street, five to ten minutes' walk from Heuston station, which puts you near Dublin Zoo. Tours of Áras an Uachtaráin have been organised through the OPW, so check heritageireland.ie for current availability. Bring rain gear, because weather changes quickly in Dublin.

How to reach Phoenix Park

The red star is Phoenix Park; the numbered pins are the 9 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Phoenix Park, Dublin 8, IrelandDirections in Google Maps

From Heuston station
0.4 km · 5-8 min
Free (walking distance)
From Dublin city centre (O'Connell Street)
2.4 km · 20-30 min
About EUR 2.00 with a Leap Card (as of 2026, verify at luas.ie)
From Dublin Airport (DUB)
10 km · 40-60 min
About EUR 8-9 by Airlink plus EUR 2.00 for Luas (as of 2026, verify)

Nearest airport

From Dublin Airport (DUB)

about 10 km, 25-35 minutes by taxi or 45 minutes by bus.

Nearest station

From Heuston station

about 5-10 minutes on foot to Parkgate Street gate; Luas Red Line Heuston or Museum stops.

Phoenix Park FAQs

Is Phoenix Park free?

Yes. Phoenix Park is free to enter and open 24 hours a day as of 2026. Dublin Zoo inside the park charges its own admission.

How big is Phoenix Park?

Phoenix Park encloses about 707 hectares, according to commonly cited figures, and is one of the largest enclosed urban parks in any European capital. Chesterfield Avenue runs roughly 4 km through the park.

Are there wild deer in Phoenix Park?

Yes. A herd of about 600 fallow deer lives in the park, descended from deer introduced in the 1660s. Do not feed or approach them, especially during the autumn rut.

Can you fly a drone in Phoenix Park?

No. Drones, barbecues and camping are prohibited in Phoenix Park, according to the park's own site.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places