Tell a thousand and one stories in Ireland's museums

Whether you want to escape the rain or spend the morning learning about the local culture, museums are an excellent introduction to a destination. With so many to choose from in Ireland, from intimate galleries to impressive historic museums, you’ll have a hard time deciding which ones to visit. The Little Museum of Dublin lives up to its name. With 5,000 artifacts donated by the local inhabitants, this small museum situated in a Georgian house displays memorabilia from the past century. If you’re staying in the capital, get your (fake) passport stamped as you wander through EPIC, The Irish Emigration Museum, and its 20 rooms.

The Titanic was built in Belfast in 1909 and the building that houses the Titanic Belfast Museum resembles the giant of the seas—it’s colossal. As you walk through its rooms, imagine what it was like to be in one of the ship's cabins as you read the last letters written by its passengers. Further south, visit the Titanic Experience in Cobh, a small port village that was the passenger liner's last stopover.

Take the opportunity to get a greater understanding of the country's history by visiting the Museum of Free Derry. By tracing the genesis of the Battle of Bogside and Bloody Sunday, this museum provides a comprehensive overview of the events that took place in Londonderry between 1968 and 1972.