Foynes Flying Boat Museum: Birthplace of Irish Coffee
4.9
15 Ratings
Foynes

Discover Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum: Walk in the footsteps of legends, savor original Irish Coffee, and explore rich aviation history.

Duration: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Foynes Flying Boat Museum - General Entry Tickets to Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum.
    Walk in the footsteps of the pioneering aviators and Hollywood icons.

✈The Famous Flying Boats | Come aboard the world’s First Airforce One & relive what it was like to fly in true ocean liner luxury
✈Pioneering Aviators | Learn about the brave pilots who took on the might of the Atlantic Ocean.
✈Flight Simulators |Try your hand at being a pilot & test your flying skills
✈Foynes in times of War | Discover what life was like during the War for passengers, airline staff & locals
✈Birthplace of Irish Coffee | Watch a 3D Hologram re-enacting the night Irish Coffee was invented & participate in an Irish Coffee Masterclass in a quaint 1940s setting
✈Control Tower | Savour the panoramic views of the Shannon Estuary
✈Maritime Museum | Discover Ireland’s rich maritime heritage & the famous people from Foynes that helped shaped Irish history
✈Irish Coffee available (sold seperately) - O’Regan’s restaurant on site

What's Included
  • All fees and/or taxes
Additional Information

It all began in Foynes.

Walk in the Footsteps of Pioneering Aviators & Hollywood Icons in the Birthplace of Irish Coffee!

Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum is located on the Wild Atlantic Way just 30 minutes from Limerick city on the banks of the Shannon Estuary. This truly unique visitor experience captures the story of how Foynes became one of the great aviation hubs of the world between 1937-1945.

Walk in the footsteps of JF Kennedy, Bob Hope, Eleanor Roosevelt & many other dignitaries, movie stars & refugees who landed at Foynes. Experience Irish Coffee in the very building it was invented, and taste the original recipe in a quaint 1940’s setting (O’Regan’s Restaurant - Irish Coffees sold seperately). Visit the new Maureen O’Hara exhibition dedicated to preserving the memory of Ireland’s most famous film star & explore the rich history of the River Shannon.

Explore our NEW museum building which launched in 2023!

Location
Foynes Flying Boat Museum
Main Street,
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(15 Ratings)
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Mgcanavan
Aug 17, 2024
Foynes Flying Boat Museum: Totally worth a visit - I love aviation history and this museum definitely met and exceeded my expectations, and my whole family enjoyed our visit. The unexpected connection to Hollywood enhanced the experience, especially for my wife. The introduction video was excellent and the exhibits were comprehensive, detailed and nicely presented and composed. The replica of the Boeing 314 was great as was the interactive 'flying' experience. The staff could not have been more welcoming or helpful.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephenm279
Aug 6, 2024
Lovely place to take the kids - Lovely place to take the kids (two boys 10 and 8). Great value for money too. Staff friendly. Exhibitions were well maintained and entertaining.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tonybc7693yx
Aug 6, 2024
Cracking museum to visit - great staff and great subject - Absolutely well worth visiting. Everything is well laid out and tells the fascinating story of Foynes and flying boats. The film that starts the tour/sets the context is a must see as is the replcia of the flying boat - you get a real sense of the glamour and ellegance of air travel in that era. Additionally I was travelling by motorcycle and the lady at the reception desk just couldnt have been more helpful. She allowed me to leave my heavy bike jacket and helmet in side room for the duration of my visit. We also had a good chat about the place (and I have to admit some reminiscing of life in Manchester and Liverpool back in the 60s and 70s. This is a realy good museum to visit even if you have just the slightest interest in aviation and by gone times - if you have an interest in flying boats then you sort of just have to go.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber18851902357
Aug 2, 2024
That was worth his money, successful museum, not only worth seeing in the rain - Very nice staff, interesting film about the history of the flying boats on the Shannon, very interesting exhibition, at the same time entertaining exhibition about the actress Maureen O'Hara, great patron of the museum, at the end an original Irish Coffee, completely successful
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maggielimerick
Jul 25, 2024
Learning the history of the Flying boats and finishing up with the story of Maureen O Hara's connection to Foynes was so interes - Such an interesting place with lots of history on the aeroplane industry. I often heard my father talk of the Yankee Clipper landing in Foynes harbour in 1939 but to actually be able to go inside a model of the Yankee clipper was amazing.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mousel2019
Jul 23, 2024
Great visit to Flying Boat museum - Excellent museum with a great replica of a flying boat fuselage to walk through. The Maureen O'Hara section was really well done as well. Perfect place for couples to visiteven if one of you is not particularly interested in flying boats. Could do with some more interative exhibits for teens/kids,but all in all an excellent place to visit.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Grandtour674414
Jul 10, 2024
Good experience. - Really good experience and fabulous friedly staff. Unfortunately the flight simulater was not working the day we went.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dhera_i_will_ya
Jul 3, 2024
Worth a stop - Very interesting stop with excellent exhibits on this fascinating era in aviation history. There is also a nice collection of Maureen O’Hara memorabilia.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Paulinemy8138z
Jul 3, 2024
Great visit to Foynes museum - V enjoyable visit (my third) to this museum. Went as one of a group of 20 from Club Ide Active retired Tralee. The museum has a great deal to offer from detailed visual info on the history of air travel to displays of Maureen O'Hara's costumes and film clips. And so much more! Our Guide Natalie was terrific. She relayed the information in a clear, concise but also entertaining way. She also seemed happy to answer my many questions. The toasties and chips in the restuarant were delicious!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Srt5115ng
Jul 12, 2024
Flying Visit - Our group was a little rushed, as we had to catch the ferry over to Kilkee, but managed to at least give everything a glance over in a little under an hour. I'd say around two hours is probably optimal to really take in all the details. The staff are welcoming and very well informed about the history of the area as well as the boats. The flying boat replica is just as impressive as the first time I saw it, and the Maureen O'Hara exhibit is simply stunning. The amount and variety of artifacts on display is spectacular. I quite liked the white Aran knit coat, but the trap from The Quite Man isn't exactly chopped liver either. As a side note, the attached restaurant does a nice breakfast, and Irish coffee-making demonstration.
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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