Small but impressive museum containing a large collection of medieval European artifacts

Part of the reason to come to this museum is just to see the building -- the grand, 18th-century Old Custom House, where the elegant Palladian facade is a copy of the Petit Trianon at Versailles. The museum's 2,000-work collection of ancient, medieval, and modern treasures -- the finest outside of Dublin's National Museum -- includes ancient Irish metalwork; and medieval bronzes, ivories, and enamels. The museum's contents were part of the private collection of the late John and Gertrude Hunt, who were antique dealers and consultants who willed their collection to Ireland in the 1970s. Free guided tours are available (check at the front desk), and there are tours for kids called "treasure trails," so they can get more out of the experience. There is an attractive in-house restaurant that serves snacks and full meals.

Web site: www.ul.ie/~hunt 
  
 Prices Admission
 €6.50 ($8.45) adults, €5.50 ($7.15) students and seniors, €3.20 ($4.15) children, €15 ($20) families