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Museum · Waterford, Waterford
House of Waterford Crystal
The Waterford Crystal factory and shop on The Mall, with a guided tour of the workshops where you can see craftsmen blowing, cutting and engraving pieces by hand.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Discover
About House of Waterford Crystal
Waterford crystal began to be made in 1783 by brothers George and William Penrose on the city's quay, and became famous for cut lead glass. The factory closed in 1851 and production was only resumed in 1947 with craftsmen from Central Europe. After the closure of the large factory on the outskirts in 2009, the House of Waterford Crystal was opened in the city centre on The Mall, with workshops and a shop.
The guided tour goes through the stages of production. In the mould room, craftsmen make wooden forms; in the furnace the glassblowers gather molten glass on the end of a blowpipe and shape the pieces. Then comes inspection, where defective pieces are broken, marking, cutting on diamond wheels and engraving, with details done by hand.
The workshops also make trophies and bespoke pieces, and the route ends in a room with large examples such as chandeliers, sports trophies and replicas of special pieces. The adjoining shop, freely accessible, displays and sells the pieces.
The building is a few steps from Reginald's Tower and the Medieval Museum in the Viking Triangle. The guided tour departs at fixed times.
Before you go
Practical information
Cidade Turismo reviews its information regularly, but something may have changed. Check with the place before planning your trip.
How much time to set aside
About 1 hour including the guided tour.
Best time
In the morning or early afternoon on weekdays, when craftsmen are working in all the workshops. Tours depart at fixed times; book in summer.
How to get there
It's on The Mall, in central Waterford, a 2-minute walk from Reginald's Tower and about 10 minutes from the train station.
Tip
Take the tour on a weekday to see all the workshops in operation. In the cutting room, ask how long a piece takes, from blowing to engraving.
Get your questions answered
Frequently asked questions about House of Waterford Crystal
Does the tour show crystal being made?
Yes. The guided tour goes through the workshops where craftsmen blow, cut and engrave the pieces by hand.
Since when has crystal been made in Waterford?
Since 1783, by the Penrose brothers. Production was halted in 1851 and resumed in 1947.
Do I need to take the tour to enter the shop?
No. The shop has free access; the tour of the workshops is guided and runs on a schedule.