"The Mall is a beautiful walk, about 200 yards long… facing it stands the Bishop’s Palace, which not only adds a considerable beauty ... the Palace is a fine building of hewn stone, with two fronts, that next to the Mall is beautifully ornamented with a handsome portico." (Charles Smith’s History, 1746)
Enjoy a re-enactor-led tour through the treasures and scandals of 18th century Waterford and explore the beginnings of glass making in Waterford through our exciting 4D Audio Visual Experience. The Bishop’s Palace in Cathedral Square was magnificently conserved in 2010/11 and opened as a museum in June 2011, displaying the treasures of Georgian and Victorian Waterford. This exquisite architectural jewel, now a museum, continues to delight over 250 years later, the ground and first floors furnished as a very elegant 18th-century townhouse, with some of the finest displays in Ireland of 18th-century glass, silver, furniture and paintings. The oldest piece of Waterford Glass in the world – the Penrose decanter – is a highlight.
The top floor continues the story up to 1970 ending with the Hucklebuck shoes. Galleries cover the historic suburb of Ballybricken, the heartland of John Redmond’s support, the struggle for Irish independence and the early Irish State, the First World War, through the 1940s and 1950s, the Showband years and Waterford Sporting Heroes.
opening times Learn more
- Monday to Friday9:00 am — 5:00 pm
- Saturday10:00 am — 5:00 pm
- Sunday11:00 am — 5:00 pm
Join us for lunch at the Bishop's Palace Café
After your visit to the museum, stroll across and enjoy a relaxing cup of coffee in the Bishop’s Palace Café or on the adjoining terrace overlooking the 13th-century town wall, in the heart of the Viking Triangle. A full brunch menu, excellent coffee and a wide array of delicious cakes are also available.
Bishop's Palace
collection highlights
The Bishop’s Palace in Cathedral Square opened as a museum in June 2011, displaying the treasures of Georgian and Victorian Waterford

The oldest surviving piece of Waterford glass in the world.
This decanter made in 1789 has the wide pouring lip common to most Penrose decanters and a three-ring neck

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see all eventsCome explore this exquisite architectural jewel
Now a museum, it continues to delight over 250 years later
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