Silent Saturdays at Galway City Museum

What to Expect

Silent Saturdays are Galway City Museum’s sensory-friendly mornings, held on the last Saturday of each month from 10am to 12pm. The next one falls on Saturday 29 August 2026. During those two hours the museum minimises sound levels across the building, discourages large group visits and sets aside the Education Room on Level 2 as a designated quiet space for anyone who needs to step out of the galleries.

The sessions are aimed at neurodivergent visitors, people with sensory differences and anyone who would rather see the collection without noise and crowds. That covers a lot of people in practice, including older visitors and parents of young children. The museum publishes a social story in advance so visitors can see the layout, the route and what to expect before arriving, which removes most of the guesswork from a first visit. The museum notes that the July and August sessions can be busier than usual because of summer tourism, so the autumn dates in September, October and November may suit better if quiet is the priority. Silent Saturdays sit alongside the museum’s monthly Museum Lates evening openings on the last Thursday of each month.

Good to Know

• Next date: Saturday 29 August 2026, 10am to 12pm.
• Cadence: last Saturday of every month.
• Venue: Galway City Museum, Spanish Parade, Galway, H91 CX5P.
• Sound levels are minimised throughout and large group visits are discouraged.
• The Education Room on Level 2 is a designated quiet space.
• A social story is available in advance to help visitors prepare.
• Contact the museum on 091 532460 or museum@galwaycity.ie for booking and access queries.

Getting There

The museum is on Spanish Parade beside the Spanish Arch, where Quay Street meets the river, a five minute walk from Shop Street. There is no museum car park; the multi-storey car parks around the edge of the city centre are the practical option, though Saturday mornings are the busiest time of the week in central Galway because of the market, so allow extra time or arrive at opening. Ceannt Station and the Eyre Square bus stops are both about ten minutes away on foot. Drivers arrive on the M6 and N6 from Dublin, the N17 from Tuam, the N18 from Ennis and the N59 from Clifden.