At Castletown, we are very proud of our guiding team and the feedback visitors leave – whether in our guest book, on our Facebook page or on TripAdvisor – routinely sings their praises for good reason. However, we know that there are times when visitors may prefer to explore the house at their own leisure or simply don’t have the time to wait for the next scheduled tour. Language barriers may be another reason why a guided tour may not work in some cases. To cater to these diverse needs, we have introduced a new ticket option this season: the self-guiding ticket.

This option is slightly cheaper than the ticket for a guided tour, but that doesn’t mean that you have to do without guidance. We offer a floor plan with information on the history and highlights of Castletown House to help you navigate the three floors on your own.

We can also provide leaflets with information about the house in Irish, French, Spanish, German, Chinese, Italian and Polish – just ask for these at the reception desk. And if you download our App, you can listen to the very detailed audio tour recorded by the illustrious Performance Corporation as you walk from room to room.

As part of your self-guiding ticket, you will be able to discover the display of rare miniatures in the Print Room, the Berkeley Costume Collection of eighteenth-century court dresses in Lady Kildare’s Room on the first floor as well as the Berkeley Toy Collection on the second floor where the nursery in Castletown used to be. And after 28th of May, an exhibition of vintage photographs of Grace Kelly will be open to visitors in the Gallery on the second floor. 2017 may just be the most exciting year yet in Castletown and we look forward to welcoming you there.