The Dublin Civic Center is located in the City Assembly House. Within the walls is a great collection of pieces of Dublin's history. Dublin's history is traced back to the Vikings and medieval life through the collection of maps, models, and pictures. In 1965, the statue of Lord Nelson that stood in O'Connell Street was destroyed, and the Civic Center now has the head of the statue on display.

Ireland's rich, groundbreaking literary history is on display at this Georgian house north of the Liffey. The chronologically arranged museum takes visitors from the early days through the literary revival in the late 1800's and early 1900's when Yeats, Swift, Shaw, Wilde, and Joyce took the literary world by storm. Original works, photographs, letters and more accompany biographies that let visitors see how this literary tradition began. The coffee shop and bookshop make for great literary browsing.

Aimed at kids but interesting for adults as well, the Viking Adventure reconstructs life in Viking Dublin. In addition to exhibits showing the day-to-day life of citizens a thousand years ago, the museum section displays artifacts discovered nearby, emphasizing that the exhibits are accurate reenactments of a time of rapid growth and development. The Mayfayre exhibit is particularly vivid and interesting, and the book and craft shop has a wide array of keepsakes.

Dublinia, an exhibit connected to Christ Church Cathedral by a suspended link bridge, aims to provide a "bridge to the medieval past" in Dublin. An audio device provides narration as you walk through three-dimensional depictions of life in the 10th century (the time of Viking Strongbow) through the time of Henry VIII in the 16th century. A detailed, scale model shows how Dublin developed from the time Vikings to the thriving town of today.

Dublin is known first for its literary greats, but running a close second are Ireland's musical contributions, which have included everything from classical and traditional music to modern rock. This high-tech, modern museum opened in 1999 and includes a concert venue and a popular restaurant. A karaoke-style area lets you try your own hand at some Irish tunes, or you can learn about icons and trends by checking out the interactive displays.