About the Visitor Centre
To picture our award-winning Visitor Centre, think Lord Of The Rings and the home of its Hobbit hero, Frodo Baggins.
Nestled into the hillside, its unique cave-like structure accommodates a full range of facilities and attractions underground.
The eco-friendly design has minimal visual impact on the surrounding landscape and is complementary to the Cliffs’ natural beauty.
Since opening in 2007, the visitor centre has won numerous awards, including Best Public/Cultural Building at the 2007 Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland (RIAI) Awards; the Commercial Interiors Award at the 2007 International Federation of Interior Architects (IFI) Awards and the Exhibition Design Award at the 2007 and 2008 Institute of Designers in Ireland (IDI) Awards.
Within the Visitor Centre
The Visitor Centre features an Interactive Exhibition, Cliffs View Café, Puffins Nest Café, Visitor Information, Shannon Heritage Craft and Gift Store, Restroom Facilities as well as First Aid facilities, which include a fully equipped first aid room with nationally-certified first aiders available daily.
Our onsite team are ready to provide assistance, with information, guided tours, wheelchairs and mobility assistance for the less abled, first aid as required, site maintenance, litter picking and conservation of the Cliffs of Moher. We also offer other complimentary services such as Binoculars and Picnic Blankets on loan, a water refill station, phone charging and luggage storage.
Be sure to download our App and Audio Guide to keep up to date on the latest information, exclusive discounts and special offers.
Exhibitions in the Visitor Centre
The centrepiece of the Visitor Centre is a circular exhibition space that has a domed roof structure, with a diameter of 25 metres.
You’ll be immersed into an interpretative exhibition, which not only animates the story of the Cliffs, presenting the geology, wildlife and human aspects but draws stories and information from all around County Clare and Ireland.
To bring to life the many different aspects of the Cliffs, the dome is organised into four main themed areas: Ocean, Rock, Nature and Man.
The 4D Ledge Experience
Located within the Cliffs of Moher Experience Visitor Centre, the Ledge 4D Experience takes visitors on an interactive 3-minute tour of the cliffs and combines stunning visuals of the world-famous cliffs on a calm summer’s day, both above the sea and underwater, with the environmental effects of west of Ireland wind and spray of Moher mist.
Set to a rousing soundtrack composed by famous local musician Davy Spillane, the Ledge 4D Experience follows a gannet over the edge of the cliffs, down into the water to explore the wide range of life under waves, and back up past the impressive sea stack and O’Brien’s Tower.
State-of-the-art projectors, an upgraded sound system and a tiered standing area to allow for improved viewing conditions also have been installed to add to the overall authenticity of the experience mirroring a real-life bird’s eye view of the Cliffs of Moher over and underwater. The Ledge Experience is the first 4D experience in Ireland.
Throughout the exhibition you will learn the following:
See how the earth’s surface has changed over millions of years to form the layout we know today and learn how the climate over the same period has developed and will continue to do.
Here you will find out how the Cliffs and unique rock formations of County Clare have developed over time.
Information on the Flora and Fauna of the Area and all that is living and growing both on land and under the sea is available in this section.
See a real-life seismometer and seismographs being produced as the movement of the earth is recorded and gain an insight into what information seismometers provide.
View a timeline of the major milestones in the development of tourism at the Cliffs of Moher and how the site has developed from the construction of O’Brien’s Tower in 1835 to the Opening of the Visitor Experience in 2007.
You can take a Postcard Picture at the ‘Postcards from the Edge’ Exhibit. Select your favourite background… pose and then email your postcard to yourself or a friend.
Or those who a still kids at heart you can learn a little more about the animals and birds in the area while guessing the sounds they make and then create a picture on the interactive screens which can also be emailed to you or a friend.
Follow the winding cave tunnel which leads you to the next area of the visitor centre. Before entering the virtual reality Cliff top fly over, learn a little on what it’s like to live and work at the Cliffs of Moher from our ‘Custodians of the Cliffs’ Exhibit. You will also learn about the Burren and Cliffs of Moher UNESCO Global Geopark and the principles of ‘Leave No Trace’ which we hope you will follow during your visit.
‘The Ledge 4D Experience’, takes visitors on an exhilarating 3-minute tour of the cliffs and combines stunning visuals of the world-famous cliffs on a calm summer’s day, both above the sea and underwater, with the environmental effects of west of Ireland wind and spray of Moher mist.
Move to the upper level of the Visitor Centre and you will see a scale model of ‘The Fenian Ram’, the Submarine designed by local man JP Holland. View the information boards to find out all about it. Also located upstairs is the Cliffs View Café where you can grab a coffee or delicious bite to eat.
It has been probably 18 years since I last visited the Cliffs of Moher and it was impressive then and it is now even better experience due to the visitor centre. Along with the many interesting histories of the area it has an interesting movie ‘on the ledge’ and also many interactive areas to keep it interesting to all ages. The ability to create a postcard with a photo and have it emailed directly was very unique and interesting and after a walk around inside the shear scale of the cliffs themselves was amazing. Coffee shop was very nice as well and excellent facilities and extremely safe environment.
TripAdvisor Review August 2021
