Emerald Park
Emerald Park
4
About
Escape to Ireland's only theme park & zoo located in the heart of the nation's ancient east, Co. Meath. At Emerald Park there is something for the whole family to enjoy, with thrill-seeking attractions, a junior area, playgrounds, shows and entertainment plus a fantastic zoo which is home to over 250 animals! Take a ride on the wild side; meet some big cats, tigers, leopards, or visit a free-flying birds of prey show. For that adrenaline rush take a spin on the legendary Cú Chulainn Coaster or for those young adventurers why not explore the playgrounds, jump on a train ride, and have Rawr-some adventure on Dino Dash. Get ready to have some fun and treasure memories for years to come with the ultimate fun-filled day out at Emerald Park!
Duration: More than 3 hours
Meets animal welfare guidelines
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4.0
3,125 reviews
Excellent
1,556
Very good
767
Average
343
Poor
207
Terrible
252
Laura
Enniskillen, County Fermanagh18 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
It’s very expensive but you could literally spend all day in here and still not get around everything. The queues can be quite long and the park is busy but there’s lots of rides so if one queue is long then try another. The food is good and not overly expensive. There is a drinks cup you can buy for €10 and you can refill it at stations around the park every half an hour so it’s great value.
Written 5 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Charlie T
Deeside, UK147 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
Our visit to Emerald Park certainly did not disappoint. As regular visitors to British theme parks such as Alton Towers and Thorpe Park, the bar was set relatively high for Emerald Park. In some ways, the theme parks are comparable but Emerald Park shone through. This was mainly due to the lack of queue times - they do not let too many people in! Also, emerald park seems to be an affordable day out for all the family. Ticket prices if booked in advance are not expensive, and the food and drink on offer in the park is very well priced and actually delicious!
The rides are more towards the children’s side of attractions, however there are two roller coasters which are definitely considered to be thrill factors! The wooden coaster is something else, and in the top 3 coasters out of all the UK and Irish choices for me.
The zoo section of the park was brilliant. We were not expecting to enjoy this section of the park so much as it wasn’t the reason we visited, however we really did find it very interesting with birds of prey being the highlight for us. It is clear that the animals are well cared for and are not just there to make money.
The park was open 10am to 7pm which was fantastic. It gave us plenty of time to explore and make the most of our day. We would definitely recommend a visit to Emerald Park.
The rides are more towards the children’s side of attractions, however there are two roller coasters which are definitely considered to be thrill factors! The wooden coaster is something else, and in the top 3 coasters out of all the UK and Irish choices for me.
The zoo section of the park was brilliant. We were not expecting to enjoy this section of the park so much as it wasn’t the reason we visited, however we really did find it very interesting with birds of prey being the highlight for us. It is clear that the animals are well cared for and are not just there to make money.
The park was open 10am to 7pm which was fantastic. It gave us plenty of time to explore and make the most of our day. We would definitely recommend a visit to Emerald Park.
Written 19 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
akn3
County Louth, Ireland95 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Since Covid there was interviews with the park owner saying less people is better and actually made them more money as people were happier and spent more.
Now, that opinion is clearly lost and the park is packed.
For most of today, a dull Wednesday in August there was an hour long wait for Dino Dash, Flight School and the bigger roller coasters. Other rides had just as long a wait. We were in the park from 10 am and left at 7:30pm.
Out of the 10 of us, there was about 6 rides used as the waiting times were so bad.
We tried to upgrade to a membership 3 times before finally being able too. Before that we were told to go and come back when it was quiet.
Food as always was spot on and good value. The games around the park have gotten very expensive with two goes for €10.
The gift shop has less than it used to have and a few of the rides still break down and close out of the blue. Twice today the kids were told to leave a ride and come back later.
The junior area is actually a joke with the waiting times. The staff don't care and have no interest in moving things along.
They removed the gliders and climbing wall much to the disappointment of the kids.
The toilets are disgusting and the animals have cleaner areas to go the toilet.
Shop areas had huge waiting lines and when you finally get to order the following was the outcome:
1) slush only has 2 of about 8 colours working
2) slush is like water
3) we don't serve 99's here, only pineapple ones
4) we don't serve hot chocolate here
5) we don't sell ice pops despite signs showing them
The only reason we got another membership was that they had a 20% off sale on gift cards. We bought one to cover the membership which then went up by €120!
Not a patch on Disneyland.
Now, that opinion is clearly lost and the park is packed.
For most of today, a dull Wednesday in August there was an hour long wait for Dino Dash, Flight School and the bigger roller coasters. Other rides had just as long a wait. We were in the park from 10 am and left at 7:30pm.
Out of the 10 of us, there was about 6 rides used as the waiting times were so bad.
We tried to upgrade to a membership 3 times before finally being able too. Before that we were told to go and come back when it was quiet.
Food as always was spot on and good value. The games around the park have gotten very expensive with two goes for €10.
The gift shop has less than it used to have and a few of the rides still break down and close out of the blue. Twice today the kids were told to leave a ride and come back later.
The junior area is actually a joke with the waiting times. The staff don't care and have no interest in moving things along.
They removed the gliders and climbing wall much to the disappointment of the kids.
The toilets are disgusting and the animals have cleaner areas to go the toilet.
Shop areas had huge waiting lines and when you finally get to order the following was the outcome:
1) slush only has 2 of about 8 colours working
2) slush is like water
3) we don't serve 99's here, only pineapple ones
4) we don't serve hot chocolate here
5) we don't sell ice pops despite signs showing them
The only reason we got another membership was that they had a 20% off sale on gift cards. We bought one to cover the membership which then went up by €120!
Not a patch on Disneyland.
Written 7 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Felixamber
Dublin, Ireland233 contributions
Oct 2024 • Family
Visited today with my husband and two year old and we had a brilliant day out, it exceeded our expectations. The queues for cu culainn and tir na nog rides were 5 minutes and we did those first before going to the Halloween trail. The Halloween trail was v well done, we got a map and stickers and had to solve the clues. There were lots of performers along the way and we followed some of the zoo, our son received a bag of treats at the end. We then visited the Junior section and he went on the ride on horse and we all went on the train. We finished up in the playgrounds. I was a bit worried going that it might not work out with our son being so young but with short ride times and lots happening we had a fantastic time. We brought a packed lunch and bought snacks, there's lots of variety of food stalls.
Written 13 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Climber246606
1 contribution
Jun 2024 • Family
We had an amazing family day out. Plenty of staff in all parts of the park and they were so friendly, helpful and professional. My kids can't wait to go back. They loved the new attractions in Tír na nÓg. We got to see and do most things but we could have easily spent another day there. I had a 5 year old who wanted to do the big rides with her older brothers but she had plenty of other rides, attractions and playgrounds to entertain her. I got her a junior pass but the next time we go I'll get her an all access pass as she was over the height requirements for some of the thrill rides and she was keen to go on. The birds of prey show was really well done, the girl that gave the talk was very informative and natural. She was able to capture her audience so well and at the same time interact with the birds. All the assistants there helping her were fab too.
A little tip when parking your car on arrival, take note of where you park. I went back to the car and I couldn't remember where I parked the car as I didn't take note of the area number.
You will definitely get your steps up, wear comfortable shoes.
Looking forward to our next family day out.
A little tip when parking your car on arrival, take note of where you park. I went back to the car and I couldn't remember where I parked the car as I didn't take note of the area number.
You will definitely get your steps up, wear comfortable shoes.
Looking forward to our next family day out.
Written 29 July 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dubs_away
Dublin80 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Expensive, but fantastic day out so well worth it - the whole campus is very clean and well staffed.
They make some accommodations for children with additional needs which made a massive difference to our day. Thank you very much!
There is so much to do we'll definitely be back... a few extra notes
+ The zoo staff were super friendly, we didn't expect to stop here at all but they were very eager to educate us and the kids learnt loads
+ The circus show was amazing. They should be representing Ireland at the Olympics
+ One extra note of thanks to the team leader on Viking voyage who jumped into the water to rescue my daughters glasses - very much appreciated
+ Slushies in the children area weren't frozen enough as they had lovely jolly rancher ones closer to the main entrance
One small gripe is there is no water stations which would be a fantastic addition & also better for the planet. Yes they sell bottled water but as the stupid refund deposit is also in the mix the easiest option is just use your own bottle like you can at the zoo
They make some accommodations for children with additional needs which made a massive difference to our day. Thank you very much!
There is so much to do we'll definitely be back... a few extra notes
+ The zoo staff were super friendly, we didn't expect to stop here at all but they were very eager to educate us and the kids learnt loads
+ The circus show was amazing. They should be representing Ireland at the Olympics
+ One extra note of thanks to the team leader on Viking voyage who jumped into the water to rescue my daughters glasses - very much appreciated
+ Slushies in the children area weren't frozen enough as they had lovely jolly rancher ones closer to the main entrance
One small gripe is there is no water stations which would be a fantastic addition & also better for the planet. Yes they sell bottled water but as the stupid refund deposit is also in the mix the easiest option is just use your own bottle like you can at the zoo
Written 5 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Catherine M
Dublin, Ireland30 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
We visited Emerald Park with 2 grandchildren 8/11. Unfortunately we did not book on line, the young man (working on the entrance) that assisted us with the purchase of on line tickets went above and beyond, he was extremely helpful, friendly and professional. We stood in line for just over 1 hour for the log ride, that lasted between 5 and 8 minutes? Then we went to the "junior" rides section with the grandchildren, they did enjoy themselves and didn't have to line up for hours to get on the rides.... but... the rides only lasted for maybe 2 minutes which was very disappointing. I did have a problem with the UNISEX toilets though, in my opinion unisex toilets are not appropriate in an environment that caters for young children !!!
I visited when it was Tayto Park and found the experience much better. Emerald Park is very expensive, not managed well and rides are just sooo short considering how long one has to line up. We will not be hurrying back to Emerald Park. I would rate it: 3 out of 10.
I visited when it was Tayto Park and found the experience much better. Emerald Park is very expensive, not managed well and rides are just sooo short considering how long one has to line up. We will not be hurrying back to Emerald Park. I would rate it: 3 out of 10.
Written 9 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Siobhan
Tipperary, Ireland51 contributions
Jul 2024 • Family
Had teens and younger kids park is nicely laid out rides look really good BUT
Very expensive to get in and to buy anything in there
Some of the rides especially the new ones are very short the length of time you have to que to go on it for about 30seconds is just not worth it
Did like the shows
Very expensive to get in and to buy anything in there
Some of the rides especially the new ones are very short the length of time you have to que to go on it for about 30seconds is just not worth it
Did like the shows
Written 13 December 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
bandd2812
County Donegal, Ireland200 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
We visited here last Wednesday. The price you pay includes all of the rides on site. I feel that this is very very good value. We were there for opening time at 10 am and didn't leave until 5 pm. It was really enjoyable. The smaller children's section has very small or no ques. The larger rides had some Ques but nothing too bad.
Smaller children can't go on everything which is understandable. There is an amazing playground there.
One thing to note and it's not about value or customer satisfaction, it's about the look of some of the rides. A good power washing would help the look of some of the rides. Some are getting a bit tired looking. A lick of paint in certain places would help too.
We will definitely be back. The boys loved it.
Smaller children can't go on everything which is understandable. There is an amazing playground there.
One thing to note and it's not about value or customer satisfaction, it's about the look of some of the rides. A good power washing would help the look of some of the rides. Some are getting a bit tired looking. A lick of paint in certain places would help too.
We will definitely be back. The boys loved it.
Written 6 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michelle M
Barcelona, Spain11 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Went as a family of 5.(Youngest 5 years old). The park is so big there's lots to do, unfortunately I had bought my youngest a kids zone wristband as I wasn't aware at the time that he actually could've went on some of the bigger rides with the rest of us. Info about this could be made a bit clearer on the website,from todays experience I will know to get him an all-access pass next time as on bigger rides, (although safe enough and meeting height requirements they will refuse a child who has kids zone wristband only). Some staff friendly, some not so much, no big deal for us (seems this way everywhere you go these days). Food very reasonably priced. Rollercoasters all brilliant.
My biggest gripe with Emerald park: the queues. We were queuing half an hour or more for rides that last under one minute. I couldn't understand today why they don't have a better booking system, so the park isn't swarming with crowds one day and (possibly) quiet the next, this way you could have time to explore the whole park instead of spending half your day standing in line. My little 5 yo has autism and queueing so much was challenging for him, in hindsight I should've realised the risk with the booking system being a 'show up any day you want' type of thing. (Still extremely proud of the little one for handling it so well though!) I would say today wasn't even one of their busier ones as the weather wasn't great, don't say this often but i was glad to see the rain as I can only imagine half the country heading there if the sun came out!
My biggest gripe with Emerald park: the queues. We were queuing half an hour or more for rides that last under one minute. I couldn't understand today why they don't have a better booking system, so the park isn't swarming with crowds one day and (possibly) quiet the next, this way you could have time to explore the whole park instead of spending half your day standing in line. My little 5 yo has autism and queueing so much was challenging for him, in hindsight I should've realised the risk with the booking system being a 'show up any day you want' type of thing. (Still extremely proud of the little one for handling it so well though!) I would say today wasn't even one of their busier ones as the weather wasn't great, don't say this often but i was glad to see the rain as I can only imagine half the country heading there if the sun came out!
Written 4 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Would a Monday be better than a Sunday to visit emerald park? Alot of negative reviews about school tours. Due to visit next week
Written 20 June 2024
Hi what is the age/height for child to go on cu culan without an adult?
Written 18 April 2024
Minimum height to ride is 1.2m
Written 17 June 2024
If I book tickets and a child isn't feeling well as he is recovering from cancer will I be able to get a refund
Written 25 August 2022
Have family going tomorrow, a miss communication of who was buying the tickets, now it says they are sold out for tomorrow...can you still but them when you get there?
Written 3 August 2022
Can you buy just entry tickets as I don't want to go on any rides, my children will but I won't
Written 26 July 2022
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