Days Out NI
Heritage site Armagh

No 5 Vicars' Hill

Free Georgian museum of coins, gems and curiosities in two octagonal rooms

6 photos
Check hoursBy prior appointment only. Email admin@ar…
TicketedBook ahead
ArmaghHeritage site
Get directionsOfficial website
60 minutesHow long
TicketedEntry
Go insideAccess
On siteParking
Not statedDogs

No 5 Vicars' Hill — Free Georgian museum of coins, gems and curiosities in two octagonal rooms.

  • Getting in: Free admission, donations welcome. Optional guided tour £3 per person if pre-booked.
  • Opening: By prior appointment only. Email [email protected] or phone 028 3752 3142 to book. Closed bank holidays and during special events.
  • Inside: Yes. You go inside the building to see the two octagonal display rooms.
  • Dogs: Not stated. As an indoor museum of historic objects, assume assistance dogs only; check when you book.
  • Parking: On-street and city-centre car parks nearby; not stated on site. Check before you go.
  • Food: None on site. Cafés and restaurants in Armagh city centre, a short walk away.
Plan your visit

Curiosities from a 250-year-old collection

The two octagonal rooms hold the kind of objects a Georgian archbishop collected for the public. You'll see Roman and Medieval coins, James Tassie's reproductions of classical gems, rare 18th-century medals, satirical engravings, Neolithic stone tools and Bronze Age weapons. There are Irish hand bells, early Christian artefacts and a bell said to have been blessed by Saint Patrick. Touchscreens open up more of the Library's holdings, and a 3D model shows how the city looked in the early 1800s.

Free admission Built 1772 Ancient coins and gems Two octagonal rooms Kid activity sheets Opposite the Cathedral
Good to know before you go:

No 5 hosts group and school tours and takes part in Armagh's heritage events, and can be booked as a combined tour with St Patrick's Cathedral and Armagh Robinson Library. Check the Library's calendar before you travel, as the building closes for special events.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Comfy shoesThere is usually a bit of walking, some steps and uneven older ground.
  • 📷A cameraThe history, the architecture and the setting are all worth capturing.
  • 💷A few poundsSome heritage sites are ticketed or have a shop and café — handy to have.
  • 💧Water and a snackNot every site has a café on hand, so pack a little something.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Getting in
Free admission, donations welcome. Optional guided tour £3 per person if pre-booked.
Opening
By prior appointment only. Email [email protected] or phone 028 3752 3142 to book. Closed bank holidays and during special events.
Can you go inside
Yes. You go inside the building to see the two octagonal display rooms.
Food
None on site. Cafés and restaurants in Armagh city centre, a short walk away.
Dogs
Not stated. As an indoor museum of historic objects, assume assistance dogs only; check when you book.
Parking
On-street and city-centre car parks nearby; not stated on site. Check before you go.
Accessibility
An AccessAble access guide is available with detailed facility information.
How long to allow
30 to 60 minutes.
Address
5 Vicars' Hill, Armagh, BT61 7ED. Administrative office: 43 Abbey Street, Armagh, BT61 7DY.
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to visit?
Free admission, donations welcome. Optional guided tour £3 per person if pre-booked.
Can you go inside?
Yes. You go inside the building to see the two octagonal display rooms.
When is it open?
By prior appointment only. Email [email protected] or phone 028 3752 3142 to book. Closed bank holidays and during special events.
Can I bring the dog?
Not stated. As an indoor museum of historic objects, assume assistance dogs only; check when you book.
Where do I park?
On-street and city-centre car parks nearby; not stated on site. Check before you go.
Getting there

No 5 Vicars' Hill is at 5 Vicars' Hill, Armagh, BT61 7ED. Administrative office: 43 Abbey Street, Armagh, BT61 7DY.. On-street and city-centre car parks nearby; not stated on site. Check before you go. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

More days out around ArmaghSee what else is close by More heritage sites across NIHistory you can visit and explore
The story

The story of No 5 Vicars' Hill

Archbishop Richard Robinson set out to improve the city of Armagh in the 1770s, and No 5 Vicars' Hill was part of that plan. He founded the Armagh Robinson Library in 1771 to share his own books, medals, coins, gems and fine art with the public, and the following year, in 1772, he had No 5 built as the Diocesan Registry.

For most of its life the building was a working record office. Its two octagonal rooms held public records as well as the documents of the Church of Ireland and the Armagh Diocese, with maps and registers reaching back to around 1600.

The Diocesan records eventually moved elsewhere, and in 2011 the Library restored No 5 and reopened it as a museum and visitor attraction. The octagonal rooms now display a rotating selection of the Library's coins, gems, artefacts and curiosities rather than the registers they once stored.

Today No 5 works alongside the Library and St Patrick's Cathedral as part of Armagh's ecclesiastical heritage on the city's two cathedral hills, a small Georgian survival you can still step inside by appointment.