Seeing the Sights - Dublin - page 107

theater, a gallery, and a workshop for hands-on learning sessions. The
wonderful semicircular theater can be configured to open onto either
of the other spaces, or outdoors onto Meeting House Square. Week-
days are often booked for school groups, but Saturdays (and some-
times Sun) are kept open for families. Check the current themes and
schedule, and book accordingly.
Eustace St., Temple Bar, Dublin 2. & 01/670-7788. Fax [phone]. www.ark.ie.
Individual activities 6.50 ($7.85) per child. Daily 10am-4pm. Closed mid-Aug to

mid-Sept. DART: Tara St. Bus: 37, 39, 51, or 51B.

€

Dublin's Viking Adventure Much like Colonial
Williamsburg does, this popular attraction brings you back in time
with the help of actors playing citizens of Viking-era Dublin. The
“Vikings” who populate the village create a lively, authentic atmos-
phere in their period houses and detailed costumes. The townspeo-
ple engage in the activities of daily life in the Wood Quay area along
the Liffey, while you watch and interact with them.
Temple Bar (enter from Essex St.), Dublin 8. & 01/679-6040. Fax [phone].
Admission

Kids

€ 6 ($7.20) adults, € 5 ($6) seniors and students, € 4 ($4.80) children,

€ 18 ($22) families. AE, MC, V. Mar-Oct Tues-Sat 10am-4:30pm; Nov-Feb Tues-Sat

10am-1pm and 2-4:30pm. DART: Tara St., then no. 90 bus. Bus: 51, 51B, 79, or 90.

Dublin Zoo Established in 1830, this is the third-oldest
zoo in the world (after those in London and Paris), nestled in the city's
largest playground, the Phoenix Park, about 3.2km (2 miles) west of
the city center. In the past few years, the zoo has doubled in size to
about 24 hectares (60 acres) and provides a naturally landscaped habi-
tat for more than 235 species of wild animals and tropical birds.
Highlights for youngsters include the Children's Pets' Corner and a
train ride around the zoo. You can visit purpose-specific exhibits such
as “African Plains,” “Fringes of the Arctic,” the “World of Primates,”
the “World of Cats,” and the “City Farm and Pets Corner.” There are
playgrounds interspersed throughout the zoo, and there are also sev-
eral gift shops. A downside: The restaurants within the zoo serve fast
food that's nothing short of awful, but there are plenty of picnic areas
for folks who want to bring their own meals.
Phoenix Park, Dublin 8. & 01/677-1425. www.dublinzoo.ie. Admission € 13 ($16)
adults,

Kids

34
($35-$41) families, depending on number of children. V. Summer Mon-Sat
9:30am-6pm, Sun 10:30am-6pm. Bus: 10, 25, or 26.

€ 10 ($12) seniors and children 3-16, free for children under 3, € 29- €

Hey! Doodle Doodle If your child likes arts and
crafts, make a point of stopping into Temple Bar's paint-it-yourself
ceramics studio. Kids of all ages can choose from a wide range of

Kids

Finds