Natural History Museum reopening date and redevelopment costs still not clear

The timing of when the Natural History Museum will reopen, and the final budget for its redevelopment, remain unclear almost two years after it closed for refurbishment. The popular museum on Merrion Street has been closed since September 2024 to allow for investigative works before the overhaul of the building, including replacement of the roof. The cost of the project is more than €3.3 million so far, with the main construction work yet to begin. Records released after a freedom of information request show how the possibility of delay in finalising the project brief was among the risks identified by a team overseeing the restoration. With the completion of design work – and planning permission and procurement processes – still to happen, the final budget and date for the museum to reopen are unknown. Most of its exhibits are in storage, though the basking shark and elephant remain on site due to their large size and absence of appropriate exits to remove them. Some exhibits, including the giraffe and about 1,300 other objects, were put on display at the Dead Zoo Lab in the National Museum, Collins Barracks, last August. Indicative overall costs of between €50 million and €100 million for the Natural History Museum project were included in the Department of Culture’s plans for its allocation under the National Development Plan. The “indicative construction timeline” is listed as “post-2028”. In response to queries, the department said the museum redevelopment, with its “precious and delicate collection, is , a challenging and difficult undertaking.” It said the building, erected in 1856, has never had a substantial renovation and requires “full refurbishment to tackle its many structural, service and occupational deficiencies”. The department mentioned the estimated €50 million to €100 million cost range and said: “Estimated costs and timelines continue to be refined as the project progresses towards the final business case.” It also said: “All costs will be re-examined before [a] decision is made to award contract(s).” In total, the department has allocated €3,728,721 to date to cover National Museum of Ireland (NMI) and Office of Public Works (OPW) costs for progressing the design phases of the project, with spending coming to a combined €3,336,835 so far. Of the sums allocated , €963,607 is for architect fees. Spending €193,024 on “specimen conservation” while the OPW spent €195,526 on “investigation works”. Records that were released include minutes of the meetings of the steering group overseeing the project. A December 2025 meeting heard that a risk register was updated as stage one of the project progressed and “five key risks were identified” including a delay to finalising the project brief.