Bram Stoker Dracula Experience

Lonely Planet review

Abraham (Bram) Stoker (1847-1912) was born and raised at 15 Marino Cres, in the pretty seaside suburb of Clontarf, so it makes perfect sense that the local fitness club should be home to a museum dedicated to the author's life and, particularly, to his most memorable creation. The sight of Dublin's suburbanites struggling to fend off the effects of age and gravity on a Stairmaster may be scary enough, but Bram Stoker's imagination was just that little bit more extreme.

The tour through his fictional world mightn't keep you awake at night, but it's pretty effective nonetheless, as each of the various rooms have been created to stimulate maximum discomfort and fear. The journey begins in a 'Time Tunnel to Transylvania', and transports unsuspecting visitors to such delightful destinations as Renfield's lunatic asylum and the bowels of Castle Dracula, where a meeting with the sharp-toothed one awaits. We won't ruin the fun by telling you how it was all put together; suffice to say that technology and the warped imagination of the designers have combined to startling effect. There is also an exhibit dedicated to the life of Bram Stoker. If you present a same day DART ticket, you'll get a 25% discount on the entry charge.