Phoenix Park is a more than 700-hectare enclosed public park in Dublin, making it one of the largest walled city parks in Europe, and it has been open to the public since 1747.
Originally created as a royal deer-hunting ground in the 1660s, the park today is home to a herd of wild fallow deer, Dublin Zoo, and Áras an Uachtaráin, the official residence of the President of Ireland. The Phoenix Park Visitor Centre traces the site’s history back to 3500 BC and is a good starting point for first-time visitors.
The park itself is open 24 hours a day year-round, though individual attractions inside it, such as the Victorian Kitchen Walled Garden, keep their own daytime hours. It’s a favorite spot for cycling, walking, and picnicking just minutes from Dublin’s city center.
