Free Things to Do in Laois

We are lucky in Laois that our major tourist attractions are free.

The following tourist attractions have Free admissions.

Emo Court Park and Gardens, is a wonderful amenity, over 100 acres of parkland and gardens. It is in Emo village which is about half way between Portlaoise and Portarlington.  There is toilet facilities beside the main car park to the side of Emo Court House and there are picnic benches.  So bring the football and the kite and any other outdoor games and have a good time.  The park is open day light hours all year round.  Free admission.  It is a very popular outing for locals and visitors to the County.

Heywood Gardens in Ballinakill near Abbeyleix. Free admission.  It is a heritage site with formal gardens designed by Lutyens.

The Rock of Dunamase on the Portlaoise/ Stradbally Road.  This is a historic site of a fortress ruin and there are wonderful views from the top. Free admission.

Other ideas - Outdoors

Explore There are plenty of wooded walks in the county, Oughaval on the Stradbally/ Carlow Road contains a mass rock site, Dunmore near Durrow has a walk along the Nore, Glenbarrow Waterfall is the early stages of the Barrow river, the second longest river in Ireland. There are many marked trails and picnic sites in the Slieve Bloom mountains.  Glen Monicknew (on the main Mountrath/ Clonaslee Rd) is very popular in Summer, it has picnic benches, a small stream for paddling and a nice grassy area below the bridge for running around.

Cycle: Take out your bicycles and get active. Cycling down by the canal at Vicarstown is nice.  There is a Heath Cycling Club that meets every Sunday afternoon.

Picnic in a Playground: There are some great playgrounds throughout the County.  Why not print the list and aim to visit them all over time? It's an activity that is both free and good fun!  Make sure to bring some snacks and drinks or a picnic lunch.

Nature Detectives: Visit the website of the environmental organisation, ENFO, and you can download a huge variety of posters and leaflets that are both informative and interesting.  Bring a relevant leaflet when you go to visit somewhere outdoors and have fun asking the kids to identify various flora and fauna!  Wear sturdy footwear and bring drinking water and a picnic.

Free things to do indoors

Make The Most of Libraries: Make sure to check out your local library and find out what classes and events that they run throughout the year.  Your local library branch is a wonderful - and free - resource for families.  Many of the branches in Laois have children's corner, host storytelling sessions, arts and crafts classes, book clubs, chess clubs, games and activities sessions and so on.  Not to mention the fact that there is free computer access and the option to borrow books and DVDs!  For a change of scenery, why not visit a different library to your local branch?

Go to a Gallery: The Dunamaise theatre in Portlaoise hosts art and photographic exhibitions.  There are art galleries in Abbeyleix and Mountmellick libraries.

Museums: Donaghmore Workhouse and Museum (free admission for children), Poet's Cottage in Camross, The Steam Museum in Stradbally.

Local Events: Keep an eye on our Events page ( to bookmark press Ctrl + D ) for updated information on regular free events taking place in County Laois.  Laois County Council, Laois Tourism, the Arts Council, Chambers of Commerce and many more public and private bodies hold regular free family friendly events such as festivals, carnivals, picnics, treasure hunts and seasonal things to do across the county.

As the saying goes, the best things in life are free!

If you have any more good ideas or suggestions, then please email us and we'll add them to the list.