If you've been staring at the calendar wondering how you're going to fill the Easter break with something other than screens and chocolate negotiations, this might be worth bookmarking. EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum in Dublin is bringing back one of its most popular family experiences. It sounds like proper fun.
Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the EPIC Story-Break will return this Easter, turning the museum into an interactive mystery adventure that actually gets kids (and us too!) moving and thinking. The premise is brilliantly bonkers: magical book portals have released beloved literary characters into the real world, and it's up to your family to help Holmes track them down before fiction and reality get permanently tangled.
What's the Story?
Picture this. You arrive at EPIC expecting a nice educational afternoon and suddenly you're following clues through ghostly echoes and snowy enchantments. There are riddles to solve, characters to find and a race against time to restore order before the museum descends into literary chaos.
It's the kind of thing that makes the kids feel like they're on a real adventure rather than just being dragged around exhibits. And for parents? There's something rather satisfying about watching them concentrate on something that isn't a screen for an hour or two.
The tour ran before and proved so popular that they've brought it back by demand. Which tells you something. Getting families to return to the same attraction twice is no small feat when you're competing with the siren call of staying home in pyjamas.
Why It Works for the Easter Break
Easter can be tricky. The kids are off school and full of energy, but the weather's unpredictable and you've probably exhausted the local playground options by day two. An indoor adventure that keeps everyone engaged without requiring you to pack waterproofs or sit through another viewing of Frozen? That's a win.
EPIC is located at CHQ in Dublin's Docklands, so if you're making a day of it there's plenty nearby for lunch or a wander afterwards. The museum itself is already one of the better family attractions in Dublin. It tells the story of Irish emigration in really accessible ways, so even the younger ones can get something from it between mystery-solving sessions.
The Sherlock Holmes tour adds a layer of theatricality that transforms a museum visit into something they'll actually remember. And possibly talk about for weeks. There's something to be said for experiences that create actual memories rather than just ticking a box on the "things we did during the holidays" list.
The Practical Bits
The tour is running over the Easter period, so you'll want to check the EPIC website for specific dates and times. Booking ahead is probably wise given how popular it was last time around. Nothing worse than arriving with excited children only to find it's fully booked.
For pricing and availability, head to epicchq.com where you can find all the details and secure your spots. They tend to update their events page regularly, so worth checking closer to the time if you're still making plans.
If your lot are at that age where they're too old for soft play but too young to be left home alone with the Netflix password, this kind of thing hits the sweet spot. Old enough to follow clues and young enough to still find the whole thing magical.
And for the record, there's no shame in enjoying it yourself. Sometimes the best family days out are the ones where everyone's genuinely having fun, parents included. Elementary, really.
