House of Waterford Crystal Guided Factory Tour
MyLittleAdventure logo
English / EUR
House of Waterford Crystal Guided Factory Tour
/ Ireland / County Waterford / Waterford / Tours & Activities /
See details in English
See details in German

House of Waterford Crystal Guided Factory Tour

1 h
With guide
Instant confirmation
About this activity
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product

Stop At: House Of Waterford Crystal, The Mall X91 FXN4, Waterford Ireland

At the House of Waterford Crystal, there is a manufacturing plant, and brand experience in Waterford, where we produce crystal and give visitors an opportunity to visit the factory and see how we make our beautiful products.

On the tour, guests visit the mould room where they witness mould making – a technique that has remained unchanged throughout the centuries, as the Master Blowers shape the molten crystal flawlessly with the use of wooden moulds and hand tools. The next part of the tour is truly magical, as visitors enter the blowing department where they see glowing balls of crystal transformed into majestic shapes as they are put through the 1300-degree furnace. The Waterford Crystal pieces are then hand marked for precision and accuracy, and they are then cut, sculpted and engraved. 

While getting this behind the scenes sneak peak of this highly skilled method of crystal manufacturing, visitors also see the high standards that the House of Waterford Crystal has for each and every piece that leaves the factory.

The crystal is inspected at each stage of production, so each piece no matter how small goes through six inspections, and if it fails to reach the Waterford Crystal standards at any stage it is smashed and returned to the furnace to be re-melted so that the piece can be started again. The tour is fully guided and takes approx 50 minutes to complete.

On completion of the tour, visitors can experience over 12,000 sq ft of crystal heaven in the largest retail and showcase of Waterford Crystal in the world. The retail store represents everything that is made in crystal, including a showcase on golf and sport, which is a major part of the international business at the House of Waterford Crystal.

The main feature in the retail store is a centre dining table, with twelve Waterford Crystal Chandeliers on display. The lifestyle displays communicate the various brand stories including the Jo Sampson Collection, John Rocha, Jeff Letham and the core Waterford Crystal patterns.

The product range includes Waterford Crystal, House of Waterford Crystal, John Rocha, Jasper Conran, Jo Sampson, Archive Stemware, Marquis, Lighting, Holiday Heirlooms and the new Waterford Crystal Jewellery Collection.

Waterford Crystal continues to provide some of the most prestigious trophies to the world’s great sporting events made at the facility, and some of these trophies are on display in the retail store.

The Crystal café is open seven days a week, a daytime cafe, the Crystal Café is all about great food using nothing but the best locally sourced seasonal produce supporting as many Irish suppliers as possible along the way.

The menu offers café-style dining, incorporating scrumptious salads, soups, wraps, ciabatta’s and other healthy options, with fresh baking daily.

Duration: 1 hour

Read more Show less
Included
  • Guided Factory Tour
  • Opulent Retail Store
  • Cafe
  • Entry/Admission - House Of Waterford Crystal
Not included
  • Parking
Additional
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult
  • Parking is available at the rear of the House of Waterford Crystal, in Bolten Street Public Car park: Cost is €1 per hour
Features
Tourism
90%
Cultural
70%
Reviews
4.8
37
B
Bruce W K
4 | 2019-09-02

The hour tour was interesting and fascinating and the tour guide was very knowledgeable. The one distraction is the noise level with such a large group made hearing difficult. Still worth the time and cost. The special items made in crystal are amazing, many of which are displayed in their show room.

M
Mary N
5 | 2019-08-26

Great tour guide of a beautiful process to make gorgeous art! Extremely talented craftsmen and woman. The 911 memorial is exquisite Thanks

k
ktrend65
4 | 2019-07-03

This tour gave a great overview of the history of Waterford Crystal and an in-depth look at how the crystal is made. You get quite up close to the different stages of manufacture. Some of the one-off pieces were stunning. Some great bargains in the sales room too. Highly recommend this tour to all ages.

J
Judith H
5 | 2018-06-20

Definitely worth doing this tour. Were able to walk to factory from cruise ship!

D
David S
4 | 2018-04-09

Our group loved the tour. Watching them form the glass and do cutting/engraving brought a new appreciation for that trade. Great product line with knowledgeable staff.

L
Lloyd A
5 | 2018-02-17

Wonderful tour to see where crystal trophies are made. This was one of the highlights of our trip to Ireland

K
Kathleen Q
4 | 2017-11-12

Great tour- informative and hands on!!!

r
rvicere
5 | 2017-10-18

Great tour! Love all the custom pieces they do.

Similar activities in Waterford Click to discover other experiences
Anonymous
Anonymous

Waterford

  • Information & Tips
  • Tours & Activities

Settings

We use cookies to provide you the best experience. By continuing to browse this site, you accept the use of cookies. For more information, please read our privacy policy.