Travel Along The Fairy Door Trail In Dublin, OH!

Did you know there is an Irish Fairy Door Trail right here in Columbus? You can make your way through Historic Dublin and Bridge Park to find 12 hidden fairy doors then turn in your passport to get a free t-shirt. It’s a super fun way to spend the day with your kiddos while supporting local shops and restaurants.

I love to be a tourist in our own city. Luckily Columbus is home to so many great little suburbs that are filled with character. One of our favorites is Dublin and not just because we love the Dublin Irish Festival.

Dublin is located about 15 miles northwest of Downtown Columbus. They are home to many great spots like the Muirfield Golf Course that hosts the Memorial Tournament. But, our favorite is visiting their Historic Downtown area and the new(ish) Bridge Park area.

Visit Dublin (their tourism department) does an awesome job highlighting the great things about this city while also creating new activities and events. One of those events is their Irish Fairy Door Trail!

The program has been around for a while, but they change up the Fairy Door Trail locations and names every year right around St. Patrick’s Day.

Here’s how it works:

• Pick up your passport from the Dublin Visitor & Information Center (9 S. High Street).
• Visit the 12 businesses from Historic Dublin to Bridge Park to find the fairy doors (inside the stores) and write down the name on the door on your passport.
• Return your filled out passport to the Dublin Visitor & Information Center to get a free shirt!

I say it’s a free shirt, but I obviously bought something at just about every shop. Hey, support local, right?!

I don’t want to spoil the excitement of finding the doors or sharing all the business, so I’m going to highlight just a few!

• Our Cupcakery was the first business we went to and it is so cute! You can get made to order cupcakes or some of their pre-made treats. They also offer a TON of classes and events for bakers of all ages.
• I could have spent all day in Extravagifts. The owner was so sweet and they have so many great products for kids, adults, and everything in between. I picked up an adorable lake candle for my mom and a little frog toy for O.
• The Dublin Toy Emporium was also a favorite of mine and O’s. They have a ton of great toy selections for all ages. I’ll definitely be coming back here for birthdays and Christmas for gift buying!

Also, I think it’s important to note that every single employee who we encountered on our Fairy Door Trail hunt was so nice! When we walked in, they all greeted us and then were genuinely excited when I said we were “hunting for fairies.”

I have a few suggestions though during your visit to Dublin for the your Fairy Hunt.

• Visit Wednesday – Saturday in between 12pm – 6pm to make sure all the stores are open.
• Know that not all stores are “for kids.” There are a few boutiques, so just be prepared if you have little ones who like to explore stores (like mine) and can be a bit clumsy.
• Don’t feel obligated to buy something, but maybe plan to spend a certain amount (even just $20) to support the participating stores!
• A lot of the stores are small and might not have wheelchair or stroller ramps. If you are taking a little little one, I’d recommend using a baby carrier or leaving the stroller outside with someone in your group.

Historic Dublin and Bridge Park obviously have awesome places to eat, drink, and shop. But, there are also great areas for playing or taking breaks too.

The awesome pedestrian bridge, that totally reminds me of the one in London that is featured in Harry Potter, has a great view and is fun to walk on. We even saw a deer (on the ground) when we were making our way over it!

The Dublin branch of the Columbus Metropolitan Library is right in Historic Dublin and is beautiful. You could make a stop there for some quick reading or to pick up a few books. I bet they even have some fairy books (this one is good!) to make your Irish Fairy Door trip extra on theme.

If you want a little more greenery in between your “city” adventure, just waltz over to Indian Run Falls. This park is known for it’s beautiful waterfall! Here is a great video to showcase its beauty.

It took us about 4 hours to finish the whole Irish Fairy Door Trail. But, that was complete with a bottle feed for Finnegan, a lunch stop at Bridge Park, and perusing all the shops and restaurants.

You could definitely do it in less time or split it into a few days to extend your visits! I love that there is a variety of shops and restaurants so you can see the wide variety of places that Dublin offers.

Have you visited the Irish Fairy Door Trail in Dublin, yet? Let us know your favorite location in the comments below or tag us on social when you visit! We hope you love it as much as we did.