The Visitor Experience At Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre

We would like to welcome you to the South East of Ireland and to the home of the world's finest crystal. On your visit to Ireland, please come and see our bustling factory and take a fascinating tour of our visitor centre, which we know you and your family will enjoy.

See how we work generations of design experience into pieces that are as individual as the people who make them. It's a real working environment but you can get very close up to the process and see the work almost through the eyes of the artisans.

• Our Centre is a celebration of our work and we have designed it so that you can experience the industry of our living, breathing factory.
• The Waterford Crystal Visitors Centre Tour gives you an opportunity to witness how our crystal is produced, from molten crystal through to finished masterpieces.

Times Square Experience
Step into the most momentous event in our history as we re-create the magic and excitement of the Millennium Times Square celebrations in New York. It was our greatest privilege to be invited to design and create the Times Square Millennium Ball to officially welcome in the New Millennium on New Years Eve in New York. In a specially constructed room with a replica of the ball itself, you have the chance to experience the overwhelming levels of the crowd's excitement, which was enjoyed by over one million people who were in Times Square on that magical night.

Blowing Room
Nothing compares with the atmosphere of the furnace room. The first surprise is the noise and the air; then you'll feel the heat and sense the activity of a factory that is truly alive. In front of your eyes, you will see red-hot molten crystal take shape, in a miracle of light, heat and skill. Our craftspeople are meticulous and you can watch as they transform glowing balls of molten crystal into elegant shapes with skills that have made two hundred years of perfection clearly visible in every piece.

Quality Inspection
On the tour you will see how proud we are of our outstanding level of quality. Our commitment to quality and the standards that are rigorously enforced are what has made Waterford crystal the world's most prestigious crystal. In order to maintain the impeccable standards built up over two centuries, there are quality control checks throughout the manufacturing process. While on the tour you will see that if, at any stage, a flaw is detected or an inaccurate cut is found, the piece is destroyed.

Cutting Department
When you move to the cutting shops, you'll notice that the atmosphere changes from the roar of the furnace to the whirr of diamond-tipped cutting wheels. Teams of our cutters work on each piece, the largest of which will be several days going through the cutting process. The deep, intricate wedge patterns, which appear on pieces such as Lismore stemware, are cut against diamond-tipped wheels following a geometric guide marked onto the crystal.

Sculpting Department
Our Sculpting Department is a wonderful example of craft and precision. You'll see craftspeople sculpt a model from clay to make a mould that will later become the latest Disney model, a beautiful figurine or one of the Collectibles from our Animal Kingdom collection. As an alternative, we also have craftspeople that work from a solid block of crystal to create specially commissioned pieces that serve as trophies or presentation pieces for sporting and commemorative events.

Engraving Department
Over the decades, a huge variety of pieces have been created in a myriad of themes and styles, engraved by our master craftspeople, here in the world's largest copper-wheel engraving department. Intaglio is the name given to the type of engraving we use. To become a Master Engraver takes 10 years and the people here continue to attend classes in art school to refresh and renew their concepts. Our engravers have recently completed a Studio line collection of pieces, each representing a favourite theme of the engraver which he will personally sign before it leaves the factory.

Master Craftsmen
At the end of our factory tour, you have the opportunity to meet our master craftspeople in person and to see them exercise their skills close up. The Workshop is specially created to provide a relaxed atmosphere. It's always good fun and the crafts people enjoy your presence here, as they love to illustrate some showmanship and display the talents they have learned over an eight-year apprenticeship. Feel free to ask your difficult questions here! It's good fun and you'll laugh and be amazed at the stories these wonderful people will tell.

Find out more information about opening hours, price of admission and contact details for the Waterford Crystal Visitor Centre.