The Guinness story at St James's Gate began on 31 December 1759, when Arthur Guinness — then 34 years old — signed an extraordinary 9,000-year lease on a disused brewery. The annual rent was £45. Arthur originally brewed ale before moving increasingly towards porter during the 1770s, and by 1799 Guinness had stopped producing ale entirely. At one stage, the brewery became the largest in the world. St James's Gate remains a working brewery today, though the Storehouse is the main visitor attraction — the actual production site occupies the much larger industrial complex surrounding it.

The Storehouse building itself is historically interesting. Constructed between 1902 and 1904, it originally operated as a fermentation plant. Its steel-frame construction was influenced by the Chicago School of Architecture and was groundbreaking in Ireland at the time. The building remained in industrial use until 1988, before conversion into the visitor attraction that opened in 2000. Today the experience rises through seven floors, covering brewing ingredients, how Guinness is made, coopering and transport, and the development of the brand.

One of the most enjoyable sections is the advertising archive. Guinness has produced some of the most recognisable campaigns in Irish and British history — the famous toucan, sea lions, historic posters, television advertising and decades of memorable slogans. The Guinness Archive now preserves material covering the company's history from 1759 to the present. Even visitors with little interest in beer tend to enjoy this section. One common myth worth correcting: the water used to brew Guinness does not come from the River Liffey. Guinness says its brewing water comes from the Wicklow Mountains, roughly 40km away.

The visit ends at the top of the building in the Gravity Bar — a seventh-floor glass-enclosed bar providing almost 360-degree views across Dublin. On a clear day you can pick out the Dublin Mountains, Phoenix Park, the Wellington Monument and large sections of central Dublin. The Gravity Bar was expanded in 2020, roughly doubling its capacity. Admission to the standard experience includes a drink here — Guinness for eligible adults, or a non-alcoholic alternative. This is one pint worth drinking slowly. You're paying partly for that view.

Optional upgrades include the Guinness Academy, where you learn the famous six-step pouring ritual and have a go at pouring your own pint — the process takes approximately 119.5 seconds. The STOUTie prints a photograph of your face onto the creamy head of a pint. The Connoisseur Experience is a smaller-group tasting focusing on different Guinness beers, brewing history and flavour. For the most serious Guinness fans, the Guinness Brewery Experience takes visitors into parts of the actual working brewery, including underground tunnels and modern Brewhouse 4, and lasts roughly 3–4 hours.