Maginni's dance academy, which crops up in the "Wandering Rocks" episode of Ulysses, was housed in the building which is now the centre. A Georgian house with three windows across, it was almost demolished in 1975 but was saved through the efforts of David Norris. There is a video about Dublin in the time of Ulysses, and an exhibition about the people Joyce met and wrote about in his books, as well as an extensive reference library, lectures and educational tours.

Robert Joyce, a grand-nephew of the writer, is now the chief executive of the James Joyce Centre. The house is restored to the state in which Maginni would have found it. During the summer, visitors can join a walking tour of Dublin, around places where Joyce lived, or mentioned in Ulysses.