Accessibility

Quiet times and pre-visit information

The museum is quieter on weekdays, towards the end of the day. Queues rarely form at the entrance to the museum.

There are tannoy announcements through the day, giving visitor information on different activities. There is a Workshop is at the rear of the museum building. It can be noisier in this area.

Our monthly Early Bird sessions are available for anyone that would benefit from visiting the Museum in a quieter, more relaxed setting. For more information visit our Early Birds page.

Ear defenders are available to borrow from the welcome desk.

Sensory resource packs are also available to borrow from the welcome desk.

Visual story

We have produced a detailed visual story to help plan visits for people with additional needs.

The hidden disabilities sunflower scheme

We welcome and support visitors who choose to wear a Sunflower item as part of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower scheme. Please note that we do not provide Sunflower items. Find out more about the scheme on the Hidden Disabilities website.

Accessible parking

An area in front of Main Hall is allocated for accessible parking. All our parking is free of charge.

Getting around the museum

The museum is fully wheelchair accessible. However, the site is partially open-air and visitors will need to use outdoor footpaths up to 1km in length to view all our buildings. Please note that there is no access to any of the historic buildings at the western end of the site. These buildings are currently undergoing renovation work.

Our outdoor paths and areas have the following surfaces:

• Car park (including accessible car park) is gravel
• Events area in front of the main museum building is concrete with railway lines embedded
• Path to the historic buildings is tarmac (the area directly in front of the Black Boy Stables is rough gravel)

Seating is provided around the museum building and we have a small number of “walk and rest” stools available for use. These will be wiped after use using anti-viral wipes.

We currently have limited cab access. Cab access is via stairs. The steps are made from metal and have handrails on both sides. The steps are cleaned regularly using anti-viral cleaning product during the day.

Cab access is available on the Black 5 (subject to steward availability) but access to this cab requires climbing up steps.

It is possible to view the interior of some of our carriages via platform access.

Borrow a wheelchair

We have a number of wheelchairs available for visitors' use. You can pre-book these using the access requirements box when you book your ticket. All our wheelchairs will be cleaned between uses using anti-viral wipes.

Toilets

Wheelchair-accessible toilet facilities equipped with hand-rails and emergency cords are available in Main Hall.

A Changing Places facility is also available in Main Hall.

Guide and assistance animals

Working guide and assistance animals are welcome at the museum.

They should be appropriately trained, supervised and kept with you at all times, ideally on a leash. Where possible, dog owners should bring their Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) identification book and animals should wear the appropriate tabards or harness, but this is not a requirement for entry.

If you plan to visit with an assistance animal other than an assistance dog, please get in touch to discuss your request with the Contact Centre, so we can pass onto colleagues working on the day of your visit.

Email: info@sciencemuseumgroup.ac.uk

Phone: 033 0058 0058

Please include: 

• Museum location (We are a group of 5 museums)
• Visit date
• Visit time
• Contact details (mobile/email)

Unfortunately, we cannot admit pets to our museums.

Visiting with babies and small children

The unisex accessible toilet has baby changing facilities suitable for all parents.

Find out more about planning a family visit to the museum.