Access at Pontefract Museum

You can contact us in advance of your visit with any questions. You can email us at museums@wakefield.gov.uk and we will get back to you during office hours. These are Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

You can also call the museum on 01977 722740. This phone is manned during our opening hours (Monday to Friday, 10am to 4:30pm and Saturday 10:30am to 4.30pm). 

The nearest accessible parking is in the Stuart Road car park (used for Morrisons and Tesco), WF8 4PQ. It has a maximum stay of 4 hours. There are 15 disabled spaces here. It costs £2.60 for up to 4 hours. This car park is 0.3 miles from Pontefract Museum.

There is an accessible toilet and baby changing facility inside the museum. You do not need a radar key to access this.

There are additional toilets towards the back of the museum. You can reach these by going through the temporary exhibition gallery.

Pontefract Museum is a breastfeeding-friendly location. You can breastfeed your baby here.

We do not have changing places facilities. The nearest changing places toilet can be found at Junction 32 Outlet Shopping Village, WF10 4FR, 2.5 miles away.

We have fidget and sensory objects to help you relax and explore.

There is a pop-up tent quiet space if you need it. We have ear defenders available.

You can also try our activity sheets and crafts.

Entry is still free. You do not need to book.

The 'Explore' drawer has tools to explore the museum in lots of different ways.

This includes ways to match different shapes, colours, materials and sounds to what you find.

The 'Touch' drawer has a range of fun colourful fidget toys. These can help you to stay calm or to concentrate.

The 'See' drawer is full of coloured lenses, magnifying glasses and frames. You can look at the museum in a different way. If you are dyslexic or partially sighted, they can help you to change the colour contrast.

The 'Sound' drawer has ear defenders available in child and adult sizes. These are great if you are sensitive to loud or sudden noises.

You can fill up a backpack with your choice of items and take it with you around the galleries. Please return this at the end of your visit.

Pontefract Museum is in its own dedicated building. There is level access into the building and throughout. The main entrance is through a pair of non-automatic doors. There is a bell by the main entrance if you need help opening the doors.

Moving around Pontefract Museum

Pontefract Museum is level access throughout. The foyer floor is from 1904 and made of small smooth mosaic tiles. The main gallery floors are made out of parquet flooring (smooth wooden tiles).

There is an initial entrance foyer to the museum. The main gallery is through a set of double doors on your left. These are a little heavy. There will be a member of staff in the welcome space to help you open the doors if you need it.

You can reach the temporary exhibition gallery from two places. One is the single door at the back of the main gallery. The second is directly from the foyer.

If you turn right from the foyer and go down the corridor, you will find the accessible toilet on your left and the Reference Room on your right. At the end of the corridor is the Glass Room. The doors to the Reference Room and the Glass Room are usually kept propped open.

Seating at Pontefract Museum

There are some plastic seats in the foyer space. There are seats around the activity tables in the main gallery. There are some plastic seats in front of the AV screen in the temporary exhibition gallery. There is seating around the main table in the Reference Room. There is a seat by the light box in the Glass Room.

Pontefract Museum is in its own dedicated building. There is level access into the building and throughout. The main entrance is through a pair of non-automatic doors. There is a bell by the main entrance on the right-hand side if you need help opening the doors.

PenFriends audio description guide and braille

We have a braille transcription of the Oh yes it is! pantomime exhibition, and braille labels on the exhibition's dressing-up costumes.

We have an audio description guide for the main gallery, and a separate one for the Oh yes it is! temporary exhibition. The audio descriptions are accessed using one of our PenFriend devices. You tap the coloured stickers in a handheld booklet. The PenFriend then reads the description aloud. You can also plug headphones into the PenFriend device. You can use our headphones or bring your own. The audio description guide describes and provides more information about a range of star objects on display. It also guides you around the main gallery space. Ask our friendly Visitor Experience Assistants at the entrance for a PenFriend audio description guide. They can show you how to use it if you need help.

Moving around Pontefract Museum

Pontefract Museum is level access throughout. The foyer floor is from 1904 and made of small smooth mosaic tiles. The main gallery floors are made out of parquet flooring (smooth wooden tiles).

There is an initial entrance foyer to the museum. The main gallery is through a set of double doors on your left. These are a little heavy. There will be a member of staff in the welcome space to help you open the doors if you need it.

You can reach the temporary exhibition gallery from two places. One is the single door at the back of the main gallery. The second is directly from the foyer.

If you turn right from the foyer and go down the corridor, you will find the accessible toilet on your left and the Reference Room on your right. At the end of the corridor is the Glass Room. The doors to the Reference Room and the Glass Room are usually kept propped open.

Most of our Visitor Experience Assistants have attended Visual Impairment Training and Sighted Guided Training. All of our staff will be happy to help you get the most from your visit.

Hands-on elements

There are lots of hands-on elements in Pontefract Museum. In the main gallery space there is a mini puppet theatre, hand puppets and story books. There is a dressing up box near the Civil Wars display. There is a raised impression of a Civil War coin from the Ackworth Hoard that you can touch and make a rubbing of. There is a rocking horse that you can touch and ride if you are able. There is also a toy market stall.

In the Oh yes it is! temporary exhibition, there are pantomime themed dressing up costumes in a box. These have braille tags on to help you pick the right costume for you!

Lighting

Some of our exhibition spaces have low light levels to protect the delicate objects on display. There are magnifying glasses available in our Pick and Mix station by the museum entrance. You can take objects from the Pick and Mix station with you around the galleries.

Audio elements

There are audio elements in parts of the exhibition spaces. These are not connected to headphones.

Main gallery: There is a film about the Hermitage in the medieval display. There is a screen with 5 short films in the ‘No place like home’ section. 
Glass room: There is an AV screen with 3 films. All of these films are operated by push buttons. There are no headphones and audio plays out into the gallery.

Oh yes it is! exhibition: There is a small AV screen in the foyer window playing archive clips from past pantomime performances. This is touchscreen. There are headphones. As the footage is old, the audio quality is sometimes lower than usual. The pantomime song is operated by a large yellow button near the small AV screen. There is a brief pause then the audio plays out into the gallery. The song will play twice. 

Copies of the sensory map are available at the Pick and Mix station at the entrance to the museum.

Audio elements and subtitling

There are audio elements in parts of the exhibition spaces. These are not connected to headphones.

Main gallery: There is a film about the Hermitage in the medieval display. There is a screen with 5 short films in the ‘No place like home’ section.

Glass room: There is an AV screen with 3 films. All of these films are operated by push buttons. There are no headphones and audio plays out into the gallery. All films subtitled and there are handheld transcription sheets.

Oh yes it is! exhibition: There is a small AV screen in the foyer window playing archive clips from past pantomime performances. This is touchscreen. There are headphones. The clips are subtitled but as the footage is old, the audio quality is sometimes lower than usual. The pantomime song is operated by a large yellow button near the small AV screen. There is a brief pause then the audio plays out into the gallery. The song will play twice.

There are a further three short films on the large AV screen near the toilet door. These are operated by push button. There are no headphones and the audio plays out into the gallery. The films are all subtitled.

Copies of the sensory map are available at the Pick and Mix station at the entrance to the museum.

Some of our exhibition spaces have low light levels to protect the delicate objects on display.

There are lots of tactile tools and resources available to support your visit in the Pick and Mix station. This is just inside the entrance to the museum.

Quieter times to visit and relaxed openings 

Generally, the site is quieter during weekdays and school opening hours. It can be louder at weekends, the late afternoons and in the school holidays.

We have weekly Relaxed Opening sessions every Tuesday afternoon, 2pm to 4pm. You can contact us in advance to find out when might be the best time for you to visit.

We have an Easy Read guide for the main galleries. You can find this in the Pick and Mix station in the museum’s entrance.

Copies of the sensory map are available at the Pick and Mix station at the entrance to the museum.

Some of our exhibition spaces have low light levels to protect the delicate objects on display.

There are lots of tactile tools and resources available to support your visit in the Pick and Mix station. This is just inside the entrance to the museum.
There are Makaton signs next to some of our star objects. These can help you to communicate about what is on display.

Quieter times to visit and relaxed openings

Generally, the site is quieter during weekdays and school opening hours. It can be louder at weekends, the late afternoons and in the school holidays.

We have weekly Relaxed Opening sessions every Tuesday afternoon, 2pm to 4pm. You can contact us in advance to find out when might be the best time for you to visit.