Access at Wakefield 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 ring Wakefield Museum on 01924 302104. We will usually pick up the phone during our normal opening hours.

If we cannot pick up the phone, please leave a message with your name and contact number as we will ring you back.

The nearest Blue Badge parking is just off Burton Street, WF1 2EB. Take the first right at the far corner of the Wakefield One building. There is one disabled parking space available here.

The next nearest Blue Badge parking is at the Merchant Gate car park. It is a short two-minute step-free route from there to Wakefield Museum, including a slight incline. Wheelchairs and pushchairs will be able to access this route.

Wakefield Museum is on the lower ground floor of the Wakefield One building. Public toilets, including accessible toilets, can be found on the floor above the Museum. They can be accessed via a lift or stairs. The accessible toilets do not need a radar key.

Baby changing facilities are available in the accessible toilets.
There are also toilets and accessible toilets for customers of Create Café, which is opposite Wakefield Museum in the Wakefield One building.

We also have spare nappies, wipes and sanitary products if you are caught short! Our friendly staff will be happy to help you.

We unfortunately do not have Changing Places facilities. The nearest changing place facility is in The Ridings Shopping Centre, WF2 1DS, which is 0.5 miles away.

Choose from a range of items from the Explore, Touch, See and Sound drawers.

The 'Explore' drawer contains a variety of things to explore our displays in lots of different ways. These include tools to match different shapes, colours, materials and sounds to our objects.

The 'Touch' drawer has a range of fun colourful fidget toys. Perfect if keeping your hands busy helps you to stay calm or to concentrate!

The 'See' drawer is full of different lenses, magnifying glasses and frames. These can help you to look at our objects in another way, and support dyslexic and partially sighted people to change the colour contrast.

The 'Sound' drawer has a number of ear defenders available in child and adult sizes. These are great for visitors who are sensitive to loud or sudden noises. 

You can fill up a backpack with your choice of items and take with you around the galleries. These are to be returned at the end of your visit.

Every Thursday from 4pm to 6:30pm at Wakefield Museum is a relaxed opening session. You can explore the Museum in a quieter, more relaxed setting.

Everybody is welcome!

This means that any loud noises will be turned down or turned off. You can be yourself. 

We have fidget and sensory objects to help you relax and explore. There is a pop-up tent quiet space if you need it.

You can also try our activity sheets and crafts. 

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

Email any suggestions for our Relaxed Openings to museumslearning@wakefield.gov.uk.

Entering Wakefield Museum

Wakefield Museum is on the lower ground floor of the Wakefield One building. The main entrance to the building on Cliff Lane is fully level access.

You can also access the building from Burton Street. From here you enter on the upper ground floor. You can go down in a lift or use the stairs to reach the lower ground floor Wakefield Museum entrance.

Both the Cliff Lane and Burton Street building entrances have automatic sliding doors. The door to enter Wakefield Museum inside has an accessible entry button on a handrail on the right-hand side. It is wide enough to allow access for wheelchairs. This door opens outwards.

Moving around Wakefield Museum

You can download a floor plan of the museum.

There are three exhibition areas within Wakefield Museum. They are level access and fully wheelchair accessible throughout. The floor is made of marmoleum (similar to lino).

Front Room gallery seating: There is a padded bench in the Front Room, and a pair of armchairs next to the 1940s wireless radio interactive. 

Welcome Space seating: Plastic chairs with arm rests are available in the Welcome Space.

Temporary exhibition (Seeing Double) seating: There is a padded bench seating area in front of the TV advert projections. There is also space here for a wheelchair user to sit alongside people on the bench. There is a plastic chair with an arm rest in front of the screen playing workers’ stories.

Wakefield Museum Learning Zone

Some of our bookable activities and workshops are in the Museum Learning Zone. This room is at the back of Wakefield Library. Wakefield Library is on the floor above Wakefield Museum within the Wakefield One building. You can reach this using lifts or the stairs. 

To reach the Learning Zone, turn right inside the Library and go through the Children’s section. The Learning Zone is in the top left corner. It has windows along the wall and a door. The doorway is wide enough to fit most wheelchairs and pushchairs, and can be widened if needed.

Entering Wakefield Museum

Wakefield Museum is on the lower ground floor of the Wakefield One building. The main entrance to the building on Cliff Lane is fully level access.

You can also access the building from Burton Street. From here you enter on the upper ground floor. You can go down in a lift or use the stairs to reach the lower ground floor Wakefield Museum entrance.

Both the Cliff Lane and Burton Street building entrances have automatic sliding doors. The door to enter Wakefield Museum inside has an accessible entry button on a handrail on the right-hand side. It is wide enough to allow access for wheelchairs. This door opens outwards.

Moving around Wakefield Museum

There are three exhibition areas within Wakefield Museum. They are level access and fully wheelchair accessible throughout. 

The floor is made of marmoleum (similar to lino). This is a matte and non-reflective surface.

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.

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 in the Welcome Space. You can take objects from the Pick and Mix station with you around the galleries.

There are tactile elements around the galleries. In the Welcome Space, there is a Stone Age hand axe and polished axe head below the display case that you can touch. There is also a quern stone interactive that you can touch.

In the main gallery, the wooden Victorian Wakefield Prison door is on open display. You can touch this.

In the Seeing Double temporary gallery, there is a tactile fabric trail attached to the walls around the exhibition.

Mirrors

There are mirrors next to the dressing up areas in the main gallery, the Front Room and the Seeing Double temporary exhibition. These are fixed to the corresponding walls or units.

Audio elements and fire alarm testing

There are audio elements in parts of the exhibition spaces. In the main gallery, most of these are connected to headphones. There is one audio element in the main gallery which is triggered by someone moving into the space by the Wakefield Prison door, it plays audio of children singing ‘Here we go round the Mulberry Bush’.

In the Front Room, there is a 1940s wireless radio interactive which plays audio from Second World War oral history interviews when the tactile buttons are pressed.

In the Seeing Double temporary exhibition space, there is a video projector playing old TV adverts on a loop with sound. There is also a screen near the main exhibition entrance, which is connected to headphones, playing videos of factory workers’ stories. These auto play on a loop. The volume of these can be turned up or down.

The fire alarms in the Wakefield One building are tested every Thursday around 11am. They will sound from one to three times. There will be a tannoy announcement shortly before the alarms are tested.

Wakefield Museum Learning Zone

Some of our bookable activities and workshops are in the Museum Learning Zone. This room is at the back of Wakefield Library. Wakefield Library is on the floor above Wakefield Museum within the Wakefield One building. You can reach this by using lifts or the stairs.

To reach the Learning Zone, turn right inside the Library and go through the Children’s section. The Learning Zone is in the top left corner. It has windows along the wall and a door. The doorway is wide enough to fit most wheelchairs and pushchairs and can be widened if needed.

You can download a floor plan of the museum.

You can download a sensory map of the main galleries before your visit. 

You can download a sensory map of our new Seeing Double exhibition. Copies of both sensory map are available in the Pick and Mix station in the Welcome Space.

Audio elements and subtitling

All of the videos in the Seeing Double temporary exhibition are subtitled in English. The film in the Before Wakefield gallery also has subtitles (no sound plays from this video). The Charles Waterton films are subtitled in English.

There are audio elements in parts of the exhibition spaces. In the main gallery, these are touch-activated and play out loud. There is one audio element in the main gallery which is triggered by someone moving into the space by the Wakefield Prison door and plays audio of children singing ‘Here we go round the Mulberry Bush’.

In the Front Room, there is a 1940s wireless radio interactive which plays audio from Second World War oral history interviews when the tactile buttons are pressed.

In the Seeing Double temporary exhibition space, there is a video projector playing old TV adverts on a loop with sound. There is also a screen near the main exhibition entrance, which is connected to headphones, playing videos of factory workers’ stories. These auto play on a loop. The volume of these can be turned up or down.

Fire alarm testing

The fire alarms in the Wakefield One building are tested every Thursday around 11am. They will sound from one to three times. There will be a tannoy announcement shortly before the alarms are tested.

You can view our visual story at Wakefield Museum before your visit.

You can download a floor plan of the museum.

You can download a sensory map of the main galleries before your visit. 

You can download a sensory map of our new Seeing Double exhibition. Copies of both sensory map are available in the Pick and Mix station in the Welcome Space.

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 in the Welcome Space when you first enter the Museum.

There are tactile elements around the galleries. In the Welcome Space, there is a Stone Age hand axe and polished axe head below the display case that you can touch. There is also a quern stone interactive that you can touch.
In the main gallery, the wooden Victorian Wakefield Prison door is on open display. You can touch this.

In the Seeing Double temporary gallery, there is a tactile fabric trail attached to the walls around the exhibition.

Quieter times to visit Wakefield Museum

Generally, the site is quieter during weekdays (Monday to Friday). It can be louder at weekends and on school holidays. 

We do also regularly have school visits attending during the week, which can be excitable and noisy. 

You can contact us in advance to find out when might be the best time for you to visit.

We also have weekly Relaxed Opening sessions every Thursday, 4pm to 6:30pm.

Audio elements and fire alarm testing

There are audio elements in parts of the exhibition spaces. In the main gallery, these are touch-activated and play out loud. There is one audio element in the main gallery which is triggered by someone moving into the space by the Wakefield Prison door and plays audio of children singing ‘Here we go round the Mulberry Bush’.

In the Front Room, there is a 1940s wireless radio interactive which plays audio from Second World War oral history interviews when the tactile buttons are pressed. The volume of these can be turned up or down.

In the Seeing Double temporary exhibition space, there is a video projector playing old TV adverts on a loop with sound. There is also a screen near the main exhibition entrance, which is connected to headphones, playing videos of factory workers’ stories. These auto-play on a loop.

The fire alarms in the Wakefield One building are tested every Thursday around 11am. They will sound from one to three times. There will be a tannoy announcement shortly before the alarms are tested.

Moving around Wakefield Museum

You can view our visual story at Wakefield Museum before your visit.

You can download a floor plan of the museum.

We have an Easy Read guide for the main galleries. You can find this in the Pick and Mix station in the Welcome Space. You can take this with you around the galleries.

There are Makaton signs next to some of our star objects. These can help you to communicate about what is on display.

You can download a sensory map of the main galleries before your visit. 

You can download a sensory map of our new Seeing Double exhibition. Copies of both sensory map are available in the Pick and Mix station in the Welcome Space.

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 in the Welcome Space when you first enter the Museum.

There are tactile elements around the galleries. In the Welcome Space, there is a Stone Age hand axe and polished axe head below the display case that you can touch. There is also a quern stone interactive that you can touch.

In the main gallery, the wooden Victorian Wakefield Prison door is on open display. You can touch this.

In the Seeing Double temporary gallery, there is a tactile fabric trail attached to the walls around the exhibition.

Quieter times to visit Wakefield Museum

Generally the site is quieter during weekdays (Monday to Friday). It can be louder at weekends and on school holidays. 

We do also regularly have school visits attending during the week, which can be excitable and noisy. 

You can contact us in advance to find out when might be the best time for you to visit.

We also have weekly Relaxed Opening sessions every Thursday, 4pm to 6:30pm.