Accessibility matters. And knowing whether a venue meets your access requirements ahead of time can give you the confidence to visit somewhere new.
It’s not always clear how accessible a venue is from its website, but fortunately there are lots of sites that can give you the details you need. We’ve compiled a list of Euan’s Guide, Sociability and AccessAble’s top-rated accessible attractions and venues throughout the UK. Read on and you might just discover your new favourite place!
Buckingham Palace serves as both the office and London residence of His Majesty The King, as well as the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. During the summer, visitors can tour the magnificent State Rooms, furnished with some of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.
The State Rooms says it has:
Kings, queens, statesmen and soldiers; poets, priests, heroes and villains – the Abbey is a must-see living pageant of British history. Every year, Westminster Abbey welcomes more than one million visitors who want to explore this wonderful 700-year-old building.
The venue lists that it has:
Head to London’s finest arts and conference centre to find a grand concert hall, two theatres, two galleries, three cinemas, a conservatory, a library and numerous restaurants – you certainly won’t be stuck for something to do here!
A recipient of the ‘Attitude is Everything’ Silver Charter award, the Barbican Centre boasts accessibility features such as:
For more on accessible London activities, check out VisitEngland’s guide
The Albert Hall is a music venue that was initially built as a Methodist central hall in 1908. Despite being an older Grade II listed building, Albert Hall prides itself on being accessible to everyone.
Many Euan’s Guide reviewers talk about how well this venue caters for the disabled community, with the Accessibility page on the Albert Hall’s website listing that they have:
DSUK believes that taking part in adaptive snowsport has the power to transform a person’s relationship with their disability, and all aspects of their lives.
DSUK operates ski schools at various locations throughout the UK, supported by a team of highly qualified adaptive instructors and passionate volunteers. Together, they work to ensure that everybody has the opportunity to access snowsport.
Euan’s Guide lists this venue as having:
As Manchester’s venue for children and families, Z-arts prides itself on providing a welcoming, vibrant and safe environment for the whole family to enjoy.
Its mission is to inspire and enable generations of young people from Manchester and beyond to use creativity to maximise their potential. Z-arts believes everyone can enjoy creativity, so whatever your age, background or interest, there’s something to suit you.
This venue says it has:
Uncover a world of chocolate delights with a fun-packed day out at Cadbury World. From learning how chocolate is made, to playing in chocolate rain and adding your favourite treat to a delicious pot of warm Dairy Milk, there’s plenty to see and do.
Cadbury World assures visitors that access for all begins before your arrival. If you have any special requirements, the venue encourages you to get in touch on 0121 393 6004, but also lists that it has:
Originally opened in 1962, mac Birmingham is a contemporary arts centre and charity in Cannon Hill Park. With more than one million visitors a year – and as the most visited arts centre in the Midlands – mac is a fully accessible building.
mac Birmingham offers more than 150 creative courses and workshops for children, young people and adults. With four performance auditoria including an outdoor arena, rehearsal and media studios, a cinema, visual art galleries, café and bar, mac Birmingham presents a broad range of contemporary work from both emerging and established artists across various genres.
In terms of accessibility, mac says it has:
Enabling visitors to explore life over the past 3.5 billion years, the Lapworth Museum showcases exceptional objects from one of the UK’s most outstanding geological collections. Plus, its state-of-the-art galleries and range of innovative and interactive exhibits are all free of charge!
According to its website, Lapworth offers its guests:
The Royal Armouries Museum is home to the national collection of arms and armour, making it one of the most important museums of its type in the world!
Located at Leeds Dock, the museum is only a short distance from Leeds city centre. Visitors can explore arms and armour from around the world and throughout time in six themed galleries, learning all about the objects, their uses and the people behind them in entertaining daily talks. And what’s more, admission is free.
This venue says it has:
The Kitty Café is designed with felines in mind – but that’s not to say that humans are left out! With a wide entry door, open spaces and plenty of room to manoeuvre between tables, the Kitty Café is an accessible place, inviting you to play with some cats while sipping a coffee or chowing on a cake.
According to reviews on Euan’s Guide, the Kitty Café has:
The White Rose Shopping Centre has more than 100 high street stores under one roof and on one level, accessible from one of nine surrounding free car parks. You’re also spoiled for choice with the range of dine-in restaurants and grab-and-go caterers, so you can enjoy a full day out here.
The centre is very accessible, with Changing Places facilities, accessible toilets and Shopmobility services. For more information about this, you can call the Customer Service Centre on 0113 2291251 or head to the Accessibility page.
This venue says it has:
The Museum of Liverpool reflects the city’s global significance and unique geography, history and culture. Visitors can explore how the port, its people, their creativity and sporting history have shaped the city.
The museum is incredibly welcoming, with a flat main entrance, automatic doors and lifts to all floors. Braille guides and British Sign Language interpretation can also be provided, and there are Changing Places toilets.
The Museum of Liverpool has:
The Liverpool Empire theatre has the largest two-tier auditorium in Britain and can seat more than 2,000 people. During its time, the theatre has hosted many types of entertainment, including variety shows, musicals, operas, pop concerts and plays. The theatre has hosted two Royal Command Performances and a Royal Variety Performance to mark Liverpool’s designation as a European City of Culture.
Check out the theatre’s accessibility page for full info, but some things this venue provides include:
The Beatles Story will take you on a magical history tour, detailing how four young lads from Liverpool became one of the biggest bands of all time. You can find out how the Fab Four met, go behind the scenes at the famous Abbey Road Studios and even take an underwater trip on the Yellow Submarine.
The exhibition is fully wheelchair accessible, and the venue includes:
With a rich history spanning over 200 years (starting life as the Prince Regent’s stables and riding house), Brighton Dome is a premier multi-arts venue, providing an extraordinary space to bring the arts alive. Each year, it presents and produces more than 600 events spanning music, theatre, dance, comedy, literature, the spoken word, visual arts, film and digital.
Brighton Dome is committed to making visits as easy and enjoyable for as many people as possible, with BSL interpretation, relaxed performances, touch tours, productions by disabled artists, and a partnership with a Brighton learning disability arts charity, Carousel.
Detailed accessibility information can be downloaded here, but the venue says it provides:
Audio described
This vertical pier in honour of the iconic Brighton landmark, the West Pier, Brighton i360 was built on the foundations of community and sustainability with the mission to offer visitors a completely unique experience.
Soaring you 450ft into the air, a ride on the i360 will give you full views out to sea and across Brighton city. Accessible from beach level – thanks to a wheelchair-friendly lift – and with features like hearing loops and display information in audio and large print, every effort has been made to ensure everybody can enjoy the i360’s unparalleled perspective on Brighton.
The i360 says that it offers:
The American Express Community Stadium is home to Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club. The first team’s home league and cup matches are played there, and the stadium also hosts numerous corporate, sports and music events.
The venue prides itself on being accessible, bagging a ‘Level Playing Field Centre of Excellence Award’ in 2017. The stadium also offers:
Check out more accessible attractions in Brighton on the VisitEngland website.
Leicester’s award-winning National Space Centre is an ‘out of this world experience’ for the whole family. With six interactive galleries, the UK’s largest planetarium, a 3D SIM ride and 42m high Rocket Tower, there’s something for everybody to enjoy. Add to this on-site parking, café, shop and all the facilities you would expect from a world-class attraction, and you’ve got a great day out.
The Space Centre is accessible to people in wheelchairs or with mobility issues. Check out full accessibility details on the website, or you can contact the centre directly on 0116 261 0261.
The Space Centre says it has:
Bradgate Park started life as an enclosed deer park around 800 years ago. With 830 acres of publicly accessible countryside close to Leicester City Centre, the Park offers a wild and rugged landscape with dramatic rocky outcrops, fantastic views and gnarled old oak trees, many of which are well over 500 years old.
While the physical nature of the park and woodlands means that not all areas will be accessible to everyone, the Trust aims to extend access as far as is reasonably possible. The venue says it has:
Highcross in the heart of Leicester is one of the country’s most popular shopping destinations. Catering for all fashion and lifestyle needs, it boasts more than 80 popular high street shops – including John Lewis & Partners, Zara and Apple – and a range of cafés and restaurants.
Highcross works in collaboration with AccessAble to offer detailed information about accessibility. The Accessibility Guide for Highcross includes facts, figures and photographs to help you plan your visit, including details on things such as:
Sheffield Theatres is the largest producing theatre complex outside London, comprising the Crucible, the Lyceum and the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse. Producing and hosting a diverse programme of work including the best of drama, dance, comedy, musicals, opera, ballet and children’s theatre, the Sheffield Theatres have been named among the UK’s Most Welcoming Theatres.
There is plenty of information on the website about accessibility, but you can also call Sheffield Theatres on 0114 249 6000 or email access@sheffieldtheatres.co.uk to find out more. The venues also have:
The Treehouse is Sheffield’s first board game café, a welcoming space for both new and experienced gamers to explore a library of more than 800 board games. Alongside the games, the Treehouse serves a wide variety of drinks and café-style food with an emphasis on local producers and suppliers.
Inclusivity is hugely important to the Treehouse, and staff work hard to ensure that everyone is made to feel welcome. The venue is fully wheelchair accessible, with an accessible toilet on the ground floor. It offers:
The Millennium Gallery is Sheffield’s premier destination for art, craft and design. You can enjoy some of Sheffield’s special heritage, including the metalwork that made the city world famous, alongside contemporary art and design exhibitions.
The gallery welcomes visitors of all ages and abilities, listing that it has:
Check out VisitEngland’s Accessibility Guide to the North York Moors.
Opened in 2011, the Riverside Museum is Scotland’s Museum of Transport and Travel. Home to more than 3,000 objects that detail Glasgow’s rich past, the museum has welcomed over 1.5 million visitors to its new residence on the banks of the Clyde.
The Riverside Museum is fully accessible to wheelchair users and allows for wheelchair access between displays. There are two level entrances to Riverside Museum, both suitable for wheelchair users, and all floors are accessible by lift. Plus, all displays and interactives are at an accessible height for wheelchair users. As an added bonus, entry to the museum is free.
This venue is listed as having:
The OVO Hydro is Scotland’s home of live entertainment. The new purpose-built venue at the SECC campus is designed with high-calibre concerts and exciting events in mind – it’s the largest entertainment venue in Scotland and the only UK venue of its scale.
The Hydro has widened entry doors, with level 0 of the arena situated at ground level and Level 2 accessible by lift and escalator. The Hydro also has disabled and accessible toilets situated on all levels. The venue also says it has:
The most complete mediaeval cathedral on the Scottish mainland, Glasgow Cathedral is still a working church with an active congregation. It is chock full of intriguing features, from its magnificent nave and choir to the atmospheric crypt of St Mungo, who was supposedly buried there in AD 614. Keep an eye out for the tomb of Bishop Wishart, a key supporter of Robert the Bruce, and carvings of 11 figures on the stone pulpitum screen.
There are some steps to navigate inside the cathedral but most of the cathedral is accessible with ramps and stairlifts. The venue also says it has:
Take a read of AccessAble’s Accessible Guide to Glasgow’s Attractions here.
A mighty fortress, the defender of the nation and home to the famous Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, Edinburgh Castle has withstood many sieges and been home to Scottish Royalty. Edinburgh Castle is one of the most exciting historic sites in the UK, set in the heart of Scotland’s dynamic capital city.
Access to Edinburgh Castle is steep and cobbled in places, but the majority of buildings are accessible for wheelchairs. Check out Historic Environment Scotland’s Accessibility Guide for Edinburgh Castle. The Castle also says it has:
Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can also head online to enjoy BSL virtual tours of Edinburgh Castle.
The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE) aims to provide the best possible access to all visitors, whether they are there for a walk, a guided tour, an event or exhibition, meal or conference.
The Garden is highly accessible, with accessible toilets in the visitor centre, restaurants and the Garden itself. Mobility scooters and wheelchairs are available for visitors to use, and there is seating at regular intervals throughout the Garden.
Check out the RBGE’s Accessibility Guide for full details.
Explore the natural world, culture, art, science, technology and Scottish history, all under one roof. The National Museum of Scotland welcomes visitors of all abilities, offering lifts, seating areas and wheelchairs on loan to make your visit as easy and enjoyable as possible.
Visitors with visual impairments can arrange tours with handling opportunities, and deaf visitors can also book a BSL interpreter for any tours or events. Just email tours@nms.ac.uk with a minimum of three weeks’ notice to arrange.
The venue also says it has:
Read the museum’s full Accessibility Statement here.
The Wales Millennium Centre is an arts centre in the Cardiff Bay area, showcasing the best of the world to Wales and the best of Wales to the world!
The centre presents an eclectic range of artforms, including musical theatre, comedy, dance and cabaret. It has a reputation among artists and producers as one of the world’s leading centres for the performing arts.
You can find full details of the venue’s accessibility on its website, but the Centre says it offers:
The Senedd is home to the Welsh Parliament and comprises a debating chamber and three committee rooms. The 5,308m² Senedd building was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 1 March 2006. It’s open to the public almost every day of the year.
The Senedd is proud to be an accessible building, listing full details on its website. The building is said to offer:
Chapter is an exciting multi-artform cultural space that presents and produces international art, performance and film. Watch performances, browse exhibitions, catch a film or grab a bite to eat inside this dynamic social space.
Chapter is fully accessible, with flat access to the building through automatic doors and lift access to the first floor. Both cinemas have wheelchair spaces, and there are disabled toilet facilities on both the ground and the first floors. Dedicated disabled parking spaces are located in the front and rear car parks.
There is further information about Chapter’s accessibility on its website, but the venue is listed as having:
For more details on accessible venues and attractions throughout the UK, check out these websites:
The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free service, designed to support those who need a little extra help in the event of interruptions to their gas, water or electricity supply.
If you or someone you know has extra communication, access or safety needs, signing up to the PSR will help you to access the best possible services at all times and to feel safe and independent at home.
