Accessibility Information

Step-free access: Yes, via the main entrance on Blandford Square.

Accessible toilets: Yes, on the ground, second and fourth floors.

Changing Places toilet: Yes, on the ground floor. A RADAR key is available from the Welcome Desk.

Lifts: Two public lifts provide access to all floors.

Blue Badge parking: Limited on-street parking and a nearby Council car park. Check parking restrictions before your visit.

Seating: Available throughout the museum, including benches, chairs with backs and sofas.

Wheelchairs: Three wheelchairs are available to borrow. Advance booking is recommended.

Assistance dogs: Welcome throughout the museum.

Please note: Discovery Museum is open while essential roof repairs take place. Scaffolding covers the outside of the building and part of the front plaza is being used by contractors. Building work can sometimes be noisy and temporarily affects some routes around the entrance.

Visitor map

You can download a visitor map to help you plan your visit and find your way around the museum. The map includes information about lighting, noise, smells, temperature changes, seating and toilets.

If you have an access requirement or would like to discuss your visit in advance, please contact our team.

Contact us:

• Telephone: 0191 232 6789
• Email: info@discoverymuseum.org.uk

Visitor map

You can download a visitor map to help you plan your visit and find your way around the museum. The map includes information about lighting, noise, smells, temperature changes, seating and toilets.

Visual story

Discovery Museum's visual story helps you to plan and prepare for a visit by showing you what you can expect to see at the museum.

Click here to view the visual story online.

Download a copy of Discovery Museum's visual story (PDF, 1.7 MB)

There is a limited amount of on-street parking (free for blue badge holders) and a small Council car park immediately on the right-hand side of the museum entrance.  

Blue badge holders can park in any Council-run car parking bay free for one hour in any bay so long as the Blue Badge is displayed on the dashboard of their car and that they have first purchased a parking ticket. Please check the terms and conditions panel next to the ticket machine. 

The Council's Grainger Town multi-storey carpark is on the far side of St James' Boulevard, opposite the Museum.

Please note: Discovery Museum's roof is currently undergoing conservation so the exterior of the museum is covered with scaffolding. The plaza outside the museum is covered, with a busy contractor's compound base at the front of the museum. This can sometimes be noisy. Visitors will pass under scaffolding to enter the museum, between the archway and the main entrance. This is safe and is only temporary while works are carried out. 

There is level step-free access into the museum leading from the main driveway and from the parking bays on Blandford Square. Please note that there is a pavement drop kerb leading from the parking bays (off Blandford Square) on the right of the main entrance but due to the builder’s compound in front of the museum not from the pavement on the left. We apologise for the temporary inconvenience.  

To get to the main entrance pass through the temporary white tunnel below the archway.  

From the tunnel there is a gentle paved slope leading up to the main glass-fronted entrance. The double set of automatic glass doors open on approach.  

Ahead of you at the far end of the gift shop is the Welcome Desk where a member of staff will be able to answer any questions you might have about the museum.  

The Gift Shop counter is on your immediate left.  

Beyond the Welcome Desk, a long ramp with a gentle incline, leads up to the ground floor displays. Turbinia, the world's first steam-turbine powered vessel and one-time fastest ship in the world, dominates this space.

The museum is spread across the lower ground, ground, first and second floors. Occasionally there are special events in the Great Hall on the fourth floor.

The café is on the second floor. 

All floor levels are accessible by using either one of the two public lifts or main stairs at the back of the museum. The lifts have voice announcers and braille indicators.  

Unfortunately there are times when a lift might be out of action; should this be the case, staff will inform and advise on an alternative. 

The staircases have two handrails at different heights on both sides and raised tactile indicators at the top and bottom of each flight.  

There are male and female toilets on the ground, second and fourth floors, all of which include accessible toilet cubicles., and are towards the back of the museum between the lift and the main staircase. 

All toilets have hand dryers and paper towels 

A Changing Places toilet is on the ground floor. Please ask for the Radar Key at the Welcome Desk 

The Changing Places toilet has the following: 

• Bench - Height Adjustable, Adult Sized, Free Standing 

• Hoist - Ceiling, Loop 

• Right transfer toilet  

• Non-Slip Floor 

• Floor Space (7 sq.mtrs)  

• Paper Roll 

There is a baby changing facility in the male and female toilets on the ground, second and fourth floors and in the accessible toilets on the ground, second and fourth floors. 

On the ground floor at the back of the museum there is a space for visitors to leave buggies. However, as the area is not supervised, visitors leave them at their own risk.  

Luggage lockers can be found on the ground floor next to the entrance to Newcastle Story at the back of the museum. 

The café is located on the second floor. It can be noisy during busy times. 

Hot and cold drinks plus hot meals, sandwiches, cakes and other tray bakes are available. If you have any food allergies and have concerns about the menu and would like more information, please ask a member of the café team. 

The café is a self-service facility; place your order at the counter. Please note that staff will assist with table or tray service on request. 

Standard tables and chairs line both sides of the café. In addition, there are a few soft armchairs and sofas available too. 

The welcome desk telephone can be used for emergencies or book taxis. Please speak to a member of staff who will be able to assist. 

Three wheelchairs are available for visitor use. Please ask a member of staff at the Welcome Desk who will be able to assist. Please note that wheelchairs are bookable in advance of your visit. 

We welcome assistance dogs. Please let us know if you require anything for your dog during your visit to the museum. 

All our displays and exhibitions have interpretation / information panels and many include hands-on or digital interactives. 

Light levels and floor surfaces may vary.  

Most have audio points and / or audio-visual displays which can make the galleries seem noisy. If you have any concerns, please ask a member of the museum staff who will be able to advise.  

Many of the audio points have text versions beside them. 

The audio-visual displays in Newcastle Story, Story of the Tyne, Charge!, Tyneside Challenge, and Destination Tyneside are all subtitled.  

The audio visual films in Charge! also have British Sign Language interpretation.  

In Charge! you will also find a series of ‘talking labels’ which can be accessed by scanning the QR codes in the display. 

To find out more about Charge! see the 3D virtual tour.

Tiny Tyneside and the Mini Maze are designed specifically for 5-year olds. 

There is a range of seating available around the museum.

Ground Floor 

• Turbinia Atrium: padded bench seating, picnic seating and seats with backs 
• Newcastle Story: benches, padded benches, padded seating with backs 

First Floor 

• Story of the Tyne: benches with arms, padded benches, seats with backs 
• Tiny Tyneside: padded benches with backs
• Charge! The Story of England's Northern Cavalry: benches and seats with backs 
• Tyneside Challenge: seats with backs and padded benches 
• First floor balconies: benches, padded benches and picnic benches 
• Special Exhibitions: benches with arms and padded benches

Second Floor 

• Destination Tyneside: sofas, benches, padded stools, chairs with arms and backs 
• Science Maze: benches, padded benches and picnic benches 
• Café: seats and sofas with backs 

The fire alarms have voice sounders and visual flashing lights. In addition, scrolling text messages will be seen throughout the museum. The lift cannot be used in the event of a fire.  

There are evac-chairs on each floor to assist people unable to exit the building safely and safe fire refuge points for those awaiting evacuation.  

If you will require assistance leaving the building in the event of a fire alarm please tell a member of staff on your arrival to the museum. 

Members of the curatorial team, customer services and learning team can lead tours of the museum, but these must be booked in advance of your visit. Tours tend to last between 45 minutes and an hour.  

Contact the museum on (0191) 232 6789 / info@discoverymuseum.org.uk