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Welcome

Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre is dedicated to the history and people of Barnsley. Visitors will uncover the incredible story of Barnsley told through centuries-old artefacts, documents, films and recordings that have been donated by people living and working in the borough. Unique, hands-on and interactive exhibits encourage visitors to explore the people and places of Barnsley, ultimately leading them to discover a town with amazing stories and a rich and diverse heritage. The Discovery centre houses an extensive archive collection.

Experience Barnsley is part of Barnsley Town Hall - this guide only covers the museum, shop and cafe and not the rest of the building.

Photograph of Town Hall building where Experience Barnsley is situated.

Hearing

We have a hearing loop in We have a portable hearing loop - please ask at the reception desk.
Some staff have disability awareness training.

Visual

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

General

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors. The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.
Some staff have disability awareness training.
We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Getting here

Experience Barnsley Museum and Discover Centre
Town Hall, Church Street
Barnsley
S70 2TA

Travel by public transport

You can get to Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre. by bus and train.
The nearest bus stop is outside Barnsley College, opposite the Town Hall. The Barnsley Interchange bus station is 0.3 miles from the venue. All buses in Barnsley are wheelchair and pushchair accessible The bus stop is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre..
The nearest train station is Barnsley Interchange.. The train station is 0.3 miles / 0.5 km from Experience Barnsley Museum and Discovery Centre..

The access from the train station is level, but up a slope0.0 

Travel by taxi

You can get a taxi with City Taxis. by calling 01226 288888.

City Taxis have an app which can be used to book taxis online.

Parking

There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point does not have a dropped kerb.

There is street parking 0.1 miles away from Experience Barnsley (outside of Westgate Plaza) and a car park 0.2 miles away (The Seam Upper Shopper). Access from both is on a slope.

Arrival

Path to main entrance

From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.
There is a permanent ramp.
The path is 1430mm wide, or more.
The path is sloped.

Main entrance

The main entrance has level access.
There is a permanent ramp.
The door is 880mm wide.
The door has a push button to open it.

The door is situated to the side of the Town Hall building. Once through the door, Town Hall reception and a cafe will be to your right, the Museum will be straight ahead, and the Museum shop and information desk will be to your left. Entrance to the Museum is free, our Visitor Services Assistants will happily answer any questions you may have.

There is a second set of doors after the main entrance doors which open automatically and are 1430mm wide.

Entrance to ramp at main entrance Ramp at main entrance Square with fountains and benches opposite main entrance

Getting around inside

Visual Impairment - General Information

Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

Lift

We have 2 lifts.
You can get a lift to all floors.

Lifts to all floors

The lift door is 850mm wide.
The lift is 1500mm wide. The lift is 1600mm deep.
The lift says the floor number at each floor.
The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.
The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.
Exterior of lift to all floors Interior of lift to all floors

Ticket/ information desk

Experience Barnsley shop desk.

From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. The route is 1340mm wide, or more.
The door is 1574mm wide, or more.
The desk has a low section.

The Experience Barnsley desk is located in the shop. The shop is to your left as you walk through the main doors. The desk on your right is the Town Hall reception, for non museum related enquiries.

Entrance to Experience Barnsley is free so you do not need to buy a ticket. If you wish, you may just carry straight on down the corridor from the main entrance to the Museum without visiting the information desk. However, our friendly staff will be happy to help with any questions you may have.

Experience Barnsley information desk and shop Town Hall reception and doors to Old George cafe

Making History Gallery.

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1340mm wide, or more. The door is 1757mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.
There is a hearing loop.
Some videos have subtitles.

This is a family play area with costumes, toys and activities for children. It can be accessed either via stairs or a ramp. There is seating available. A portable hearing loop can be requested from the information desk in the shop.

 

Making History Gallery activities including soft furnishings, dressing up costumes, a market stall and old fairground rides Ramp to Making History Gallery Sand pit and other activities in the Gallery

Main Exhibition Gallery.

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1340mm wide, or more. The door is 1864mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.
There is a hearing loop.
Some videos have subtitles.

This is the main exhibition displaying objects and information about the history of Barnsley from the Stone Age to the present day. It includes displays about coal mining and local industry, famous Barnsley people, sport and leisure and other historical objects largely donated by the local people. Some areas of the main exhibition have low lighting.

Ramp from main entrance to the Gallery Portable seating available in the museum Football display and film in the museum Children's activity table in the museum including trails Museum display case featuring objects such as a bike and a clock Museum display case featuring prehistoric and historic archaeology objects Museum display cases in Experience Barnsley Museum display cases and interactive screens Museum display cases and text boards 1970s inspired living room area with children's books and toys from the decade

Temporary Exhibition.

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1340mm wide, or more. The door is 1727mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.
There is a hearing loop.
Some videos have subtitles.

The temporary exhibition is accessed by leaving the main gallery through the door to the left of the Barnsley FC display. The corridor has a slope. At the end of the Corridor, turn right and then the temporary exhibition is on the left. The content of the temporary exhibition changes throughout the year, please check our website for the most up to date information - https://www.experience-barnsley.com/ 

Ramp to temporary exhibition gallery from the main exhibition

Learning Lab.

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1340mm wide, or more. The door is 1536mm wide.
Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.
There is a hearing loop.
Videos have subtitles.

This space is usually used for events, school trips, talks or family activities.

Public toilet

1st floor toilets near to the Old George café - turn right on your way into the Main Gallery.

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
The toilet is a Changing Places toilet.
You need a RADAR key to open the public toilet.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 840mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 1000mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the right.
There is 1260mm at the side of the toilet. There is 2000mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 460mm high. The toilets have handrails.

This changing places facility is part of the Town Hall building. There is also another changing places facility at the library in the town centre.

A radar key can be collected from the main reception desk in the Town Hall, at the entrance to the Old George cafe.

Hoist and changing bed in Changing Places Toilet, handwashing facilities and hoist in Changing places

Public toilet

Toilets opposite the temporary exhibition and archives.

There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 850mm wide, or more.
The toilet door is 850mm wide.
The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the left.
There is 1200mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1130mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 470mm high. The toilets have handrails.

Shop

Experience Barnsley gift shop.

From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route is 1340mm wide, or more. The door is 1757mm wide.
The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.
Examples of shop stock including sensory items such as bubbles and soft toys Examples of shop stock including craft kits and children's toys

Place to eat and drink

Old George Town Hall

From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The route is 1500mm wide, or more. The door is 1500mm wide.
To get to a table, there are no steps.
The dining area is self-service. If you need table service, staff can help you.
The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.
There is background music.
The table and plates have high colour contrast.
We cater for vegetarian, lactose free (dairy free), low fat, low sodium and vegan specific diets.

The cafe team can create meals made without gluten/nuts and other allergens on request, following strict allergen procedures. However, all meals are prepared in the same kitchen therefore cannot be guaranteed to be absolutely allergen free.

Old George cafe showing counter and seating

Getting around outside

Fountains and town square

From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 850mm wide, or more. The entrance is 850mm wide.

The outdoor area is the town square opposite the main entrance to the Gallery. There are benches to sit on for a picnic, and the fountains are switched on on selected days. There is a road running around the square so traffic can be busy and noisy. 

Square with fountains and benches

Customer care support

Accessibility equipment

We provide wheelchairs. Wheelchairs are free.
We have a hearing loop in We have a portable hearing loop - please ask at the reception desk.

We have a sensory backpack containing ear defenders, torches and fidget toys. Please ask at the front desk.

For a list of more items, please go to https://www.experience-barnsley.com/accessibility.

Emergency evacuation procedures

We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

Customer care support

Some staff have disability awareness training.

Some of our staff have Makaton training

We have other services for people with accessibility requirements.

We have a 360 virtual tour of Experience Barnsley available for visitors here - https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=bkrLy96Co7x

 

Guide info
Any information, comments and views made available to users via this Accessibility Guide are provided directly from third party business operators. VisitEngland and VisitScotland do not endorse or validate this information. Any reliance on this Accessibility Guide is at your own risk. This guide is not intended to be a substitute for users making their own checks, inquiries and investigations directly with the business operators prior to making any booking or visiting the venue.