Best wheelchair accessible attractions to visit in the UK
Finding wheelchair accessible places to visit can be challenging; how do you know if a tourist attraction will be able to cater for your accessibility needs?
We’ve teamed up with Carrie-Ann Lightley, one of the UK’s leading accessible travel bloggers, to bring you a list of tourist attractions in the UK which are wheelchair accessible. Carrie-Ann is also Head of Marketing at AccessAble; the UK’s leading provider of detailed disabled access information.
Our list of wheelchairaccessible tourist attractionsuses information taken from the AccessAble website, where Detailed Access Guides tell you all about a venue’s access. They are all 100 per cent facts, figures and photographs, and all of the details have been checked in person, on site, by trained surveyors.
For each attraction we’ve added links to the main Access Guide, as well as links to Access Guides to hotels and B&Bs, restaurants and pubs/bars, so you can see everything on offer in each area.
Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
The Ashmolean is the University of Oxford’s museum of art and archaeology, founded in 1683. Their world famous collections range from Egyptian mummies to contemporary art, telling human stories across cultures and across time.
The Ashmolean’s collections are extraordinarily diverse, representing most of the world’s great civilisations, with objects dating from 500,000 BC to the present day. Among many riches, they have the world’s greatest collection of Raphael drawings, the most important collection of Egyptian pre-Dynastic sculpture and ceramics outside Cairo, the only great Minoan collection in Britain, outstanding Anglo-Saxon treasures, and the foremost collection of modern Chinese painting in the Western world.
Access Guides
- Ashmolean Museum Access Guides
- Accessible hotels and B&Bs in Oxford
- Accessible restaurants in Oxford
- Accessible pubs and bars in Oxford
Tower Bridge, London
Tower Bridge was built 120 years ago to ease road traffic while maintaining river access to the busy Pool of London docks. Built with giant moveable roadways that lift up for passing ships, it is to this day considered an engineering marvel and beyond being one of London’s favourite icons, it is arguably one of the most famous and instantly recognisable structures in the entire world.
Since 1982, the Tower Bridge Attraction has told the history of the bridge and why it came into existence through fascinating exhibition content. Visitors can also experience the exciting new glass floor and spectacular panoramic views from the high level walkways, as well as the Victorian Engine Rooms, which house the beautiful steam engines that once powered the bridge lifts. This must-see attraction is the only way to explore the most famous bridge in the world.
Access Guides
- Tower Bridge Access Guides
- Accessible Hotels and B&Bs in London
- Accessible Restaurants in London
- Accessible Pubs and Bars in London
Shakespeare's Birthplace, Stratford-on-Avon
William Shakespeare's Birthplace is a site of international historic significance. Visitors can peruse the exhibition in the Shakespeare Centre, explore the gardens and walk on the same stone floor that William Shakespeare did in his childhood home.
The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust works hard to carry out conservation at the Birthplace to preserve the house for future generations and honour the memory of the world’s most iconic literary figure. The aim of Shakespeare's Birthplace today is to give a sense of what a house on Henley Street would have been like for Shakespeare to grow up in.
Costumed guides tell tales of family life in the Shakespeare household, and the Shakespeare Aloud acting company perform scenes, speeches, and poetry in the garden, entertaining visitors from around the world.
Access Guides
- Shakespeare's Birthplace Access Guide
- Accessible hotels and B&Bs in Stratford-on-Avon
- Accessible restaurants in Stratford-on-Avon
- Accessible pubs and bars in Stratford-on-Avon
Chester Zoo
Chester Zoo is a registered conservation & education charity that is working to prevent extinction all around the world. It is the most visited zoo in the UK; home to over 20,000 animals & more than 500 different species. The zoo is an all-year round, full-day visitor attraction for everyone.
Access Guides
- Chester Zoo Access Guide
- Accessible Hotels and B&Bs in Chester
- Accessible Restaurants in Chester
- Accessible Pubs and Bars in Chester
Discovery Museum, Newcastle
Discovery Museum is housed in the old Co-operative Wholesale Society building, Blandford House. Opening in 1899, it quickly became an iconic building in Newcastle city centre. Blandford House became a museum in 1978 and was re-launched as Discovery Museum in 1993.
Immerse yourself in the history of Newcastle and Tyneside told through permanent displays and temporary exhibitions over three floors focusing on the area's maritime, scientific and technological importance to Britain and the rest of the world.
Access Guides
- Discovery Museum Access Guide
- Accessible hotels and B&Bs in Newcastle
- Accessible restaurants in Newcastle
- Accessible pubs and bars in Newcastle
Riverside Museum, Glasgow
Riverside Museum is Glasgow's award-winning transport museum. With over 3,000 objects on display, there's everything from skateboards to locomotives, paintings to prams and cars to a Stormtrooper. Get hands-on with interactive displays. Walk through Glasgow streets and visit the shops, bar and subway. Climb aboard a train, tram or bus and get a real feel for old public transport.
Discover Glasgow's rich shipbuilding history, explore the car and motorbike walls and help put out a fire with the interactive fire engine. There are over 90 large touch screens panels full of images, memories and films that tell the fascinating stories behind the objects. There really is something for all ages to enjoy at the Riverside Museum.
Access Guide
- Riverside Museum Access Guide
- Accessible Hotels and B&Bs in Glasgow
- Accessible Restaurants in Glasgow
- Accessible Pubs and Bars in Glasgow
National Railway Museum, York
For a fantastic day out for the whole family in York, visit the award winning National Railway Museum. Get up close to over 300 years of fascinating history in York's only National Museum. Explore giant halls full of trains and railway legends including the majestic Duchess of Hamilton, step on to the futuristic Japanese Bullet Train or marvel at the stunning opulence of the Royal Trains.
Get on board awe-inspiring locomotives, watch engineers at work in the Workshop, uncover hidden treasures in the Warehouse and make tracks to the outdoor area.
Access Guides
- National Railway Museum Access Guides
- Accessible hotels and B&Bs in York
- Accessible restaurants in York
- Accessible cafes and coffee shops in York
Ulster Museum, Belfast
Come face to face with dinosaurs, meet an ancient Egyptian mummy and see modern masterpieces with a visit to the Ulster Museum. As Northern Ireland's treasure house of the past and present, the museum is home to a rich collection of art, history and natural sciences with impressive galleries and interactive discovery zones. From Ireland to the South Pacific, ancient relics to modern masterpieces, the Ulster Museum offers something for everyone from the simply curious to the enthusiast.
Access Guides
- Ulster Museum Access Guide
- Accessible hotels and B&Bs in Belfast
- Accessible restaurants in Belfast
- Accessible pubs and bars in Belfast
Botanical Gardens, Sheffield
Sheffield Botanical Gardens cover 19 acres and were first opened in 1836. Originally designed by Robert Marnock in the Gardenesque style, the site now has fifteen different garden areas featuring collections of plants from all over the world, including Mediterranean, Asian, American prairie-style, woodland and rock-and-water plantings.
A beautiful getaway in the centre of Sheffield's cityscape, the Gardens provide a place of pleasure and education for all the family and provide a magnificent setting for the many events held there throughout the year.
Access Guides
- Sheffield Botanical Gardens Access Guide
- Accessible hotels and B&Bs in Sheffield
- Accessible restaurants in Sheffield
- Accessible pubs and bars in Sheffield
If you're visiting any of these attractions, download the free AccessAble App from the Apple Store or Google Play Store.
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