Accessibility

3D Virtual Tour of Royal Armouries Museum

You can familiarise yourself with our awesome museum in Leeds before you visit, or if you can’t visit, you can still explore our galleries and amenities 24/7, in the comfort of your own home. We created the 3D Virtual Tour with help from our friends at Apollo 3D.

Accessible version of the 3D Virtual Tour of the Royal Armouries Museum

An accessible video version of the 3D Virtual Tour of the Royal Armouries Museum is available on YouTube.  Unfortunately, because the technology used to create and host the virtual tour is not fully accessible, we created a video that provides a similar experience. It provides views of the Museum, and features the same iconic objects with audio descriptions. Closed Captions are provided throughout.

Accessible museum entrance

The Museum's entrance is in Armouries Square 100 metres (approximately 110 yards) from the Museum's accessible parking spaces, coach park, and drop-off point.

• Armouries Square is an open and level paved area
• All access routes to the Museum entrance have a step-free path
• Entrance to the Museum is through two sets of automatic sliding glass doors
• Beyond the entrance is a long atrium space containing access to the café, shop, and reception desk
• Information and a list of the days events can be obtained from staff at the red reception desk
• Reception desk staff will be happy to assist you in anyway

Accessible parking at the Royal Armouries Museum

• There are five parking spaces provided for visitors with disabilities which are located in the Museum's coach park, opposite the Holiday Inn, and approximately 100 metres (110 yards) from the Museum's entrance.
• The Museum's accessible parking spaces are free.
• These spaces are only provided during Museum opening times, 10am to 5pm Tuesday to Sunday, and 10am to 5pm every day during school holidays.

Accessible parking at CitiPark Leeds Dock

There are approximately 40 Blue Badge parking bays in the multi-storey car park located next to the Holiday Inn.

• The multi-storey car park is operated by CitiPark.
• There is no discount for Blue Badge holders, the standard tariff applies.
• Parking charges range from £2.50 to £13 - the CitiPark website has the most up to date information on parking charges.
• The car park is barrier free and parking fees must be paid before exiting.
• Pay machines for the car park are only located in the ground floor lobby area.
• Pay machines for the car park accept bank cards and contactless payments.
• There are no Blue Badge parking bays on the ground floor.
• Blue Badge parking bays are situated on all levels from level 2 upwards.
• Blue Badge parking bays are located closest to lift lobby areas.
• There are four lifts available to all floors.
• The ground floor exits onto a boulevard that provides a paved and step-free route to the Museum's entrance 100 metres (approximately 110 yards) away.

Accessible toilets

Accessible toilets are located throughout the Museum:

• Ground floor café next to the main entrance.
• Floors 1, 2, and 4 close to the lift areas on the Dock side of the Museum.

Please note that these toilets are 200 millimetres (approximately 8 inches) shorter than recommended in the current accessibility standards.

Accessible toilet features

• Braille door labels
• Emergency alarm
• Grab rails

Changing Places Toilet

Our Changing Places Toilet (CPT) is located on the ground floor of the Museum, approximately 36 metres (120 feet) from the main entrance. Access to the CPT is by Radar key. A Radar key is available from Reception if required.

Changing Places toilet features

• Bench - Height adjustable, adult sized, wall mounted
• Hoist - Ceiling, Loop
• Washbasin - height adjustable
• Peninsular toilet
• Unisex
• Non-slip floor
• Emergency alarm
• Privacy screen
• Paper roll
• Colostomy shelf
• Signage in the room
• Drop down grab rails
• Wall grab rails
• Large bin
• Door width - 1 metre
• Ceiling height - 2.4 metres
• Floor space - 15 square metres

Wheelchairs

All public areas in the Museum are accessible by wheelchair.

We have four manual wheelchairs available for use by visitors. The wheelchairs can be used for the duration of your visit. Please ask at Reception on your arrival.

• Free to use
• No booking required
• Allocated on a first come, first served basis

Mobility scooters

Mobility scooters are permitted in the Museum, but we do not have any to loan.

Assistance dogs

Assistance dogs are welcome in the Museum and can look forward to:

• A water bowl provided on request in our Café
• Plenty of space outside of the Museum in Armouries Square for exercise and toilet.

Please be aware that the Museum is situated next to a canal dock with deep water.

Access to galleries

• All galleries are accessible via the lifts
• Lifts are located next the Hall of Steel on each floor
• To access floor five take the gold-coloured lift
• Lifts are fitted with:
  • handrails
  • operation buttons with braille labels
  • audio announcements
  • lift controls are at the rear of the car at a height suitable for wheelchair users
• The maximum load for each lift is 16 persons/1,250 kilogrammes (approximately 2,755 pounds)
• High bridges with glass balustrades that span the Museum's atrium can be used to access different galleries on the same floor.
• Light levels within the galleries can be quite low as this helps to conserve some of our more fragile objects.
• All films in the galleries are presented with:
  • Closed Captions
  • a progress bar with timer
  • controls to restart the presentation
  • a single ear-phone

Accessible live performances and outdoor events

Live performances take place daily in a variety of dedicated spaces in the galleries. Performance areas are equipped with:

• Microphones for the performers
• Speakers
• Bench seating
• Space for wheelchairs and mobility scooters

Hearing loops are not currently provided in the gallery performance areas of the Museum, but are planned to be installed within the next 12 months.

Tiltyard

The Tiltyard is an outdoor event space which is used for our horse events, including jousting. It is located opposite the Holiday Inn and close to the Museum's accessible parking bays. Accessibility for wheelchairs or mobility scooters is limited and varies for each event. Therefore, we encourage people to reach out to us when planning your visit.

If you’d like to see an outdoor show and you have additional access needs, please contact us in advance so we can help you plan your day.  enquiries@armouries.org.uk or call 0113 220 1916​. Lines are open 10 am to 4.30pm every day.

Amphitheatre

We occasionally use our outdoor amphitheatre for combat demonstrations and gun firing. It is located at the north-west corner of the Museum, between the Hall of Steel and the canal dock.

The step-free route from the Museum entrance to the amphitheatre is paved with Yorkshire stone, which can be uneven. There is a ramp onto a block paved area that surrounds the amphitheatre. 

Seating is on the amphitheatre steps. The amphitheatre floor is paved with stone blocks and uneven.

Sensory backpacks

Sensory backpacks are available to encourage, support, and enhance the museum experience of children and young people on the autism spectrum and their families.

Backpack features

• We have five (5) backpacks available
• They are available free of charge
• They can be used for the duration of your visit
• They contain fun and soothing sensory toys and ear-defenders
• Collect from Reception on arrival and return to Reception on departure

Comfort seating

Our Museum is large, with its galleries and facilities located over 6 floors. We have therefore provided seating throughout.

• Benches with handles but without back rests can be found at the Museum's entrance.
• A limited number of portable folding seats are provided in every gallery for visitors who find standing difficult.
• Chairs with arms can be found in the window areas of some galleries, providing a quiet and restful space for visitors.

If you cannot find a seat while visiting please ask a member of staff who will be happy to assist.

Large print booklets

Large print booklets for our "Treasures trail" are available to borrow on request from gallery hosts on these floors.

• Floor 2 - Large print "Treasures trail" booklet that covers floors 2 and 3
• Floor 4 - Large print "Treasures trail" booklet that covers

Tactile experience

Currently, we do not offer handling sessions for regular visitors, but there are often opportunities for handling objects and asking questions after live shows in the galleries. Sometimes, the handling of objects is the focus of our gallery talks. 

Object handling sessions are available for school groups to book.

Assistive technology

All films in the galleries are presented with:

• Closed Captions
• a progress bar with timer
• controls to restart the presentation
• a single ear-phone

Hearing loops are provided in the following areas of the museum:

• Reception desk
• Café ordering point and till
• Shop tills
• Crossbow Range booking desk
• Escape Room booking desk

Staff awareness training

We want to remove as many barriers as possible for our visitors, and we know that staff training is vital in ensuring all visitors have a safe and enjoyable experience.

All of our Museum Assistants have been trained by Guide Dogs UK on how to guide visually impaired visitors around the Museum, and how to support visually impaired visitors better. They have also completed Dementia Friend training and Trans Awareness training. 

We have delivered in-house training around neurodiversity, highlighting better ways of supporting neurodiverse visitors in the museum.

A number of our Museum Assistants have also completed BSL training and are now training colleagues across the organisation.

If you require any additional information please contact us:

email: enquiries@armouries.org.uk

telephone: 0113 220 1916

So that everyone can make the most of their visit, we encourage carers to carry out a pre-site visit, where appropriate. Staff on site can answer your questions and direct you to areas of interest, including local facilities.