Nottingham Industrial Museum supports Kids in Museums
Nottingham Industrial Museum is a proud supporter of the Kids in Museums Manifesto. The Kids in Museums project is dedicated to making museums accessible to all children and families, particularly those who haven’t visited before.
We already actively welcome families, teenagers and children but to make us more accessible to those with limited incomes we’ve abolished our entry charge for children under 16, offer concession rates for Grandparents and Max Card discounts for carers.
Our site is 99% wheelchair and pushchair friendly, with only the top observation decks of the beam engine out of range up steep metal steps – our volunteers are always on hand to give assistance up and down steps or to unlock doors to allow you to move about freely.
We have step-up stools so that toddlers can see our miniature railway whizz round and although the exhibits have to be fenced off for safety, little ones can easily see through them. There are also seats and benches dotted around the museum for you to just sit, ponder and relax.
To further engage with children and young people, we take local school groups round on guided tours, run STEM demonstrations, give out activity trails, and have tables where children can sit and enter monthly colouring competitions or turn their designs into badges.
We are also trying to find ways to make more of our exhibits and displays interactive and we’re working on an exciting project to allow you to use your electronic device to learn more about what we have in our galleries.
In the main Wollaton Hall courtyard we have ‘Changing Places’ accessible toilets and the two courtyard cafes sell yummy food for all ages.
Over the coming months we are looking to develop new areas including an Education and Activity Room to make our museum even more accessible to all. We hope to have a dress up area and an ‘Engine Creation Station’, but like all things these need time and money to come to fruition.
To find out more about the Kids in Museum’s Manifesto please visit their website – http://kidsinmuseums.org.uk/
