Accessible and On-Line Museums
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State Listings : AR / CA / CO / CT / IL / ME / MA / MN / NY / OH / PA / TX / WI / Washington D.C.
(Official USPS State Abbreviations)
Country Listings / France / United Kingdom
National
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Featuring over 1,700 artworks by more than 625 artists, the Collection Online presents a searchable database of selected artworks from the Guggenheim’s permanent collection of approximately 8,000 artworks. The selection reflects the breadth, diversity, and tenor of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation’s extensive holdings from the late 19th century through the present day. The Collection Online is continually expanded to include a larger representation of the museum’s core holdings as well as recent acquisitions. In addition to highlights from the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York, the Collection Online includes works from the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. Browse by artist, date, medium, movement, and venue, or by several of the major groups of acquisitions that have entered the holdings of the foundation since its inception in 1937.
State Listings
Arkansas
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art is the newly opened museum designed by renowned architect Moshe Safdie in the heart of a beautiful wooded Arkansas Ozark landscape with a natural spring and ponds. The museum boasts 400 works of American Art exhibited in their inaugural show Celebrating the American Spirit, "The works are arranged roughly chronologically�with a focus on thematic groupings and stylistic affinities�to tell the story of America's history as seen by its artists." All interior spaces are wheelchair accessible and ADA compliant. Assisted Listening Devices are available on a first come basis. All ADA recognized mobility devices are permited and ADA recognized service animals are welcome in the museum. The museum has a network of more than three miles of walking and biking trails through the 120-acre grounds, one trail is accessible, Orchard Trail is a wheelchair accessible hard-surface. For more information about the accessibility of the museum, visit their Accessibility page.
California
J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center houses European paintings, drawings, sculpture, illuminated manuscripts, decorative arts, and European and American photographs. When the Getty Villa reopens to the public, it will be the only museum dedicated solely to the exhibition and study of Greek and Roman art. The J. Paul Getty Museum is one of the most accessible museums in the world and has managed to integrate accessible features into all aspects of the space, from a ramp that winds throughout the sculpture gardens to a fully accessible tram. The museum's brochures are available in alternative formats and the museum's myriad accessible features are clearly pointed out on maps. Here are some of the accessibility features:
- Standard wheelchairs and strollers are available at the lower tram station and at the coat check desk in the Museum Entrance Hall.
- Sign-language interpretation can be arranged 10 days in advance by calling the Visitor Services office at (310) 440-7300, or (310) 440-7305 TTY for the deaf or hearing-impaired. Videos are closed-captioned.
- There are accessible parking spaces on the entry level of the parking structure.
- Assistive Listening Devices are available for loan at no cost for all gallery and architectural tours as well as Orientation Theaters. Assistive Listening Devices are also available for all programs in the Harold M. Williams Auditorium and Lecture Halls.
- All payphone banks include an accessible telephone as well as a TTY public telephone.
- All public restrooms include accessible facilities. The family restroom, located in the South Pavilion of the Museum, includes a breast-feeding station and private facilities in which you can assist a companion.
- All lighting in the Photographs, Manuscripts and Drawings galleries are dimmed to protect the art. The Art Information Room often has hands-on displays, which may be of interest to visitors who are visually impaired.
- Harold M. Williams Auditorium has Front and rear row seating is available for visitors using wheelchairs. Visitor Services staff are available to assist you.
San Diego Museum of Man located in the heart of Balboa Park. This anthropological museum is one of the nation's great collections of artifacts, folk art, and archaeological finds. The treasures help to unfold stories of the past of hunters creating the first spears and arrows, potters molding fragile ceramic vessels, weavers patterning vibrantly colored textiles, and artisans blending forms and symbols. The closest accessible parking to the museum is in middle of Balboa Park. Approximate 100 yards to exhibit entrance. For the hearing impaired all material is written and exhibits viewable. Only audio is background music. For the vision impaired visitor there is a lot of reading of background information. For wheelchair accessibility, the museum is a flat level exhibit and all reading material is at wheelchair reading height. The museum is located at 1350 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, California 92101. To contact, call (619)239-2001 or e-mail mail@museumofman.org
Colorado
Denver Art Museum offers a collection of Fine and Decorative European and American Arts, Modern and Contemporary 20th Century Art, Asian Art, Native Arts, and Western American Art. General museum admission is free to Colorado residents every Saturday, thanks to the support of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District. Accessibility is a priority at the Denver Art Museum. The following are accessibility features for this museum:
- Handicapped accessible parking is located on 14th Avenue Parkway and 13th Avenue, as well as the garage.
- The museum is accessible to wheelchairs. Wheelchairs, including an electric wheelchair, are available for use in the museum at no cost to patrons. Please inquire at the Information Desk on the first floor.
- A family restroom on the first floor is supplied with a baby-changing table, changing bench, and armchairs. It is large, private, and fully accessible.
- Adaptive and interpretive services are available with one week's notice. Please call 720-865-5170, TDD/TTY 720-865-5003, or email: web-mail@denverartmuseum.org
Connecticut
New Britain Museum of American Art features a large collection of American works of fine art and has a number of changing exhibits and programs throughout the year. The museum is fully accessible. A grant from the Lions Club has allowed the museum to install a "Sight Impaired Tour" specifically designed for those with visual impairments. An audio guide and aids are available to view a select group of paintings and sculpture. Visitors should call a few days ahead if interested in tours. Closed Mondays and on major holidays. The museum is located at 56 Lexington Street, New Britain, Connecticut. To contact, phone: 860-229-0257.Wadsworth Atheneum Connecticut's premier art museum, is America's oldest public art museum and among the dozen or so top art museums in the country. It's extensive holdings and galleries of painting, sculpture, furniture, textiles, firearms, and much more span 5,000 years of art, with special collections of American and regional holdings. Closed on Mondays and major holidays the museum has free admission on Thursday all day and Saturday until noon. Additional charges may apply for special exhibits and programs. This museum is fully wheelchair accessible. Listening devices are available for the hearing impaired. The museum is located at 600 Main Street, Hartford, Connecticut. To contact, phone: (860)278-2670.
William Benton Museum of Art, state art museum of Connecticut, features a small collection of European and American painting, prints, sculpture, and drawings from the sixteenth century to the present. Closed on major holidays and during some college recesses, the admission is free. The museum is wheelchair accessible. Call ahead for the best directions on where to park. The museum is located at 245 Glenbrook Road, University of Connecticut. To contact, phone: (860)486-4520.
Yale Center for British Art is one of the largest collections of British art in the United States. This museum includes examples of British painting, sculpture, prints, drawings, and rare books from Elizabethan times to the present. Closed on Mondays and major holidays, the admission is free. This museum is wheelchair accessible. The museum is located at 1080 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut. To contact, call (203)432-2800.
Yale University Art Gallery is one of the nation's oldest college art museums. The gallery's collections include art and sculpture ranging from the ancient Near East and Greek and Roman times to modern art. This is a small but excellent collection of paintings by Old Masters, oriental art, prints and drawing. Closed on Mondays and major holidays. Admission is free but a donation is suggested. The museum is located at 1111 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut. To contact, call (203)432-0600.
Illinois
Art Institute of Chicago offers fine and decorative arts from all over the world, from the ancient to modern and contemporary. The collection also includes architecture, photography, prints and drawings and textiles. Tuesdays are free to all thanks to the generous support of Ford Motor Company. On other days, admission is suggested, visitors pay what they wish but must pay something. The Art Institute of Chicago welcomes all visitors and affirms its commitment to making its programs and services accessible to everyone. The museum has a range of resources and programs designed specifically for adults and children with disabilities.
- Signed interpretation for individuals with hearing impairments is offered bimonthly for public lectures. There are no signed interpretations in March or April.
- People with visual impairments may arrange for free guided tours of the museum by calling the Department of Museum Education from 9:00 to 5:00 weekdays at (312) 443-3680. The museum has a corps of volunteer escorts for visitors who are blind or visually impaired. Please arrange for a tour a month in advance. is an exhibition of six portrait busts from the permanent collection that can be explored by sight and by touch. The exhibition is below the grand staircase. Labels are available in print and Braille. The bronze and marble sculptures on display reflect cultures from around the world and provide an enriching experience for all audiences. Audio tours are FREE to visually impaired visitors, and an enlarged-type transcript of the tour is available.
- Accessibility by wheelchair is available at Michigan Avenue and Columbus Drive.
Maine
Hudson Museum maintains a collection of over 8,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects including a world class assemblage of 2,828 Precolumbian ceramics, lithics and gold work dating from 2000 BC to the time of the Spanish Conquest. This collection is complemented by contemporary ethnographic objects from Mexico, Guatemala and Panama. Programs offered teach students about the diversity of human cultures with a focus on Native American and other traditional cultures. Students are engaged in the active exploration of these cultures through interactive school tours and special programs. For accommodations for persons with disabilities, please call: (207)581-1904. The Hudson Museum is closed Sundays, Mondays & holidays. General admission to the museum is free. The museum is located in the 5746 Maine Center for the Arts at the University of Maine, Orono, Maine, 04469-5746. To contact, call: (207)581-1901 or Fax: (207)581-1950, or Email hudsonmuseum@umit.maine.eduPortland Museum of Art has an extensive collection of fine and decorative arts that dates from the 18th century to the present. Works by Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, Rockwell Kent, Marsden Hartley, and Andrew Wyeth showcase the unique artistic heritage of Maine. Free admission is available Friday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Free Friday Evenings are made possible through the generous support of Cole Haan. Access to the Museum is barrier-free. If you would like to reserve a wheelchair, please call in advance of your visit. For more information contact the museum at Seven Congress Square, Portland, Maine 04101, Phone: (207) 775-6148, Fax: (207) 773-7324, or Email pma@maine.rr.com.
Massachusetts
Harvard University Art Museums is comprised of three museums; Busch-Reisinger Museum, Fogg Art Museum, and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum, all located on the Harvard University campus in Cambridge, MA, 02138 at the intersection of 32 Quincy Street and Broadway, adjacent to Harvard Yard. The Harvard University Art Museums is one of the leading arts institutions in the United States and the world. It is distinguished by the range and depth of its collections and its groundbreaking exhibitions and original research. For more than a century it has been the nation�s premier training ground for museum professionals and scholars, and it is renowned for its seminal and ongoing role in the development of the discipline of art history in this country. The Fogg also houses the Straus Center for Conservation, a leader in the research and development of scientific and technology-based analysis of art. The 150,000 objects in the Art Museums� collections range in date from ancient times to the present, and come from Europe, North America, North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. The Art Museums are closed holidays. The museums will be free of charge on Wednesdays. This free day will be in addition to the current free hours on Saturday mornings from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The Harvard University Art Museums' facilities are wheelchair accessible. For general information, please call (617) 495-9400.Museum of Fine Arts Boston provides a "collection of 350,000 objects encompassing some of the most rare and important artistic treasures in the world. The collection includes American art, European art, ancient art, Asian, African and Oceanic art, contemporary art, prints, drawings, photographs, musical instruments, textile and fashion arts. For a selection of highlights of the MFA's collection check out the on-line database of their collection. The museum is open 7 days a week, closed major holidays. Entrance to the museum is free Wednesday evenings. For access information on services, amenities and programs visit their website Accessibility Information page. The museum is located at Avenue of the Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115-5523. To contact the museum, call (617) 267-9300.
Museum of Science, Boston "mission is to stimulate interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and for society. The Museum has remained on the cutting edge of science education by developing innovative and interactive exhibits and programs that both entertain and educate. Two of the museum's more recent additions, the Hall Wing housing the Roger L. Nichols Gallery for temporary exhibits, and the Mugar Omni Theater, exemplify the Museum of Science's commitment to making science fun and accessible to all. The Mugar Omni Theater, opened in 1987, utilizes state-of-the-art film technology to project larger-than-life images onto a five-story high, domed screen, creating a "you are there" experience for viewers. " The museum is open daily except major holidays. The museum is located at Science Park, Boston, MA 02114. For accessibility information visit the access page on their website, call (617) 723-2500 or email information@mos.org.
Salem Maritime National Historic Site offers a fully accessible tall ship. If you are in Salem, be sure to visit this historic replica tall ship. Friendship of Salem is fully accessible through a ramped gangway and a wheelchair lift from the main deck to the lower deck. The tall ship is one of many exhibits at this national historic site and is a replica of Salem East Indiaman Friendship launched in 1797. Friendship is open to the public from 9 to 5 in July and August; the rest of the year she is available by tour only. It's always a good idea to call the Orientation Center at Salem Maritime, 978-740-1660, to confirm the tour schedule.
Friendship is a fully operational sailing vessel. At this time, however, only NPS staff and her volunteer crew can sail her because of U.S. Coast Guard regulations.
Minnesota
Minneapolis Institute of Arts, The museum is closed Mondays and major holidays. The Institute is barrier free and wheelchair accessible. Wheelchairs are available. Tours are available for individuals or groups with special needs. Call the Tour Scheduling Office at (612) 870-3140 or TTD (612) 870-3132. The museum is located at 2400 Third Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55404. For information about events at the Institute call: (612) 870-3131, TDD (612) 870-3132 or (888) MIA-ARTS (642-2787) (throughout the United States). For 24-hour museum information, call (612) 870-3200.
New York
Brooklyn Museum of Art is the second largest art museum in New York City and one of the largest in the United States. One of the premier art institutions in the world, its permanent collection includes more than one and a half million objects, from ancient Egyptian masterpieces to contemporary art, and represents almost every culture. Brooklyn Museum of Art is located at 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, New York 11238-6052. To contact, telephone: (718) 638-5000 or TTY (718) 399-8440. For general comments, or to contact us regarding an exhibition, please send an email to information@brooklynmuseum.orgMetropolitan Museum of Art's collection now contains more than two million works of art from all across the globe, ancient through modern times. About 6,500 objects�fifty highlights from each of the Museum's curatorial departments as well as the entire Department of European Paintings and the Department of American Paintings and Sculpture�can be searched by artist, period, style, or keyword on the website. You may also explore other works from the Met's collection by taking several virtual tours. To visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in person, this museum offers a variety of access services and programs to their patrons with disabilities. Wheelchairs are available at coat-check areas. Infrared sound enhancement systems are available for auditoriums and there are assistive listening systems at Information Desks. Additionally, all of the Museum's programs are open to adults and children with disabilities and some may be adapted to suit individual needs. The museum is located at 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street New York, New York 10028-0198. For more information, visit the website or call (212)535-7710, TTY: 212-570-3828 or 212-650-2551.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum "is a museum in multiple locations with access to shared collections, common constituencies, and joint programming. Nevertheless, it is the permanent collection that constitutes the very core of the institution, no matter how far-reaching its activities may be. The story of the Guggenheim Museum is essentially the story of six very different private collections including�non-objective painting Surrealist and abstract painting and sculpture; Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern masterpieces; German Expressionism; paintings and sculptures of the historic avant-garde; and European and American Minimalist, and Post-Minimalist, Environmental, and Conceptual art�that have been augmented through the years by the museum's directors and curators to form one richly layered collection dating from the late 19th-century to the present. Unlike most institutions dedicated to the visual arts, the Guggenheim does not divide itself into departments devoted to specific mediums or eras. Rather, the collection is conceived as an integrated whole that may be continuously enhanced in response to emerging talent as well as a mandate to fill in critical historical gaps."
On Friday evenings from 6-8 PM the museum has a suggested admissions policy. During this time visitors may pay what they wish. Accessibility features include the following:
- The museum is wheelchair accessible with the exception of one small gallery. It is possible to partially view installations in this gallery from the rotunda ramp. Wheelchairs are available free of charge. Please ask a security guard for assistance. Manual wheelchair users may need a companion's assistance; companions are admitted free of charge. We regret that wheelchairs may not be reserved in advance. The Museum Cafe may be reached via an outdoor ramp or indoor chair lift. Please ask a security guard for assistance with the lift.
- Audio Tour Transcripts of the audio tours are available. Request one at the Admissions Desk.
- Assistive listening devices are available for most theater programs and may be requested from an usher.
- For Vision Impaired Visitors who require assistance in reading wall text and/or object labels may bring a companion at no extra charge. For more information on access check out this page on the Guggenheim site: Visitors with Disabilities
The museum is located at 1071 5th Avenue (at 89th Street, New York. For General Information, call (212) 423-3500, Visitor Services (212) 423-3618, or email visitorinfo@guggenheim.org.
Ohio
Cincinnati Art Museum is one of the country's oldest visual arts institutions. In addition to the art of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome, there are extensive galleries of Near and Far Eastern art, Native American and African art. The painting collection includes works by European old masters as well as 20th-century works and an American with major artists from the 1970s and 1980s. Free general admission is made possible by a gift from the Lois and Richard Rosenthal Foundation. The museum is located at 953 Eden Park Drive, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. For more information, call (513) 639-2984. The museum is fully accessible and has information on handicap parking, access ramps, wheelchairs, restrooms, touch tours and large print publications. For more information e-mail Amy Burke, Assistant Director of Visitor Services at visitorservices@cincyart.org. A virtual look at the collection is also available at this website.
Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the world's great art museums. The collection of more than 40,000 works of art ranges more than 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to the present, and includes masterpieces from Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. The museum was founded by a group of civic-minded philanthropists "for the benefit of all the people forever," and opened to the public on June 6, 1916. True to the spirit of the founders, general admission to the permanent collection is always free. Several major exhibitions are presented each year, some with small admission fees. The Cleveland Museum of Art embraces its leadership role in collecting, scholarship, education and community service. The museum is closed Mondays and is located at 11150 East Boulevard, Cleveland, Ohio 44106. To contact the museum, call (216)421-7350. For more information click on Accessibility Information.
Pennsylvania
African American Museum allows the visitor to explore the African-American experience through exhibits, performances and educational programs. The museum is handicap accessible and is located at Seventh & Arch Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 574-0380.
Battleship New Jersey allows the visitor to take a docent-assisted tour of our nation's most decorated battleship with 16-inch guns, officers' and the crew's sleeping and eating quarters, Tomahawk missile launch pads and much more. The battleship is handicap accessible and is located on the Camden Waterfront, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (856) 966-1652.
Gardens at Morris Arboretum is a 92-acre garden with a spectacular collection of trees from around the world. Open daily, the garden features a formal rose garden, a swan pond, and a unique glasshouse fernery. The Morris Arboretum is handicap accessible and located at 100 Northwestern Avenue, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 247-5777.
Independence Seaport Museum is the region's maritime heritage with interactive exhibits, ship models, artifacts and art. Explore the museum, climb aboard Admiral Dewey's 1892 Cruiser OLYMPIA, tour the WWII Submarine BECUNA, and visit the nautical gift shop. The museum is handicap accessible and is located at Penn's Landing at 211 South Columbus Boulevard at Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 925-5439.
Institute of Contemporary Art of Pennsylvania was founded in 1963 and is a leader in the presentation of contemporary art. Through exhibitions, commissions, educational programs, and publications, ICA invites the public to share in the experience, interpretation and understanding of the work of established and emerging artists. This museum is handicap accessible and is located at 118 South 36th Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 898-7108.
Mercer Museum is a towering castle-like museum that displays furnishings, folk art and implements of Early America. The Mercer Museum is handicap accessible and located at Pine and Ashland Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call(215) 345-0210.
National Archives Regional Branch will allow you to trace your family history using federal census records for the entire country and more. Several workshops are offered quarterly. FREE changing historical exhibits are available on the Mid Atlantic and the national experience. The National Archives is handicap accessible and free of charge. The entrance is located on Chestnut Street between 9th and 10th Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 597-3000.
National Museum of American Jewish History presents programs and experiences that preserve, explore and celebrate the history of Jews in America. The museum admission is free of charge. The museum is located at 55 North 5th Street, Independence Mall East, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 923-3811.
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is America's first art museum and school and offers American artists from the 18th century to the present. This museum is handicap accessible and located at Broad and Cherry Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 972-7600.
Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of the largest art museums in the United States and showcases more than 2,000 years of masterpieces of painting, sculpture, works on paper, decorative arts and architectural settings from Europe, Asia and the Americas. The museum is located at 26th and Ben Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 763-8100.
Please Touch Museum is designed for people seven and under. One can experience nine, interactive exhibits, theater performances and gallery activities for the perfect "first museum" experience. This museum is handicap accessible and will give museum designers some accessibility and please touch ideas. The museum is located at 210 North 21st Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 963-0667.
University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology offers objects from Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Greek World, the Bible Lands, Mesoamerica, Asia, Polynesia, Africa and the Americas. The museum is handicap accessible and located at 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more information, call (215) 898-4000.
Texas
Dallas Museum of Art hosts a collection from around the world, ancient to modern including American, Contemporary Arts and Design and Decorative Arts. The museum admission is free the first Tuesday of each month, and Thursday evenings. Special exhibitions, unless otherwise stated, are included in the admission price. Discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. The museum is located at 1717 N. Harwood, Dallas, TX 75201. For more information call: (214) 922-1385, Fax: (214) 954-0174 or e-mail: Jenny Marvel, Teaching Resources JMarvel@DallasMuseumofArt.org.
Wisconsin
Milwaukee Art Museum offers 20,000 works of art from Old Masters and 19 and 20th century art, American decorative arts, German Expressionism, folk and Haitian art, and American Art after 1960. The main entrance features a 90 foot high glass-walled reception hall enclosed by the Burke Brise Soleil ("wings"), a sunscreen that can be raised or lowered creating a unique moving sculpture. The Santiago Calatrava-designed Quadracci Pavilion is an awe-inspiring work of art in itself. The museum provides many services to their patrons with disabilities, including accessible exhibition galleries, museum store, lakefront restaurant, underground parking garage and restrooms. There are elevators to every part of the building and the adjacent Milwaukee War Memorial. A limited number of complimentary wheelchairs are available. Residents of Milwaukee County receive free General Admission to the Museum all day, every Wednesday. Each individual is required to have a valid ID demonstrating residency. This offer is not valid with any other discounts or special events and is not valid for groups or group tours. For more information, visit their website or call (414) 224-3220.Milwaukee Public Museum hosts "150,000 square feet of exhibit space to visit Africa, Asia, Europe, the Arctic, South and Middle America, the Pacific Island and a Costa Rican rainforest. Take a stroll down the turn-of-the-century Streets of Old Milwaukee or to ancient Mediterranean civilizations. Take a giant leap back more than 65 million years to The Third Planet and see the world's largest-known dinosaur skull and a life-sized replica of Tyrannosaurus rex. Visit the Puelicher Butterfly Wing, where you can stroll amid free-flying butterflies from around the world." Admission is always FREE on Mondays for Milwaukee County Residents with ID. Additional charge for the Humphrey IMAX Dome Theater. Reduced fees are available for groups with advance registration. Stroller and wheelchair rental are available at the Museum. All exhibits and facilities are wheelchair accessible. If you have special needs, please call (414) 278-2728 or TTY-TDD (414) 278-2709. Milwaukee Public Museum is located on Wells St. between James Lovell Street (formerly 7th Street) and 9th Street in the heart of downtown. Mailing address is 800 West Wells Street, Milwaukee, WI 53233.
Washington D.C.
National Gallery of Art houses one of the finest collections in the world illustrating major achievements in painting, sculpture, and graphic arts from the Middle Ages to the present. The following are just a few of the many accessibility features of the National Gallery:- Entrances are available with ramps to accommodate visitors in wheelchairs and with strollers. Visitors with vehicles displaying the international symbol of accessibility may park several available locations. If you are disabled and are unable to find a parking space, please see the security officer stationed outside the East Building.
- Wheelchairs and strollers are available on a first-come, first-served basis at all entrances. The exhibition spaces and public facilities are accessible by elevator. Elevator use by visitors with disabilities may require assistance.
- The Gallery's free Brief Guide and Plan, which lists all accommodations, including accessible restrooms, can be obtained at any Art Information Desk in the West or East Buildings. Floor plans of the West and East Buildings showing these accommodations can be viewed online.
- The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, located between 7th and 9th Streets, NW, on the Mall, is wheelchair-accessible. Accessible restrooms are available at the Pavilion Cafe.
- Sign-language interpreters for the hearing-impaired and guides for visitors who are blind or visually impaired may be made available on request for tours of the permanent collection as well as for special exhibitions. Please call (202) 842-6247 or the Gallery's Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (202) 842-6176 three weeks in advance for an appointment.
- Printed scripts of all recorded tours are available for visitors who are hearing-impaired and free large-print brochures for visually-impaired visitors are available at the entrances to some of the special exhibitions.
- Large headphones, which deliver full-frequency, amplified digital audio sound in a lightweight design, are available at the recorded-tour desk; they are offered for special exhibitions that have an Acoustiguide tour and for the Director's tour.
- Both East Building Auditoriums are equipped with special auditory systems. The Lecture Hall in the West Building is similarly equipped with a special auditory system. Receivers and neck loops necessary to access these systems can be borrowed from the Art Information Desks.
- Films shown in conjunction with special exhibitions are closed captioned. A closed caption button is located at the entrance to every film viewing space within special exhibitions.
- Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) for use by visitors is located at the public telephone adjacent to the stamp machine near the Concourse Level Sales Shop in the Connecting Link between the East and West Buildings. This TDD is situated to accommodate wheelchair users.
- A braille ATM is available near the Concourse Level Sales Shop in the Connecting Link.
Smithsonian Institution, the world's largest museum complex, encompasses 16 museums and the National Zoo and offers a comprehensive Accessibility Program to their visitors with disabilities. Docents are trained in planning and giving tours for children and adults with disabilities, whether it be a sighted guide tour, a tactile (touch) tour or one requiring an interpreter. Accessible services include sign language, oral and cued speech interpreters, realtime captioning and audio description for film presentations, assistive listening systems, alternative format (i.e. Braille and large print) maps and informational pamphlets, wheelchair "rental", and accessible companion-care restrooms. For more information, visit their Accessibility Program Website or call (202) 786-2942.
Country Listings
France
Louvre Museum divided into 7 departments, the Louvre collections incorporate works dating from the birth of the great antique civilizations right up to the first half of the XIXth century. The Louvre is one of the oldest museums in Europe. After the renovation it is now quite fully accessible by lifts; all the main masterpieces are in accessible galleries. The main entrance is through the Pyramid and there is a special lift to provide barrier free access to people using a wheelchair. The museum has fully accessible toilettes and an accessible coffee shop. The museum's address is 34-36 quai du Louvre, 75001. To contact, phone +33-01-40205151 or 01-40205050 or e-mail info@louvre.frMusee d'Orsay is a French national museum which opened to the public in December 1986 and shows the artistic creation of the western world from 1848 to 1914. The following are some of the accessibility features:
- Wheelchairs and push-chairs can be borrowed from the individuals' cloakroom (passport or driving license requested as a guarantee of return).
- Suggested itineraries are available at the visitor services desk. Guided tours are available for up to 8 people in wheelchairs.
- Sign-language tours are available on demand for school and adult groups or on fixed dates for individual adult visitors.
- The themes of guided tours can be adapted to different types of mental handicaps.
United Kingdom
Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology is a museum of the University of Oxford. Founded in 1683, it is one of the oldest public museums in the world. There is a ramp to the front entrance and all the museum is accessible one small area. The Shop, Cafe and Disabled Watercloset or toilet are all accessible. The museum is free of charge. Check out this link for Accessibility Information for the Ashmolean Museum. Visit the museum at Beaumont Street, OXFORD, OX1 2PH, UK. To contact, phone: Oxford (01865) 278000 Fax: Oxford (01865) 278018 or e-mail: publications@ashmus.ox.ac.uk
Bate Collection of Historical Instruments is comprised of historical woodwind, brass percussion instruments, as well as historical keyboard instruments and bows. The museum is located in the Faculty of Music, next to Christ Church College, St Aldate's, Oxford, OX1 1DB. There is a ramp to the front entrance and most of the museum is wheelchair accessible. To contact, Tel: +44 (0) 18 6527 6139, Fax: +44 (0) 18 6527 6128.
Colchester Museums is committed to providing access to its museums, collections, and services to as wide an audience as possible. The Colchester Museums Service has a Disability Access Policy which makes sure that attention is paid to both physical and intellectual access for disabled people. This policy was conceived by an advisory group. See the link above for information on access to the Colchester Museums. The following museums are included in the Colchester Museums.
- Colchester Castle Museum has won awards for improvements made in regard to physical access. This history museum takes you through 2000 years of some of the most important events in British history featuring many hands-on displays to help explain the towns-people's experience of Colchester's varying fortunes.
- Hollytrees Museum underwent a major re-development supported by the Heritage lottery funding. This important project has made (for the first time) Hollytrees accessible to the majority of people who use wheelchairs. Hollytrees Museum takes you through history with childhood fun and hands on displays makes this museum ideal for families.
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Natural History Museum galleries are on one level throughout. These galleries are also hands-on and give one a taste of the local environment.
- Tymperleys Clock Museum is on the ground floor. Access is available to people who use wheelchairs through a ramp from a side entrance. This fifteenth century timber framed house, once the home to William Gilberd, scientist and physician to Elizabeth I, is now home to Colchester's fine collection of clocks and watches.
Museum of Modern Art Oxford presents quality exhibitions of twentieth century painting, photography, film, sculpture, and architecture from different points on the globe. The building consists of galleries, a cafe, and a bookshop. Closed Mondays. The museum is located at 30 Pembroke St, Oxford OX1 1BP. To contact, Tel: +44 (0) 18 6572 2733, Fax: +44 (0) 18 6572 2573. This museum is fully accessible with a lift and disabled watercloset.
National Gallery of the United Kingdom has an accessible entrance on Orange Street. Inside all galleries are accessible, some of them by lift. The cafe and toilets are also accessible. The museum is located at Trafalgar Square, WC2. To contact,
phone: +44-0171-7472885.
Check out the
Zoomable Pictures
an exciting new way to explore the National Gallery's world class painting collection online.
With the introduction of high definition zoomable scans created using scanning technology developed in the National Gallery's Scientific and Photographic departments, visitors to the website are now able to view the world's greatest masterpieces. Using a 'picture navigator' visitors to the website are now able to scroll around these magnified images at their leisure, and zoom in to discover exciting and often surprising details not evident in the smaller images. Over time this special feature will be made available on every painting in the permanent collection for which it would prove beneficial. To deter copyright infringement, all the zoomable images carry a discreet logo embedded within the image. The Gallery hopes the zoom facility will prove to be an invaluable asset to those wishing to explore its paintings in greater detail online than ever before.
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