Your visit

Welcome to Experience Barnsley. We want all visitors to enjoy their visit, and aim to be an accessible and inclusive museum. As we are always looking to improve our access, we welcome any visitor feedback on this.

Our friendly team will always be on hand to welcome you to our venues and help you with any questions you may have about your visit. In the meantime, have a look at the information below to help you plan your day with us.

Please see our access vision

Find us on Euan's guide

Getting here and parking

There are various options for town centre parking available close to the museum, many of which are free for up to three hours at the weekend. They include The Seam (Lower) car park, Gateway Plaza, Peel Parade, Sackville Street and Market Hill.

There is a bus station (Barnsley Interchange) 0.3 miles from the museum and a bus stop over the road. All buses in Barnsley are wheelchair and pushchair accessible. The route from Barnsley Interchange to the Museum is uphill.

You can find out more about parking in Barnsley here. 

Admission and Opening times

Free admission (Donations welcome)
Opening times - Tuesday to Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday - 10am-3.30pm
Sunday and Monday - Closed

There is public WiFi available in the museum

Training

Our staff have had Access Awareness training, delivered by Accessible UK. Some have had Makaton training.

Food and Drink

There is a cafe in the Town Hall building which Experience Barnsley is in, The Old George.

An independent coffee shop serving breakfast, lunch, brunch and cakes. Speciality teas plus a fine selection of soft drinks.

Open Monday to Friday 9-4 

Contact us

Museum visitor enquiries: 01226 772500

Email: experiencebarnsley@barnsley.gov.uk

We aim to respond to all enquiries within 3 working days.

Awards

Experience Barnsley was shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award 2021

Experience Barnsley is the proud winner of the Kids in Museums Best Accessible Museum Award 2022

The museum was jam-packed with interactive activities which was fantastic. There were activities that involved different motor skills, and had different sensory elements too, which you can do at your own pace. I would highly recommend Experience Barnsley primarily based on how interactive and hands-on the space is.

Visitors who are wheelchair users or whose mobility is limited

  • There is step free access throughout the museum - there are some ramps or slopes
  • Wheelchairs are available to borrow for your visit, please ask at the front desk
  • Lifts are available to floors 1, 2, and 3 of the Town Hall
  • Seating is available throughout the Museum. There is portable seating available to take around with you as well.
  • There is a Changing Places available on the ground floor, and Accessible toilets throughout the building. A radar key is required to access the Changing Places - this can be collected from the main Town Hall reception, at the entrance to the Old George cafe Monday - Friday, and from the gift shop at Experience Barnsley Museum on Saturdays during opening times (10.00 - 3.30). The Town Hall building is closed on Sundays so there is no access to the Changing Places then.
  • There are alternative Changing Places nearby in the Glass Works shopping centre and in Library @ The Lightbox.
  • Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the building.

Visitors who are D/deaf or have hearing loss

Visitors who are blind or partially sighted

  • Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the building

Audio Descriptions

We have audio descriptions of a selection objects from our collections. 

Autistic visitors, visitors with learning disabilities and neurodivergent visitors

  • We have visual stories for each of Barnsley Museums' five sites.
  • We have an access backpack available to borrow for the course of your visit containing ear defenders, fidget toys, torches, coloured filters and magnifying glasses - please ask at the front desk if you wish to borrow this and return it at the end of your visit. There is no charge. We also have sunflower lanyards available to borrow free of charge for the duration of your visit.
  • The museum is free to enter for all and you can leave and come back as many times as you want during the day.
  • Our SENsational sessions run during the school holidays, for children and young people with PMLD, ASD or who are neurodivergent and their families. Please check back for details of the next session.

We are holding relaxed openings at Experience Barnsley and the Cooper Gallery on the following dates in 2024:

  • Saturday 2 November
  • Saturday 14 December

Audio and sounds will be turned down or off to create a quieter experience for visitors who prefer it. We can never guarantee how quiet or busy the Museum might be on these sessions however we will not book in any groups or school visits on these days.

In the rare event of a security case alarm being triggered, an alarm similar to a fire alarm will go off. We will endevour to turn this off as quickly as possible. Ear defenders are available in our sensory backpacks for your visit. The alarm is less audible in the shop, which will provide a quieter environment.

If you are visiting outside of our relaxed openings, our quieter times are usually at the beginning and end of the day. Experience Barnsley has a number of audio interactives which can be activated by button control, or may start playing automatically. During the week, we often have school groups visit us between 9.30 and 14.00, and during the school holidays we may be busy with family activities during the day. 

Experience Barnsley Visual story

(PDF, 1.61 MB)

A visual story of Experience Barnsley Museum

Download file - Experience Barnsley Visual story

Makaton Mondays

We have a series of Makaton videos with information about objects in the Experience Barnsley collection for you to enjoy. These are available on our website or as QR codes around the museum. You can also find out about objects from our other museums!

Downloads and other resources

We have a 360 virtual tour of Experience Barnsley available

We have a 360 virtual tour of Barnsley archives available

Accessible Accommodation

(PDF, 153 KB)

We hope you enjoy your visit with us. If you are looking for accessible accommodation in the area here is some information.

Download file - Accessible Accommodation