We welcome you to come and explore the museum at our relaxed morning. This special event is for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and or Neurodivergence and their families.
This is a self-guided session but there will be sensory activities, symbol trails and fidget toys you can borrow if you like and our friendly staff will be available to help.
This is the first time we have offered a relaxed opening and we'd love your feedback on the day as we plan to have more accessible activities.
What to expect
- Fewer visitors than usual (maximum 25, instead of 80), so the Museum will be quieter than usual, with minimal queuing outside
- Lighting will be adjusted for a calm experience
- Noise will be adjusted where possible, with hand driers in the toilets switched off and hand towels available instead
- A selection of tactile materials related to the Museum will be available to touch
- A chill out space will be available – just ask one of our friendly staff
- The Visual story and a SEND family trail can be downloaded in advance from below, and printed versions will be available to guests on the day
Visiting & access information
We are in a Grade I listed, 19th-century building, so access to the Museum isn't always straightforward. When planning your visit, it might be useful to know the following:
- Please get in touch before your visit and we’ll do everything we can to make sure you have a positive experience. Rhiannon, our Public Programmes & Young People Manager, will be in touch with everyone who books in advance of the session to learn about their access needs
- Due to the historic nature of the space, we are only able to accommodate one wheelchair user per Relaxed Opening slot
- Everything in the Museum is on open display, and we ask visitors not to touch anything
- There is historic furniture throughout the Museum – please don’t sit on the chairs. Please ask our friendly staff if you need to sit down
- The Museum has some uneven flooring, with grilles in some places, through which you can see the floor below
- The walls are covered with objects, some of which are extremely fragile
- Some areas are dark and narrow
- Please note that the Museum will open to the public at 10am, when we will remove the sensory baskets. Please feel free to continue your visit, being aware that the Museum can get very busy and some spaces can feel a bit cramped
- Tickets are free, with limited spaces available, and pre-booking is required. We are very sorry we will not be able to welcome anyone who has not pre-booked a ticket
For more information on accessibility, please visit our dedicated access page: https://www.soane.org/visit/accessibility
As there are a limited number of spaces available for this event, please email Rhiannon Litterick (rlitterick@soane.org.uk) to register your interest or join our waitlist for tickets. You will receive an email from Rhiannon with further information.