Accessibility guide

Use this guide to learn about the museum before your visit, or download a copy.

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At a glance

Level Access

  • The main entrance has level access with a ramp. The ramp is permanent.
  • There is level access from the main entrance to:
    • Special Exhibition gallery
    • Help desks
    • First floor toilet
    • Harborough Museum shop
    • Museum galleries, and Market Harborough Library
    • Adam and Eve Street

 Hearing

  • The fire alarm has flashing lights.
  • Audio from videos is played through headphones

 Visual

  • Some parts of the venue have low lighting.
  • We have information in large print.

 General

  • There is at least 1 public toilet for disabled visitors.
  • Some staff have disability awareness training.

Getting here

Our address

Harborough Museum, The Symington Building
Adam and Eve Street
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 7LT

 Travel by public transport

  • You can get to Harborough Museum by bus and train.
  • The nearest bus stop is The Square, which is a short walk from the museum. The bus stop is 0.1 miles / 0.2 km from Harborough Museum.
  • The nearest train station is Market Harborough. The train station is 0.5 miles / 0.8 km from Harborough Museum.

 Travel by taxi

  • You can get a taxi with Kwik Cabs by calling 01858 468 777. The taxi company has a wheelchair accessible vehicle.
  • You can get a taxi with Murphy’s Taxis Ltd by calling 01858 410 210 .

 Parking

  • We have a car park. There are accessible parking spaces. The parking is less than 50 metres from the main entrance. Parking is not free.
  • There is a drop-off point at the main entrance. The drop-off point has a dropped kerb.
  • From the car park to the entrance, there is level access. The path is sloped.
  • The route is 1200mm wide, or more.
  • There are disabled parking spaces by the front of The Symington Building on Adam and Eve Street and in the Fox Yard car park, to the rear of the building. Fox Yard car park provides easy access to the main entrance through an archway by Gallones ice cream parlour.
Symington Building Front Of Symington Building

The front of The Symington Building

 

 

 

 

Arrival

 Path to main entrance

  • From the street to the main entrance, there is level access.
  • There is a permanent ramp.
  • The path is 1200mm wide, or more.

 Main entrance

  • The main entrance has level access.
  • There is a permanent ramp.
  • The door is 1250mm wide.
  • The main door is side hung and automatic.
  • The main door is sliding and automatic.

Two sets of sliding doors in a large red-brick building, with decorated canopies sheltering the entrance

A photo of the automatic doors at the main entrance, viewed from the street.

A gradually-inclined ramp on a public footpath leading to the entrance of a large, red-brick building with tall white-framed windows.

A photo of the ramp leading towards the main entrance, viewed from the street.

 

Getting around inside

Visual Impairment – General Information

  • Some parts of the venue have low lighting.

 Lift

  • We have 2 lifts.
  • You can get a lift to all floors.

Main lift

  • The lift door is 900mm wide.
  • The lift is 1320mm wide. The lift is 1400mm deep.
  • The lift says the floor number at each floor.
  • The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.
  • The lift shows the floor number, at each floor.

Silver doors of a lift are surrounded by a light blue wall, with doors in the background.

The door of the main lift, this is located on the ground floor and is for users accessing other areas of the building.

Silver lift doors surrounded by lime green walls, next to a stairwell

This is the door to the main lift on the first floor, located next to the toilets.

A grey door frame leading to a landing, with a card spinner on one side, and fire extinguishers on the other side.

The entrance to the museum, looking out towards the public toilets

 

Platform lift

  • The lift is a platform lift.
  • The lift door is 900mm wide.
  • The lift is 1000mm wide. The lift is 1350mm deep.
  • The lift buttons have raised numbers or letters.
  • This lift is at the main entrance and is only available for use by people with disabilities.

A beige door with a handle leading into a lift, with warning stickers on the front

The door of the platform lift on the ground floor, accessible via the main entrance.

A beige door with a glass front leading to a lift, next to a wooden staircase

The platform lift on the first floor, next to the main entrance stairs.

Main Entrance Lobby

This is the main entrance, showing the stairs up to the library and help desks, it also shows the lift access on the right.

 

Ticket/ information desk

Help desks

  • From the main entrance to the desk, there is level access. There is a lift.
  • From the lift to the ticket desk, the route is 1500mm mm wide, or more.
  • The door is 900mm wide, or more.
  • The desk has a low section.
A woman stands behind a wooden desk, with a similar desk nearby and the entrance to a museum in the background.

This is a photo of the two help desks for the museum and library on the first floor, located just outside of the platform lift.

 

Special Exhibition gallery

  • From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1800mm wide, or more. Some display information is low, for wheelchair users. There are seats.
  • Videos have subtitles.
A large open space with three tall display cases, and banners showing information about historical toys that are on display.

The special exhibition gallery.

 

Public toilets

First floor toilet

  • There is a public toilet for disabled visitors.
  • From the main entrance to the public toilet, there is level access. The route is 950mm wide, or more.
  • The direction of transfer onto the toilet is to the right.
  • There is 1800mm at the side of the toilet. There is 1800mm in front of the toilet. The toilet seat is 470mm high. The toilets have handrails.

An open door leading into a public toilet with grey lino

The entrance to the accessible toilet.

The accessible toilet, sink and grab rails.

The accessible toilet, sink and grab rails.

 

Shop

  • From the main entrance to the shop, there is level access. The route is 1800mm wide, or more. The route through the shop is 800mm wide, or more.
Five bays of lit shelving showing different souvenirs, opposite a desk.

This photo shows the shop next to one of the help desks.

 

Places to eat and drink

Insomnia Cafe – The Symington Building (private cafe run separately)

  • From the main entrance to the dining area, there is level access. The route is 2000mm wide, or more. To get to a table, there are no steps.
  • The route through the dining area is 800mm wide, or more.
  • There is background music.
  • The table and plates have high colour contrast.
  • There are many additional cafes and restaurants in the surrounding area.
A wide entrance to a cafe, with a sign saying 'Insomnia' above it, next to a reception desk and wooden stairs.

The entrance to Insomnia cafe on the ground floor of The Symington Building.

 

Museum galleries, and Market Harborough Library

  • From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. The route is 1340mm wide, or more.
  • The door is 1340mm wide.
  • Market Harborough Library and Harborough Museum are both located on the first floor of The Symington Building, in a shared-use cultural hub.

A wooden structure that looks like an upside-boat with a central pillar, and blue sofas

This photo shows the Story Place, a seated area under a wooden arch filled with children’s books.

Two rows of wooden shelving, containing books.

This photo shows one of the paths in the library with bookshelves either side.

This photo shows the entrance to the Hallaton Treasure gallery, between the two help desks. There is a column in the middle.

This photo shows the entrance to the Hallaton Treasure gallery, between the two help desks. There is a column in the middle.

This photo shows the entrance to the Heritage gallery. There is a pole in the middle of this entrance.

This photo shows the entrance to the Heritage gallery. There is a pole in the middle of this entrance.

Two display cases showing objects in the museum are surrounded by panels with information.

This photo shows some of the displays in the Heritage gallery.

 

Getting around outside

Adam and Eve Street

  • From the main entrance to this area, there is level access. There is a permanent ramp. The route is 1200mm wide, or more. The entrance is 1250mm wide.
  • Adam and Eve Street is the main street from the entrance to The Symington Building, which houses the Harborough Museum. From here you can access nearby parking spaces, shops, restaurants, cafes and public transport.

 

Customer care support

Emergency evacuation procedures

  • We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.
  • The fire alarm has flashing lights.

Customer care

  • Some staff have disability awareness training.
  • We have information in large print.
  • Please ask at the Help Desks for large-print text of interpretation in the museum galleries.

Guide last updated: 10 Jine 2024