Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

Benjamin

04 Dec 2025

Beamish, The Living Museum of the North

5

5

Date of visit: November 2025

I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets, hearing, moving around, seeing and understanding.

Overall Rating

Excellent

Beamish Museum is a amazing open air museum and has trams and buses to get you around. They operate a Wheelchair accessible bus every day the museum is open. Dogs are welcome in the open air museum grounds and are only allowed in the following indoor areas, Entrance Building (including Entrance Gift shop), Rowley Station, 1820s Waggonway and Great Shed, 1900s Colliery Yard, including Engine Shed and Lamp Cabin (excluding drift mine), Sun Inn Pub. Dogs are allowed in the Entrance Coffee Shop, Sun Inn Pub, 1950s Bowling Pavilion (grab and go only), Sinkers Bait Carven (grab and go only), Drovers Traven. Dogs are only allowed on the lower deck of transport, no seats, and with the conductor's discretion. Water bowls are prodived, keep dogs on a lead, do not leave them unattended, pick up after your dog. Dog waste bags are available at the Entrance Building if you forgot yours. Only Assistance Dogs are allowed into all indoor areas. Accessible toilets are available in the Entrance Building, Hetton Sliver Band Hall, Tea Rooms, Lamp Cabin, Masonic Hall, the 1820s Waggonway, Pockerley Old Hall, Regional Resources Centre, Tram Shelter, 1940s Farm, Spain Fields Farm, John's Cafe, Welfare Hall, the Fairground. Changing Places Facilities are available in the Welfare Hall. Slings are not provided for Health and Safety reasons, vistors must bring their own which works with the hoist and is their size. Baby change facilities are available in the Entrance Building, Lamp Cabin, Pockerley Old Hall, Tram Shelter, Tea Rooms, the Fairground, John's Cafe, the Welfare Hall.

Disabled Access In and Around

Excellent

There was step free access to buildings here. There is a lift to take you to the Masonic Hall and stairs.

Accessible facilities: Step-free entrance, Step-free access to most areas

Parking & Transport

Excellent

I travelled to this place by bus

Parking was free! There were Blue Badge Spaces close to the entrance building and electric vehicle charging points.

Accessible facilities: Dedicated on-site parking, Electric Vehicle Charging

Accessible Toilets

Excellent

The accessible toilets and the Changing Places Facility were very clean. There was a red emergency pull cord in them. Most of them have a right hand transfer. Some had a left hand transfer. The Changing Places Facility has a transfer space on both sides. The sink can be reached when seated and the tap type was lever. The toilet pan is a raised height one and the toilet seats don't have a lid. The toilets can simply be opened by pulling them. All disabled toilets have outward opening doors except Masonic Hall. The accessible toilets at the Entrance Building are locked by locking handle. The others have a Lever twist lock. The changing places facility has a height movable basin and height movable changing bench, hoist, grab rails, Closomat Wash and Dry Toilet, privacy screen and shower. A RADAR key is required to access the Changing Places Facility. The door in the Changing Places Facility is locked by locking handle.

Facilities: Accessible toilet, Changing Places toilet with shower, Closomat toilet

Staff

Excellent

The staff were great and they have the RADAR key for the Changing Places Facility in the 1950s Welfare Hall, which is where the Changing Places Facility is.