Great museum. Some accessibility issues
5
5
Date of visit: May 2026
I am a disabled person. I have experience of challenges around: accessing toilets and moving around.
I use or have experience of: disabled toilet, toilets, walking aid
Overall Rating
Excellent
I am an ex-copper so the Emergency Services Museum was always going to be on my 'to-do' list when I got to Sheffield. It turned out to be an excellent museum and I spent well over 2 hours in there. The building was built in 1900 so its does have some accessibility issues but it has a lift to all floors. There are Police, Fire, Ambulance and Coastguard exhibitions, both indoors and out. I was there on a Thursday afternoon and it was very quiet (apart from an excitable group of 6 year olds on a school visit). The Police exhibition is housed mainly in the old Victorian cell block and the cell entry doors are quite narrow. I doubt you'd get a wheelchair in there. In the sort-of outdoor but covered section are ambulances and the Blitz exhibition. This is in a cobbled street section (also where the toilets are located). Outdoors are more vehicles, including the lifeboat. In the indoor Fire Station section is the main collection of fire engines. There are three steps here. The indoor floors of the museum are all accessible by lift and all on flat surfaces. I use a rollator but can manage a few steps with sticks. If you are completely non-ambulant there are parts of this museum that you will struggle to access.
Disabled Access In and Around
This is not a completely step free venue. There are a few steps inside and also steps connecting the entrance to other parts of the museum.
Accessible facilities: Lift to some areas
Parking & Transport
I travelled to this place by walk or wheel
I walked there from my city centre hotel which was quite nearby. I don't think there is any dedicated on site parking
Accessible Toilets
Average
The toilet is accessible by ramp bit its in one of the 'outdoor' parts of the museum which is based on a cobbled street section. Toilet itself is okay.
Facilities: Accessible toilet
Staff
Good
Very friendly. Always willing to help out with doors etc. Having said that, there weren't many of them about.
