Accessibility at Kempton

Everyone is welcome at Kempton Steam Museum. We’re a volunteer-led museum in a historic 1920s building, and we’ve worked hard to make as much of it accessible as possible.

This page tells you what to expect (including the few areas where our heritage building sets limits) so you can plan your visit with confidence.

If you have a question we haven’t answered here, contact us before your visit at museum@kemptonsteam.org and we’ll do everything we can to help.

Getting here

• Free accessible parking bays are located next to the museum entrance
• The route from the accessible parking bays into the museum is entirely step-free via the lift
• Our site road entrance What3Words location is ///pasta.sings.plot
• Please see our Find Us page for more detailed instructions for how to get to the museum

Around the museum

• A lift provides step-free access from the ground floor to the main engine floor, so you can experience the Sir William Prescott engine at full height without using stairs
• The main visitor route around the engine floor is level
• An accessible toilet is available on the ground floor by our car park
• Seating is available around the museum if you need to rest
• There are uneven surfaces and kerbs both in the car park and around the outside of the museum, so please take extra care

Engine tours

Our guided engine tours involve steep, original 1920s staircases and raised walkways, and for safety reasons tour participants must be at least 1.4m tall. We know this means the tours aren’t accessible to everyone but is something we’re unable to change due to the limitation of the historic engine itself.

You don’t need to take a tour to have a great visit though. The full scale of the engine (all 62 feet of it) can be seen from the main engine floor, which is step-free via the lift, and our volunteer guides on the floor are always happy to share the engine’s story.

Sensory-Friendly Sundays

For visitors who would appreciate a quieter, calmer experience, we run dedicated Sensory-Friendly Sundays several times a year, with reduced noise, lower visitor numbers, and a relaxed atmosphere. Please click here for upcoming Sensory-Friendly Sunday dates.

Tickets

For steaming weekends, Sensory-Friendly Sundays and some Special Events, essential companions and carers can visit free of charge – no documentation needed. Either book a Carer ticket when you purchase your ticket online, or let us know on arrival.

Anything we’ve missed?

We’re a friendly, volunteer-led museum and we’d genuinely rather you asked than worried. If there’s anything that would make your visit easier, or anything on this page that’s unclear, please do get in touch:

• Email: museum@kemptonsteam.org
• Phone: 01932 765328

You can also read our Access Policy for more information.