Accessible guide to Yorkshire and the Humber

Calling all Potterheads! Test your film knowledge on this trivia-filled tour of York’s most magical spots. All parts of the tour are wheelchair accessible and service animals are welcome. 

Go behind the scenes of one of Britain’s longest-running TV dramas on the Emmerdale Village Tour. See The Woolpack pub, Café Mainstreet, David’s Shop and other iconic external sets from the show. Wheelchair users are advised to use sturdy, thick-wheeled chairs due to the uneven terrain and manual wheelchair users are recommended to bring a personal assistant with them for this reason (free carer tickets are available). Assistance dogs are welcome and accessible toilets are available at the start and end of the tour.

For an action-packed family day out, Eureka! is the place to go. Situated in Halifax, West Yorkshire, the museum is all about discovering, learning, and most importantly playing! Aimed at children up to 11 years old, there are six zones to explore with 400 multi-sensory, interactive exhibits. There is a sensory guide to look at before you visit, accessible toilets and a Changing Places facility, and dedicated accessible parking bays. Visitors can also find large print information leaflets, a “chill out room” if quiet time is needed, an induction loop at reception and wheelchairs to borrow. Staff also recognise Sunflower lanyards.

The Leeds Playhouse offers varied performances and an award-winning creative engagement programme. Accessible features include automatic doors and level access, audio descriptions, BSL interpretations, relaxed performances, plus facilities for people living with dementia. It is also part of a group in Leeds working to improve access and inclusion in theatres.

Sheffield’s Millennium Gallery is an ever-changing showcase of local, national and international talents. A homage to its industrial past, there’s metalwork collections and the Ruskin Collection that boasts minerals and illustrated manuscripts. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, entry to the gallery is free, although there are donation points. The space is step free throughout with seating for rest breaks, plus an accessible lift. There are large print information sheets available at exhibitions, and an accessible toilet is located on the ground floor.

Situated in Hull’s Museum Quarter, and holding over 200 years of history, the Streetlife Museum is an immersive experience taking visitors back in time to days gone by. With rare cars from 1897 to a 1940s street reconstruction, experience the sights and smells of Hull life. An accessible attraction, there are BSL interpretations for talks and tours, step-free access, an accessible toilet (with a changing places toilet available at the nearby Guildhall), and a manual wheelchair to borrow. While the museum is accessible to wheelchair users, some parts are only accessible via steps, including the signal box and platform above the train.

Get your art on at Leeds Art Gallery and the Henry Moore Institute, two wonderful spaces in Leeds. Leeds Art Gallery shows a wide range of art works, including Antony Gormley sculptures and Victorian era pieces. The gallery accommodates talks and descriptions of artworks where possible on the day, but contacting in advance to request this is recommended. Visitors will find large print information labels, there’s low light in some areas, plus multi-sensory artworks and interactive creative spaces, such as Artspace.

The Henry Moore Institute boasts extensive galleries about the famous sculptor. The four main galleries are on the ground floor with a smooth level floor with a lift to all other floors. There is an Audio Visual Library suitable for wheelchair users, visual aids throughout and induction loops at the library reception. An accessible gender-neutral toilet is found at the gallery with a Changing Places facility at the Leeds Art Gallery shop. Visitors can also have free guided tours of the gallery.

Found within the 500-acre 18th-century Bretton Hall estate in West Yorkshire, Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is home to modern and contemporary sculptures. While some terrain at the park can be difficult to access due to uneven ground, the team at the information desk can offer suggested routes for wheelchair and mobility scooter users. The Underground Gallery, The Weston, and both the YSP Visitor Centre and YSP Learning have flat access throughout. Assistance dogs are permitted, visitors can find accessible toilets at the Visitor Centre and there is priority parking for Blue Badge holders in the main car park. Ask about the British Sign Language Tour, as well as the Signs of the Landscape event where visitors can learn nature related BSL alongside a lakeside guided walk. 

Travel back to 10th century York in this immersive experience. Meet the Viking characters on its realistic set, which brings all the smells, sights and sounds of Viking life alive. Winners of the Visit York Award for Accessible and Inclusive Tourism 2020, the Jorvik Viking Centre accessible facilities include audio descriptions, hearing loops and assistance dogs are welcome. People using wheelchairs need to pre-book before arrival at the centre. Sensory bags are available, and people living with autism can opt for a colour sticker programme to show the level of interaction they are comfortable with if they wish.

Standing proud in the city centre since the 7th century, York Minster’s gothic handcrafted stone and medieval stained-glass windows are an impressive sight. Inside, visitors using wheelchairs or mobility scooters can access most of the building, except the towers. For visitors who are blind or partially sighted there is a tactile model of York Minster, as well as a tactile site plan with audio description and braille information. Audio induction loops are in parts of the Minster and staff are trained to assist D/deaf and hearing-impaired visitors. There are accessible toilets and ambulant toilet cubicles, and specially trained guides can offer free tours when booked in advance.

Delve into Britain’s rich railway history at the National Railway Museum, from heritage steam locomotives to the dawn of diesel and electric models. There’s interactive fun for all at Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery, with 18 hands-on challenges, including a rocket launcher and human wind tunnel. On arrival, guests can use accessible parking bays with a Blue Badge pass, while a fixed hearing loop is available at the welcome desk along with large print maps of the museum. Quieter times are weekdays during school term time, and ear defenders are available to borrow as well as a sensory pack. Wheelchairs are also available to borrow free of charge and there are accessible toilets on site. Guests can also prepare for a visit with a visual story plan.

For over 75 years the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway has been delighting people of all ages. One of Britain’s oldest seaside miniature railways, the two-mile return journey trundles through the Humberside coast and countryside. The station platform and buildings are accessible, with a custom-built accessible carriage on the train for wheelchair and mobility scooter users. Calling in advance to confirm the customised carriage is recommended.

As seen on screen in Bridgerton and Brideshead Revisited, Castle Howard’s stunning interiors and manicured gardens make for a great day out. A finalist in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award category at the Visit York Tourism Awards 2025, the castle welcomes all visitors. There is a stair lift in the house which takes wheelchair users from the ground floor to the majority of rooms – electric wheelchair or scooter users will need to transfer into a manual wheelchair for this, which can be borrowed on site. The Kelly Car Land Train, which transports visitors from the ticket office to the house, is wheelchair accessible.  

In the heart of the Peak District you’ll find the bustling thermal spa town of Buxton. The town has an abundance of accessible facilities and attractions. From inclusive horse riding and swimming to accessible performances at the Buxton Opera House, exploring caves (accessible by wheelchair up to 100 meters) or discovering Buxton by a customised tour. Visit the Buxton Museum and Art Gallery and the ‘Wonders of the Peak’ exhibition. The museum has a ramped entrance and an access lift will take you to the gallery showing the 360 million year geological and historical evolution of the Peak District.

Launched in September 2022, the North York Moors Accessibility Project inspires visitors to take short, accessible, breaks in the region, getting to know its scenery, history and heritage. Attractions and experiences, as well as accommodation options, have worked closely with VisitEngland to develop their access, including the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, Whitby Abbey and the Helmsley Walled Garden. The whole area can be explored by car or by wheelchair-friendly trails, adapted bikes and off-road Trampers. For one of the best views in the area, head to Sutton Bank National Park Centre, a finalist in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism Award category at the Visit York Tourism Awards 2025

With dramatic geology formed over thousands of years there’s plenty of wildlife to spot and adventures to be had at the UK’s first appointed National Park in the Peak District. Try inclusive cycling with hand-cranked bikes, wheelchair bikes, electric bikes, off-road mobility scooters and more to hire. There’s horse-riding that caters for all abilities, or discover one of the many accessible hiking trails from Miles Without Stiles. All routes have been checked to ensure that gradients are no more than 1:10, surfaces are suitable for pushchairs and unassisted wheelchairs, and there are no obstacles blocking the path such as narrow bridges, gates or stiles.

Hull’s The Deep is a striking glass and aluminium building with more than 5,000 animals including sharks, penguins, rays, loggerhead sea turtles and the UK’s only pair of green sawfish. It’s also a charity that helps with conservation of the world’s oceans. A Gold winner of the VisitEngland Inclusive Tourism Award, journey through its underwater tunnel or ride in the underwater lift. Accessible facilities include ear defenders, sensory packs and wheelchairs to borrow, braille guidebooks, audio guides, tactile exhibits, quiet days with brighter lights and less noises and BSL presentations and talks. It’s a five-minute walk from Hull Marina, there’s also a Changing Places facility with a hoist, Inclusive Sleepovers and more.

From the sandy South Beach overlooking Bridlington Bay to the award-winning North Beach the other side of the harbour, there’s plenty to enjoy at this traditional British seaside location. While visiting Bridlington North Beach, tuck into fish and chips on the promenade, or book an All Ride adaptive bike ride along the water front. Most of the North Beach promenade is accessible for wheelchair users, while radar key accessible toilets are found at Limekiln Lane, next to the Coastal Services Office. Visitors can also take a trip on the land train, which can accommodate manual wheelchair users in an adapted carriage.

Bridlington South Beach has wheelchair-friendly ramps to access the promenade. Visitors can find a Changing Places facility near the Lifeboat Station, as well as at the Bridlington Park and Ride (South). Radar key accessible toilets are also available.

Guests can also get up close to the action with a beach wheelchair, available to hire from both beaches.

No matter the season, RHS Garden Harlow Carr is blooming with florals. Head to the Sub Tropicana Garden to be led into an exotic paradise filled with bright, bold colours. While the site does slope and is quite steep in parts, it is accessible to wheelchair and mobility scooter users. There are wheelchairs and mobility scooters available to hire, but it is recommended that visitors book in advance. The site has accessible unisex toilets, family changing facilities and ambulant accessible toilets. There are portable induction loops and large print maps available at the entrance.

With a dramatic history of family rivalry, Wentworth Castle Gardens are the only Grade I listed parklands and gardens in South Yorkshire. With 26 listed buildings and monuments dotted throughout the grounds, a visit here is a journey through history. Visitors can find an access map of the grounds which has accessible routes, plus a Sensory Story to plan a visit. There are mobility scooters to hire if required, as well as sensory backpacks with ear defenders and sensory toys, accessible toilets, Braille and large print guides, induction loops at selected till points, seating throughout and ramped access in some areas. Guests can also request a BSL interpreter for a guided walk or tour — contact in advance to arrange. 

Serenity awaits in the Botanical Gardens of the city. For a trip around the world’s flora, head into the Pavilions, spanning from Australian native plants to South American cacti. While at the Victorian Garden, you’ll find intricate patterns of colourful seasonal florals. People using wheelchairs can access all parts of the gardens with alternative wheelchair-friendly routes avoiding stairs. There are accessible parking bays near the Thompson Road entrance with toilets next to The Dorothy Fox Education Centre, as well as near the Thompson Road entrance.

Experience the rush of speed as you race around the track in a supercar. Check out a Lamborghini, Ferrari or for James Bond fans, an Aston Martin. Selected supercars are adapted so everyone can have a go. Cars can be controlled by hand, foot or both, and all drivers are accompanied by a professional instructor.

See the North York Moors National Park whizz by from an adapted bike ride through picture-perfect Dalby Forest. Head to Dalby Forest Cycle Hub to choose from their extensive fleet of adapted bikes for disabled visitors, then take to the trails: the Ellerburn Trail and Xplorer Trail come especially recommended. 

Enjoy waves of fun at one of the UK’s biggest waterparks, Alpamare, with both indoor and outdoor pools to explore. The complex is well equipped for wheelchair users with a range of accessible features, including accessible toilets, changing rooms and lockers. There is a ramp for wheelchair access into the Wave pool, and hoists available to access the garden and infinity pools. Guests can take advantage of a pool-accessible wheelchair and special flotation devices.