Warrington Museum and Art gallery
The building is situated on Bold Street, and the museum shares the site with the town’s central library. It is a grade II listed building and first opened in 1848 as the first rate-supported library in the UK. Eventually in 1858 they moved to their current site with the art galleries being added in 1877 and 1931.
The museum and art gallery offer a wide-ranging collection of artifacts and paintings, reflecting local history, natural history and world cultures. The management has made a point of fashioning the building and its contents to be as accessible as possible, making for an enjoyable day out for all.
It is always pertinent to make an enquiry phone call, if there are any specific needs you have, but the art gallery and museum are DDA compliant which was put in place in order to adhere to the principles of the UK’s Disability Discrimination Act (1995), which attempts to outlaw all prejudice when it comes to providing things like reasonable access and toilet provision for all, so if you are dependent on a mobility scooter or wheelchair, please ring ahead to find out if all the areas that you want to visit are available to you. The telephone number is 01925 442399 and the hours of opening are Wednesday-Friday 10:00am to 16:30, Saturday 10:00am to 16:00 and Sunday 11:00am to 15:00.
The floors containing the collections, on the first and second floors of the building, are reachable via the lift. There are nine galleries with hard flooring and two that are carpeted. Lighting is sympathetic in places to allow for the potential deterioration of some of the pieces of work but on the whole the main areas are well lit. The toilets are located on the first floor, with specific details regarding size available on request.
Warrington Play and Sensory Centre
This is a purpose-built activity centre designed for children with disabilities or adults with special needs. The Active Zone is a sizeable soft-play area with a fun sea theme. Popular are the large soft slide and the ball pool. Cradling your children is possible since there is an option to allow adults/carers to stand in the soft play area.
In the Calm Zone there is a trampoline, swing, DVD player with a large screen and a soft play agility kit and shapes.
One-to-one supervision is required in the Sensory Room, which has a waterbed, bubble tube, interactive light panel, fibre optic curtain, ball pool and light projection. A hoist is available if necessary.
For pre-school children there is another soft play area with a small ball pool and soft play shapes providing sensory input and textural response.
There are snacks and drinks available in the café and a fully accessible disabled toilet is provided with a height-adjustable changing bed and hoist.
It is definitely best to ring ahead to finalise any details and avoid disappointment. The phone number is 01925 817347.
