Overview

Opened in 1912, the National Museum Cardiff has History, Art, and Archaeology – terrible joke. With artwork covering a period of over six centuries, including works by Monet, Cézanne, and Van Gogh, as well as bones, fossils, and natural history exhibitions, it's a great place to spend the day, barring some small access issues. The building is somewhat evocative of the Capitol building in Washington, with its domed roof and admission is free, which is what we like to hear!

Transport & Parking

There's a long accessible parking bay at the front of the museum, which could fit three cars, although I would park as close to the front or back as possible if you're arriving in a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle. There are additional full-size accessible parking spaces and standard parking spaces to the side and rear of the venue. A drop-off point is located directly at the front of the museum. There's also a bus stop just outside on Museum Avenue where the 32, 21, 27, and C1 services operate. The closest train station is Cathays station, 480 metres from the museum, although this station only has step-free access to some platforms, so please do your research ahead of visiting the station.

Access

The museum has a ramp at the front and step-free access throughout. I thought it was a nice touch that there's signage outside providing a number to call in case you have difficulty using the ramp due to mobility or weather. The main entrance has automatic doors, but the doors throughout the museum are manual; however, there is staff on hand to open the doors if needed. There are lifts to all floors, but one of the two was broken. The lift I used is small, able to accommodate a powerchair and a standing person, but little else. The lift buttons have braille markings but only on the inside, and the induction loop is operational. There are also several small grab rails around the lift. Other than in the lifts, I didn't see any other implementation of braille, which is disappointing. A touch trail is also available in the Natural History galleries. The museum's website advises that they can offer free Audio Description tours for groups and guided assistance for individual visitors, but advance notice is required. In addition to the induction loop at the lift, there are loops at the exhibits, which is a positive. On the first floor, I encountered a few short ramps and areas where the tiled floor changes to metal corrugated sheeting, just something to keep an eye out for. Please note that there are sections with low lighting. The lower floor has a café, which wasn't in operation, but there are plenty of seats and tables, where I saw people sitting. I'll go into detail a little later, but one of the accessible toilets on this floor was somewhat obstructed by a metal cargo crate, which was a little thoughtless, though there is an alternative across the way on the same floor.

Toilets

There are several accessible toilets at this location and one Changing Places toilet on the lower floor, accessed by the lifts. The Changing Places toilet is accessed by pressing the touchpad on the wall outside and does not require a RADAR key. The door opens outwards, and as it does, you'll see two manual doors: one for the accessible toilet straight ahead and the other for the Changing Places toilet on the right. Both doors were open at the same time, both outwards, which meant I had to close the door to the accessible toilet to get into the Changing Places toilet. While most Changing Places toilets have a ceiling track hoist, this one features a portable hoist, which, due to the layout of the room, can be quite obstructive. The hoist was on the right as I entered, with the legs placed around a diaper bin. This placement meant that the right-side transfer space was blocked. There is a left-side transfer space, but it's quite close to the adjustable change bed. The adjustable change bed can be moved left or right, but not backwards due to the wall. A larger paper towel dispenser is provided for the change bed. The toilet features a contrasting toilet seat with contrasting rails on either side, and the flush is located on the left when seated. The sink has a lever-style tap and features grab rails on both sides. There was a Euan’s Guide red cord card in the toilet, but the cord was wrapped around the card in such a way that it prevented the cord from hanging to the floor. I made sure to fix this, but it's frustrating to see an item designed for safety creating a potential barrier to help. The toilet was clean. The first accessible toilet is the one referenced above; as mentioned, it's awkward to access if the door to the Changing Places toilet is open. I wasn't able to document the access on my visit as it was in use. However, I did visit the second accessible toilet on the other side of the room and... it was a little frustrating. Firstly, the door was somewhat blocked by a metal cargo cage, much like those you'll see when a supermarket is restocking. I expect this was just an instance of someone not thinking when stopping the cage there as they attended to another duty, but a barrier to an accessible toilet is never a good thing. There's a diaper bin immediately as you enter the room, which takes up a fair bit of space and made it difficult to actually get inside the toilet. The baby change table was down, resting in the right-side transfer space, creating another issue for those transferring from a wheelchair to the toilet. The toilet seat has rails on either side, though they are white as is the toilet, which doesn't create much of a contrast against the cream-coloured tiles. The low, small sink has a lever-style tap and white rails on either side, while the hand dryer is higher up on the wall to your left as you're facing the sink. The red cord is on your right when seated and hung to the floor on my visit.

Staff

Everyone I spoke to at the museum was eager to help, opening doors and giving guidance on where to find the toilets. I spoke at length with a member of staff who is also a wheelchair user and was eager to hear feedback. A great bunch of people!

Photos