Overview

The Foundling Museum tells the story of the Foundling Hospital. The hospital opened in 1741 operated as a children's home to look after infants whose parents were unable to care for them due to poverty of illegitimacy. Mothers who made the painful decision to hand over their child were required to do this in person. They would leave a small item or token, as a means of identification, with the hope that in the future they would be able to reclaim their child. This is a review for the Family Finding exhibition at the Foundling Museum. The exhibition is about different perspectives of family. It is on until 27 August 2023. I visited the lower ground floor and the reception area and toilets on the ground floor only. This is not a review of the entire museum. What I did see was generally very accessible, with step free access and 2 accessible toilets.

Transport & Parking

The nearest tube station is Russell Square which is not step free. There are at time of writing the review, 3 different buses, numbers 68, 91 and 168, go down the road that connects Euston Station with the Aldwych. I would recommend getting off at Russell Square Stop J (southbound) or Russell Square Stop H (northbound). However, when I visited bus stops in both directions were closed. Please note on the museum's website it says that it is a 10 minute walk from King's Cross St Pancras Tube Station (which is step free). Direction wise this is a very easy, level route. On the Euston Road, you want to make for the road junction where St Pancras Train Station and the British Library meet. At the junction turn into Judd Street and it is a straight walk down until you come to Brunswick Square, on your left hand side. The large corner building overlooking the square's garden is UCL School of Pharmacy and the museum is next door. Once you turn into Judd Street, you will escape the busyness and crowds of the King's Cross area. Please be aware Judd Street is not on a bus route and apart from Bamber Green, a small park, about half way down on your left hand side, there are no other seating areas during the walk. If like me you are a particular slow walker like me, I would give myself double the time or half an hour from King's Cross Tube Station. If you find it's too long from King's Cross to walk you can take 91 toward Trafalgar Square or on the way back the 91 from Brunswick Square towards Crouch End.

Access

The museum had step free access. There is a permanent ramp at the entrance. There is a wide space to turn onto the ramp, which also has handrails on both sides. On part of the ramp there is glass floor, which I have been informed has been coded to be non-slip. The museum's wide entrance door was open when I visited. It led into a wide foyer and then through another open door into a larger foyer area with a long bench, with back support but no arms, opposite the shop. This then lead into the hallway with a grand staircase with handrails on both sides. Alternatively there is a lift which takes you to all floors. The exhibition I was visiting was in the lower floor. I took the lift, its dimensions are width 80cm, height 200cm, length 140cm (according to the website). There are raised buttons. The Family Finding exhibition was fascinating and thought provoking. There were several pieces of art work with a description and information. The exhibition I saw was all in the one large room which was spaciously arranged. At the entrance to the gallery there were large print guides was audio transcription. There were a couple of video, both which had captions. One video had two wooden stools with no back support or arm rests and the other had a bench, without arms or back support, and which I found a tad too low but not a problem to transfer from. For one of the paintings there was a low level barrier across it. It was not very noticeable, and last year I saw someone (not disabled) fall over one in another museum. So please take care.

Toilets

There was a notice on the accessible toilet on the lower ground floor saying it was out of order and I tried the handle and it was locked. I then went back to the ground floor to see if they had any other toilets. I was delighted to find out they did, and there was one of the ground floor by the staircase. I noticed a folded up wheelchair opposite the entrance in the corridor. The ground floor toilet has a manual door. It's clean and tidy. There are grab rails and an emergency cord which reached to the ground, already with a Euan's Guide red cord card on it. The toilet is a bit cluttered and not very large which would possibly make it difficult for wheelchair users to transfer from and turn their wheelchair around in. Given that there is a bin attached to the wall, I would suggest moving the one by the grab rails, to permit easier transfers.

Staff

I had visited for an early morning opening of the Family Finding exhibition. Staff were very friendly and welcoming. There was a member of staff in the gallery, who I had a positive chat about access with.

Anything else you wish to tell us?

This is small museum, with a fascinating collection, which regularly holds special events. It's less known than its most famous neighbour the British Museum, but is certainly worth visiting. It's an intimate and thought provoking collection with artifacts, paintings, housed in a beautiful building. The museum is in a beautiful location on Brunswick Square, a nice garden square park to sit in and opposite the Brunswick Centre, shopping centre which has a cinema, several restaurants, shops including a supermarket. Highly recommend the museum and I will definitely return soon.

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