Access

At Middlesbrough Museums we are committed to providing a welcoming and accessible visit.
We want to enable everyone with the opportunity to enjoy our collections and spaces.
This page provides an overview of the range of resources and facilities our museum has to offer to help you plan make the most of you visit.

Getting inside

Captain Cook Birthplace Museum is located in the centre of Stewart Park, their is a number of entrances in to the park that will then lead to the museum.

  • Ladgate Lane
    This is the main entrances to the park and where you can find the main public carpark which has a number of blue-badge parking bays parking bays. Upon arrival at the public car park make your way past the animal enclosures and children's play area. Follow the path through the trees, the path has a steady incline up to the museum where you will approach the building from the rear.
  • Stokesley Road 
    This pedestrian entrance is the shortest route to museum, upon entering the park follow the path directly forward where you will approach the entrance to the museum.
  • The Grove
    For those with limited mobility or have a blue-badge we would recommend this entrance. On The Grove follow the sign posts to Stewart Park, upon entering Stewart Park you will drive along a shared pedestrian and vehicle route, it is important that you drive at 5mph and place your hazard lights on to ensure other park users see you approaching. Having past the children's play area and entrance to the visitor centre continue to drive slowly along the shared pedestrian and vehicle route, this will bring you up to the museum from the rear. Upon arriving at the museum there is a limited number of blue-badge parking bays which are available to museum visitors.
    To access the park via The Grove follow the post code TS7 8AN which will take you to The Grove entrance.

Upon arriving at the entrance to Captain Cook Birthplace Museum you will find a long steady sloped ramp leading to the entrance doors. The doors are automated and will open on approach, Upon exiting through these doors they will also automatically open.

Inside of the museum

Wheelchair and movement access

There is one two lifts within the museum that can accommodate up to 1 wheelchair at any one time. A dedicated lift will lead you in to the museum galleries, the second lift is on exiting the galleries and also can be used to access the cafe and learning space.
There is level access on each floor of the museum, the journey through the galleries has one route allowing easy movability through the spaces.
We have one wheelchair that is free to use during your visit, please ask at our welcome desk upon arrival.
Visually impaired visitors may like to know that the ground floor has wooden planked flooring in 3 galleries. Seating can be found throughout the galleries.

Navigating the Museum

Upon entering the museum you will be greeted by our friendly visitor team.
They will provide guidance on how to enter and navigate the space, if you find any audio or visual aspects challenging please let them know and they can offer recommendations to ensure a pleasant visit.

Accessible Toilets 

There is an accessible toilets at the entrance of the museum, it is also fitted with emergency alarms that alert our welcome desk if emergency assistance is needed.
There is further male and female toilets available that are located up a short set of stairs from the entrance foyer.
The closest accessible Changing Place toilet is located in Stewart Park Visitor.

Hearing Loops

There are hearing loops available at our welcome desk, gift shop and learning activity room.

Baby Changing and feeding

There are baby change facilities located within the accessible toilets within the museum.
We welcome our visitors breastfeeding and bottle-feeding their babies, there are a few areas that you may feel more comfortable feeding your baby, such as the cafe. In some cases, our temporary exhibitions prohibit food and drink in the area, so please check with a member of our team if you are unsure.

Assistance dogs

Trained assistance dogs are welcome at the museum, our team will be happy to provide drinking water for your dog if needed.

Quieter times and areas

The museum is often quieter after 3pm during term time. If you would prefer to visit during a quieter period please get in touch with your visit dates and we check to see if we have any groups during the time you are hoping to visit.

We also schedule run Relaxed Sessions for our temporary exhibitions, please see our What’s On page for our upcoming events.

Cook's Cafe

The cafe is located to the first floor and is positioned on an open foyer level. To access the cafe you can take the stairs at the entrance or the lift.

Personal Assistant Tickets

If a visitor requires an accompanying personal assistant, the personal assistant will be admitted to paying exhibitions and events free of charge. We accept the following forms of assistant and career ID.
Please contact our welcome desk team to arrange a personal assistant ticket.