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Planning your visit: Access

The Museum of the Order of St John is committed to providing a high quality service for all its audiences.

Physical Access

The main Museum galleries are on ground level and there is step-free access throughout. The historic rooms on the upper floors are only accessible via steps. A virtual tour is continuously screened in the Link Gallery and you can also explore the Museum online.

The Museum has a shop, toilets (including an accessible toilet) and baby changing facilities. Our nearest Changing Places toilet is located in the Barbican Centre.

The Priory Church (located 100m away from the Museum across Clerkenwell Road) has step-free access, while the Crypt is only accessible via flight of steps.

Unfortunately, we do not have any designated parking spaces for visitors with access requirements, however, by calling the Museum in advance, it may be possible to reserve a parking space directly outside the Museum entrance.

We can provide a wheelchair free of charge. Folding stools are available in the Museum Galleries for visitors to borrow.

We can provide a bowl of drinking water for assistance dogs.

For more detailed access information please use the downloadable accessibility guides below:

Autism, neuro-diversity and sensory needs

Ear defenders are available to borrow from the Museum reception. If you would like to know whether a particular time is likely to be busy or quiet in the Museum, please contact us.

During school holidays, we run regular, free workshops which are designed to support autistic and neuro-diverse families and include hands-on making and storytelling inspired by the Museum’s collections. To find out more and to book your free space, please see the Museum’s Eventbrite Page.

To help you prepare for a visit to the Museum, we have created a visual story and sensory map which you might find helpful:

We can provide a bowl of drinking water for assistance dogs.

Visitors living with dementia

It is important to us that anyone with lived experience of dementia (at any stage) can fully access and enjoy everything our Museum has to offer. All Museum staff have attended Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends Information sessions, and our friendly Visitor Welcome Assistants are there to help you from the start to end of your visit.  

To help you get around the museum, we have developed a sensory map which will help you to navigate as well as outlining where the museum is loud or quiet:

We would particularly recommend attending our Ten-Minute Talk and Teas which are relaxed, drop-in events that usually take place on the second Thursday of each month from 12:30pm. For more information, please see the ‘What’s On’ page on our website.  

Support for visitors who are blind and partially sighted

  • Access guide dogs are welcome in all areas of the Museum and we can provide a bowl of drinking water if needed.
  • We have display information in large print.
  • We can provide a magnifying glass and sheet magnifier.
  • We offer regular audio descriptive Talk and Teas as well as an audio described tour details of which can be found on our Audio Described Events Eventbrite Page or by contacting the Museum.
  • If you would like any of the information on this page in an alternative format, please email museum@sja.org.uk or call 020 7324 4005.

Support for visitors who are D/deaf, deafened and hard of hearing

  • All videos have subtitles.
  • There is a hearing loop at the front desk, as well as two further hearing loops in the Chapter Hall and Church, which function for talks and services. If applicable to your hearing aid, please switch it to the ‘T’ position.
  • We can arrange sign interpretation and live subtitling for specific events and study days. This should be requested at the time of booking.
  • We run regular BSL interpreted and Deaf-led tours details of which can be found on our BSL-interpreted and subtitled events Eventbrite Page or by contacting the Museum.
  • For information about visiting in BSL, please see the film below.

For more information about our tours, please visit the Museum’s Eventbrite Page.

For more information or assistance, please contact us:

Email: museum@sja.org.uk

Telephone: 020 7324 4005

 

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Sponsors

The Museum of the Order of St John would like to thank all those who have supported and continue to support its work. In particular, the Museum would like to thank the following for their generosity: