Jenny (a very helpful York Mumbler!) got in touch with us to help us highlight accessible days out in York. As she told us going out for the day if a member of your party has a disability can be a logistical nightmare. In her house, it involves copious amounts of research before she can even start thinking about what to pack in her bag!
She has kindly pulled together five accessible days out in York that she recommends. Jenny has kindly done lots of research and she’s been out and about in her scooter testing every aspect of them – from car parking to toilets, you’ll find out all you need to know.
Before we start, here’s a little bit more information about Jenny: 
“Hi, I am Jenny, a disabled mum living in Haxby. My 6 year old and I love going for days out and exploring new places. I also enjoy reading, cross stitch and spending time with my dog.”
I must admit that I’m not a massive train enthusiast, but I have spent many happy hours trailing around after my son here. They have disabled parking right outside the entrance that is the closest to York railway station. The park and ride drops off just outside the other entrance. The exhibits are well spaced out so there are no real bottleneck areas where you can easily lose sight of a child scampering in front of you.
The National Railway Museum also have lifts so you can access exhibits on the 2nd floor and accessible toilets. The only real negative I have found is that there is no real seating for parents to sit and watch small children in the inside play area, as this has two exits this was a concern for me before I got the scooter as I struggled to stand to watch my son.
📍 Where is it? Leeman Road, York YO26 4XJ
👨👧 What ages is it suitable for? Any age
⏰ How long should we spend there? You can easily spend a few hours or maybe a whole day if you are a train enthusiast!
💰 How much is it?
Find out more information about the National Railway Museum on York Mumbler
This is a firm favourite with our family! The car park has plenty of disabled parking right outside the entrance. It has two disabled toilets, one at each end of the site so you don’t have to go all the way back to the entrance to use the facilities. All the paths are really good quality, though a couple turn into short grass they are easy to push a wheelchair over. They even have wheelchairs and scooters that can be hired in advance.
There is one section that has cobbles which is a bit of a boneshaker on a scooter, but it can be avoided although it is quite a long walk around. There is a woodland playground for children and this is the only area with a surface that is harder to move across as its thick bark chips.
The house itself can be accessed by a small lift that takes you to all three floors. However, neither pushchairs or scooters are not allowed inside the house due to small turning spaces. There are guides inside to assist and seats provided where you can sit down if needed. The café is level access, but care should be taken around the outside of the café as there is a sunken garden.
📍 Where is it? Beningbrough, York, North Yorkshire, YO30 1DD (8 miles from York City Centre)
👨👧 What ages is it suitable for? Any age
⏰ How long should we spend there? You can easily spend a few hours or a whole day if you stop for lunch.
💰 How much is it?
Find out more information about Beningbrough Hall & Gardens on York Mumbler
Another of our ‘go to’ places, there is just so much to keep my son active and allow me as a disabled parent to take a back seat and watch him having fun. They have lots of great disabled parking, I have never struggled to get a place. Inside the entrance is the only disabled toilet, since they have turned the café into a bigger shop and you have to ask for access.
I find about half the paths inside easy to scooter on and half very difficult due to the amount of shingle they have put down. I avoid the paths if possible and scooter on the grass. The ground for the fairy trail is newly put down bark, I am yet to have a go scootering on this but potentially it could be tricky. It is possible to go around most of the crazy golf course with a wheelchair (though I decided to avoid the single hole at the top of a small steep!). I even had a go putting from my scooter last time! There is an abundance of benches and picnic tables scattered over the site and I have never struggled to get seated.
The maze which runs towards the end of the year has a really good, compact surface if the weather has been dry. However, if it has been raining I would suggest speaking to a member of staff before entering it (I may or may not have got myself bogged down last year and had to be pushed out!).
📍 Where is it? Towthorpe Grange, York, YO32 9ST
👨👧 What ages is it suitable for? Any age, toddlers and younger kids will really enjoy it!
⏰ How long should we spend there? Easily the whole day
💰 How much is it?
Find out more information about Piglets Adventure Farm on York Mumbler
Crazy golf is not an activity I usually associate with being disabled-friendly, but Puttstars is the best I have seen. There is loads of disabled parking outside the front, the actual venue is upstairs, but they have a lift to get up.
They have accessible toilets and a lovely spacious café. Whilst it is possible to get around the actual course with a wheelchair, I often just get a chair from the cafe and move it around so I can watch my son take twenty attempts at each hole!
📍 Where is it? Kathryn Ave, Huntington, York, YO32 9AF
👨👧 What ages is it suitable for? Any age, but under 14’s must be supervised by an adult
⏰ How long should we spend there? A game of golf takes about 10 minutes per person for one course. So if six people were playing on one course together, it would typically last about an hour. The more courses you play, the longer the game will last
💰 How much is it?
Find out more information about Puttstars on their website
Although Creepy Crawlies can be tricky if you are a disabled parent of a younger child who needs constant supervision as your child gets older and more independent, it becomes a brilliant venue to visit. My son will spend hours chasing around the equipment while I sit with my book and one of their lovely cakes.
There is good disabled parking right outside the venue and a disabled toilet. The outside is flat and there are plenty of seats available. The only exception is the animal area which has no seating. It does however have a shortcut you can take through the goat enclosure (where we pretend to be the trolls under the bridge!).
📍 Where is it? Wigginton Road, York, YO32 2RH (3 miles from York City Centre)
👨👧 What ages is it suitable for? Any age – there is something for everyone
⏰ How long should we spend there? The minimum time allowed is 2 1/2 hours during busy times – customers are welcome to stay longer in quiet times.
💰 How much is it?
Find out more information about the Web Adventure Park on York Mumbler
This post was published in October 2021. All details were accurate at the time of publication. We recommend that you check ticket prices, opening times, pre-booking arrangements or any specific needs you or your family might have before you travel.
💜 💜 💜 If you or someone in your family has a disability and you want an accessible day out in York, we hope this post has been helpful.
If you know of any other places in York we can add to this list or if you have accessibility tips to share, please email us.
Thanks again to Jenny for all her help and advice. 💜 💜 💜
