National Space Centre
Overview
The National Space Centre is an educational charity, visitor attraction and home to the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium, the UK's largest fulldome planetarium. Explore interactive galleries, get hands on with science busking, discover the past, present, and future of space exploration, and even blast off on a journey into low Earth orbit (subject to availability).
Contact details
National Space Centre Exploration Drive Leicester Leicestershire East Midlands LE4 5NS United Kingdom
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Access Card notes
At the National Space Centre, we are dedicated to making sure everybody has the perfect day out. We strive to ensure that the widest number of people can enjoy our galleries and events and believe in our core philosophy "Space For Everyone". We are proud of the fact that our Centre is a fully accessible venue.
This provider accepts the Access Card as supporting documentation for accessible facilities and tickets. The information in this listing is submitted by the provider.
Access guidance
- Visitors can make staff aware at Ticketing if they have difficulty with standing and can be fast tracked in the queue. The same can also be done at the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium, please just speak to the staff member there and they will be able to help visitors join the front of the queue and find a seat. We have three manual wheelchairs, four walking stick chairs and one adjustable walking stick that are available to borrow on the day on a first come first served basis, or by pre-booking. To pre-book a wheelchair, please contact our team by emailing info@spacecentre.co.ukWe have three manual wheelchairs, four walking stick chairs and one adjustable walking stick that are available to borrow on the day on a first come first served basis, or by pre-booking. To pre-book a wheelchair, please contact our team by emailing info@spacecentre.co.uk
- Every floor of the National Space Centre is accessible via lifts.
- The distance from the furthest accessible parking space to the main entrance is 124m. The path leading to the main entrance is 4.8m wide.
- We offer 2 sets of Accessible toilets, with one set being right next to the main entrance and the other next to our gift shop. We also have toilets in the exhibition, in our Live Space gallery.
- The National Space Centre believes in #spaceforeveryone, and it is important that we support those who need additional support to access the premises. We are pleased therefore to welcome assistance dogs to the National Space Centre. However, we would point out that our commitment to all also covers all visitors to the Centre. 1) Our venue can become very busy with eager children with their families, or as part of an organised educational visit. There may also be loud or unfamiliar noises in the Centre. As such it may be difficult for a assistance animal to feel comfortable. If you are bringing an assistance animal, you may wish to consider talking to us in the first instance about quieter periods for a visit, or even to look for Accessible Afternoons or Quiet Space days. 2) If you are registered with ADUK please do bring your passport with you. It is not a requirement of entry, but it will allow our team to know that the animal is trained and insured to deal with environments such as our own. This is our duty of care to all visitors, and the working animal.
- Disabled visitors are able to purchase concession tickets and we offer a free ticket to a Personal Assistant/Carer where one is needed to access the Centre. Please book a Personal Assistant/Carer ticket when booking a disabled concession, and bring proof of PIP or DLA with you to claim the free Personal Assistant/Carer ticket on the day.
- Large print information is available on request. This includes a copy of the guidebook and a transcript of the current show in our Planetarium. A magnifying glass with a built-in LED light is also available to facilitate reading in the Planetarium and around the Centre. Lighting around the main galleries is ambient and dim, in keeping with the theme of space. Many exhibits are highlighted with spotlights and most of the audio-visual displays are subtitled. Our Space Communications team host regular talks in the LIVE Space gallery, as well as daily science busking, which includes artefact handling sessions. To ensure this facility is available when you plan to visit, please contact our Bookings Team on 0116 258 2111 (Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm).
- We have a portable Induction Loop based at the main ticketing desk. Please speak to a member of staff if you would like to use this facility. In the Sir Patrick Moore Planetarium, we have a fixed Induction Loop installed to ensure you enjoy our award-winning shows. The induction loop works throughout the planetarium. If you require assistance in using our Induction Loop, please speak to a member of staff who will be able to assist you. We can also provide a pad of paper and a pencil for visitors who would prefer to communicate by written means. Many of the audio-visual displays are subtitled, and our 'How It All Started' exhibit in the Our Universe gallery is presented in British Sign Language.
- We offer several Accessible Afternoons throughout the year, and information about these can be found on the What's On page of the website. If you have any questions regarding your visit please do speak with us in advance, we are here to help and we want you to have an enjoyable day at the Centre #SpaceForEveryone.