
You are invited to Disability Celebration Day at the State Museum!
Program participants can help create a 1,500 square foot mural with Zot Artz Community Art Creation, enjoy Sensory Friendly and ASL interpreted shows, experience a Silent Disco, meet several Community Resource Partners, and so much more!
Online pre-registration for Disability Celebration Day is encouraged, but walk-up participation the day of the event is also welcome.
Disability Celebration Day attendance and activities are free for participants, with the exception of planetarium and 4D theater shows which carry an additional charge.
Attendance is free for participants*
*Planetarium and 4D shows carry an additional fee
Program Schedule
An American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter, sponsored by Colonial Life, will be available during the day provided by certified interpreters through the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind. Activities featuring ASL interpretation are noted (ASL) below.
Many activities and shows are capacity limited so pre-registration is encouraged to ensure we can best accommodate all participants.
Activities
9 - 11 a.m. | Sensory Hours: Sounds and lights in the museum will be turned down wherever possible for a more sensory-friendly exploration experience.
10 a.m. - 2 p.m. | Meet Community Resource Partners from across the state and learn more about local accessibility focused groups and organizations here to serve you.
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. | ZotArtz Community Art Creation featuring art experiences and art tools for everyone. Using accessible art tools, each participant will paint on a large floor mural and make individual poster-sized paintings to take home. Art rollers will also attach to wheelchairs and stamping tools to give everyone the opportunity to make art. This creative process uses paint, so participants should wear their art clothes. Your wheelchairs and other devices will be safe and shoes and wheels will be covered. We will have shoe covers for your shoes (and can help fit them to your service animal as well).
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Silent Disco with fun space that includes music via headphones so you can party and dance to the music at your own pace! Feel free to turn the music up - or down - as you need! Provided by The Children's Museum of the Lowcountry.
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Several hands-on stations will be available throughout the museum including an astronomy touch zone in the observatory and hands-on history stations in the museum galleries.
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Astronomy Sonification: Hear what space looks like as our astronomers discuss how NASA has encoded information about stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects with sound.
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. | A mini-exhibition from AbleSC celebrating Disability Pride and Disability Rights along with a postcard and poster making station.
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. | Sensory Room offering a dedicated quiet space with a variety of tools for guests who may need to take a break during their visit to the museum. Presented by The Behavior Co.
Sensory Friendly Shows with ASL Interpretation
11 a.m., 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. | 4D Show, Turtle Odyssey 4D (ASL) *
9:45 a.m. & 1 p.m. | Planetarium Show, Solar Superstorms (ASL) *
*Note: The 9:45 a.m. showing of Solar Superstorms is FREE of charge and is first-come, first-served the morning of the event as part of our monthly Accessibility Mornings. All other planetarium and 4d shows carry an additional fee.
Additional Resources
Building Accessibility
- Accessible bathrooms, sponsored by Aflac, are located on each floor. Family restrooms are also available on the 1st floor and the 4th floor.
- Elevators are available for guests to access all four floors of the museum.
- Wheelchairs are available by request on a first come first served basis. Guests may inquire at the Admissions Desk.
A Wellness Room, sponsored by Aflac, is located on the 1st floor. It features an adult-sized medical table and additional medical supplies including basic first aid supplies, menstrual products, a light therapy lamp, ice packs, heating packs, adult diapers, and more.
Additional Resources
- The museum is an Aira Access Partner offering FREE access for guests who are blind or have low vision via a downloadable app. Scroll down or click here for more information about Aira.
- Sensory Bags and other accessibility materials are available at the Admissions Desk, Group Visits, 4D theater, Planetarium, and the Cotton Mill Exchange. Some materials include noise canceling headphones, fidgets, hand-held magnifiers, and communication cards.
American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters will be available throughout the event and at shows indicated above.
4D Theater
- Wheelchair seating is available in the theater.
- Closed captioning, descriptive audio and assistive listening devices are available by request.
- Sensory bags and noise canceling headphones available by request.
4D theater shows are 3D movies with added sensory experiences, making them 4D. These may include splashes of water, bubbles, “snow,” wind, ankle ticklers, vibrating seats, smells, and abrupt lighting changes. If unsure about the environment, we recommend sitting at the top so you can quickly exit if needed.
Planetarium
- Wheelchair seating is available in the planetarium.
- Assistive listening devices available by request.
- Select planetarium shows have open captioning available by request, just look for the ‘caption’ icon under the show listings.
- Sensory bags and noise canceling headphones available by request.
The planetarium is a two-level theater with a tilted dome-shaped projection screen overhead, which is often used to simulate the night sky or being out in space. Since most shows are astronomy-related, the theater is often very dark. If unsure about the environment, we recommend sitting either at the very bottom of the theater or near the top, where you’ll be nearest the exits.
Parking
Accessible parking spaces are available on a first come, first served basis. Spaces are marked and located along the front drive outside the main entrance and in the upper and lower section of the parking deck. Click on the map below and/or download a .pdf version.

Accessibility Parking Map

Accessibility at the State Museum
Learn more about daily accessibility resources available for museum guests.
Program Sponsors and Partners







![Front of [The Queens of Arcady]](/sites/default/files/styles/square_450/public/2023-06/CML%20just%20text%20%281%29.jpg?h=d30e9637&itok=FlP7iHt3)