Museum Accessibility
The State Museum is committed to providing accessible and inclusive guest experiences.
Accessible 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.
If you are entering from Gervais Street, follow the pink arrows in the map below.
If you are entering from Huger Street, follow the blue arrows in the map below.
Written are also available below.
Click the map to expand it and/or download a copy.
Connect With Us
PLEASE NOTE: Due to renovation and ongoing road work, guests using the parking deck will NOT be able to enter the museum using the side atrium entrance. Guests will need to walk around to the front of the building and use the main entrance if they use spaces in the parking deck.
Accessible parking is available along the drive in front of the museum's main entrance on a first-come, first-served basis.
We recommend guests needing accessible parking enter from Huger Street onto Washington Street, and then make a left at the end Washington Street to access the parking spaces in front of the museum.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
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, magnifiers, and communication cards.
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters are available during select museum public programs and events. Please see individual program and event pages for more details.
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.
New! Aira Now Available
Aira is live, human-to-human visual interpreting service for people who are blind or low vision. It is now available as an accommodation for anyone visiting the State Museum.
Using the powerful combination of a camera and the Aira app on someone’s smartphone, a professionally trained agent will assist by visually interpreting what is in the camera’s view or on screen.
Learn More About Aira and How to Download the App
Accessibility Mornings
Each month the museum hosts a special morning designed for families of children, teenagers, young adults and adults who would benefit from a quieter, sensory-friendly and disability-adapted experience at the museum.