Facilities and Access

This page includes useful information about the facilities at Southampton City Art Gallery including toilets, baby change and accessibility. It also includes information for visitors with disabilities.

Assistance Dogs

Guide dogs, hearing dogs and assistance dogs are welcome throughout the gallery.

Buggy Park

Unfortunately, due to limited space, we are not able to offer a cloakroom or buggy park at the gallery. You are welcome to use the lift to take buggies and prams into and around the Art Gallery.

Cloakroom and Luggage

For reasons of security and safety, the Art Gallery has a maximum bag size policy in place. We’re sorry but items over 40cm x 80cm will not be admitted to the Gallery. However, you can store these luggage items with staff at the front desk for £3 per item. All wheeled luggage (regardless of size) must be stored. (For Art Gallery Customers only). Please ask at the front desk on arrival.

We would like to ask our visitors with backpacks to wear them on your front when in the Gallery to help avoid accidental damage to artwork.

Please do not leave bags unattended at any time. The Gallery reserves the right to vary or alter these conditions without prior notice.

Toilets and Baby change

Toilets can be found on the ground floor.

An accessible toilet with baby change facilities is available on the ground floor, please ask staff at the front desk for the key.

We are currently not able to offer a Changing Places toilet.

Disabled and Wheelchair Access

Please note that at the moment we are unable to get larger motorised wheelchairs up into the Art Gallery due to works taking place. If you would like to attend the gallery using this type of wheelchair, please make sure to call or email us in advance so we can discuss options with you.

Step free access is available from the street to the ground floor gallery foyer, which leads to a small lift to the exhibition space on the first floor.

We also have wheelchairs available for visitors to use. Please get in touch with us for more information.

Emergency Evacuation

Our staff are fully trained to support visitors who require step free access during an emergency.  Evacuation chairs and refuge points are available on all levels.

Neurodiversity and sensory processing difficulties

We are committed to being an accessible venue for all neurodiverse visitors, including those with autism and dementia.

We hope the resources and information included on this page will help plan your visit, but if you have any specific enquiries please get in touch with our team on 023 8083 4536 or email art.gallery@southampton.gov.uk

Visual Guide

Our visual guide gives more details on what to expect when visiting the gallery.

Download our visual story here.

Resources for visitors with visual impairment

We run friendly and informal small group audio description tours and hands-on sessions for blind and partially sighted people at the Art Gallery, Seacity Museum and Tudor House & Garden. To find out more, please contact museums.education@southampton.gov.uk.

Seating

Limited fixed seating is available throughout the gallery.

Blue Badge Parking

There are several blue badge parking bays close to the museum. The nearest is on Marlands Road. Further details on nearby blue badge parking can be found here https://www.southampton.gov.uk/travel-transport/find-and-plan/find-parking/

Café

We don’t have a café in the gallery, however, there is a lovely café next door at SeaCity Museum, which is free to visit and is approximately a 1 to 2-minute walk. Just turn left onto Havelock Road. (Please note, only the café is free, tickets for SeaCity Museum can be bought here).

Photography

Photography in the galleries is allowed for personal, non-commercial purposes only. It is the visitor’s responsibility to ensure no copyright is infringed. The use of flash and tripods is prohibited. Some exhibitions may have copyright restrictions and we will inform you if photography is not permitted.

Learning Visits

Our learning activities can be tailored and extended to meet the needs of participants with behavioural, physical, cognitive or sensory difficulties or disabilities. Sessions can include a series of practical and museum-based activities, participants will be made to feel comfortable, enthused and included. You can find out more about our learning programme by visiting our Learning Deck page here. Please call us to discuss your individual group needs and we will create engaging and stimulating sessions that are suitable and affordable.

Need extra information?

Our team will be happy to help. Contact them 023 8083 4536 or email art.gallery@southampton.gov.uk