France
Germany
Italy
Spain
Netherlands
Belgium (French)
Belgium (Dutch)
Ireland
Czechia
We recently sent disabled racing driver, Aaron Morgan, to Beaulieu National Motor Museum in Hampshire for a day out to review its attractions and accessibility. Here he tells us how he got on.
On Arrival
Only a short distance from the M27, Beaulieu Motor Museum is set in the lovely surroundings of the New Forest. As we drove in we even spotted a few of the Forest’s wild horses!
There’s no need to pre-book your visit to the museum. On arrival there’s a designated disabled parking area with 12 spaces, which are located near to the main entrance. Once inside you can rent a wheelchair or scooter – which is handy – although it’s advisable to book these in advance to guarantee availability.
There’s a concession rate available for disabled customers and that also includes one free carer ticket. When we went in, the lady at the desk was very helpful in advising me which areas were fully accessible. She also pointed out that assistance dogs are welcome in the museum.
After we got our tickets, we went through the entrance hall into the main grounds where we were met with the monorail, which covers most of the park. Unfortunately the platform has no wheelchair access with two flights of stairs seperating the entrance from the tram platform, I wasn’t able to use it. You can see a video of the journey inside if you ask one of the staff but it would have been nice to see it for myself.
Entering the Motor Museum
Our next stop was the main motor museum. The main entrance doors aren’t automatic, which could cause a problem for some people with disabilities but once you’re inside the exhibits are great. The first section of the museum has a selection of cars from the early 20th century right up to the present day. Each display has a fact sheet giving you more information on every car which is really interesting.
Following on from this there are plenty more vehicles to see, including two Formula One cars and the world’s fastest production car, a Bugatti Veyron. There’s an elevated section here which houses a motorcycle exhibit and is accessible by a platform lift for wheelchair users, which is great as I’m a big motorcycle fan. They had a bright red Ducati on display, which any fan will know is a big icon in the motorbike world. There’s also a really cool bike made entirely from Meccano by Top Gear presenter James May and a wall of fame featuring the top 20 motorbike racing legends.
The main floor of the museum is downstairs but there’s a lift, so I was easily able to access it. In here there’s lots more to see and even a small ride that takes you through the development of the motor car. The ride travels very slowly so people can hop on and off without it stopping but the museum staff were happy to stop it so I could get in. I had to transfer out of my wheelchair and into one of the ‘cars’ to enjoy the ride. This was fine for me as I’m quite used to it but might not be very easy or possible for other disabled people.
In Top Gear
After looking around the main section of the museum, I made my way to the ‘World of Top Gear’ which is based on the famous (and one of my favourite) TV shows. In here I was able to get up close and personal with some of the vehicle stars of the show, including Jeremy Clarkson’s Fiat Panda which he converted into a stretch limo! A highlight for me was the selection of amphibious cars that each presenter was challenged to make including James May’s sailing Triumph Herald.
There are a few interactive parts to this exhibit, including a cinema experience to make you feel like part of the audience and remote control cars, which there’s a small extra charge to use. There’s also a simulator ride to experience doing a race lap with The Stig. Unfortunately in order to get on you have to be able to walk a short distance and climb a flight of stairs which meant I didn’t get a chance to have a go.
Munchies
The museum has a cafeteria which serves snacks and hot food alongside plenty of outside seating for hot days. The café is well laid out and easy to get around, as is the location of the disabled toilet facilities. These are accessed with a radar key, which you can borrow from staff if you don’t have one (a radar key is a special key that opens over 9,000 disabled toilets throughout the UK and is available to buy online at crm.disabilityrightsuk.org/radar-nks-key).
Fully Recommended!
If you’re a fan of cars, like me, then seeing the Beaulieu Motor Museum is a must. It provides you with an excellent opportunity to see how the motorcar has developed through time, from the most humble of beginnings through to the cars of today. It’s mostly wheelchair accessible and allowed me to have a really nice day out. For any car fanatic there’s plenty to keep you interested!
