I love creating my accessible travel posts and vlogging my adventures, but recently it occurred to me that I’ve never done so for the one city I know and love better than any other, where I’ve lived for the last ten years and counting. So today, let’s remedy that. Here are 10 wheelchair accessible things to do in York!
If you’re new around here, it’s lovely to meet you. My name is Pippa and I’m a freelance writer, blogger, speaker, and communication consultant. I also happen to be disabled thanks to chronic illness, and I’ve been an ambulatory wheelchair user since 2015. I’ve written more about my specific disability and how and why I use my wheelchair in various other posts but before we begin, I’ll issue my usual caveat that I’m just one individual and my lived experiences and access needs don’t necessarily represent every disabled person’s. However, if you’re a wheelchair user, I hope you find this post helpful!
While York might not immediately come to mind as one of the most accessible places to visit in the UK, what with all the cobbles and some of the council’s… questionable decisions regarding disability inclusion over recent years, you do have to admit that it’s a magical place steeped in history. This post will focus on things to see and do, but if you’re looking for recommendations for places to eat and drink, you may also enjoy:
- This post on York’s wheelchair accessible indie cafes and coffee shops
- This post on York’s wheelchair accessible pubs and bars
- This post on my favourite breakfast spots in York – not all of them are accessible, but the ones I can access using my wheelchair are clearly marked!
I do not give consent for this blog post to be lifted and published on other outlets. I see you, and it’s not okay. If you’d like to cook up something together, get in touch here and let’s have a nice chat about it. Just no nicking my words in the meantime, please and thank you.
10 Wheelchair Accessible Things To Do In York…
1) Play Games At Roxy Ballroom
Roxy Ballroom is relatively new to York City Centre but offers a cracking way to spend your evening. Inside, once you’ve travelled up a floor via the platform lift, you’ll find a thriving bar environment and a range of arcade-style games to enjoy with friends. The activities aren’t designed to be accessible as such, but many can be enjoyed while you’re seated in a wheelchair – you probably don’t need to know how competitive I get over the magnetic darts…
The venue can get busy, so if you prefer to avoid crowds I’d recommend visiting earlier in the day on a weekday – there are also some tasty food options available if you’re there over a mealtime. Roxy is already proving very popular, so I’d also recommend booking your activities in advance to ensure you don’t miss out. Come with me on my most recent visit to Roxy Ballroom in this TikTok video!
Find out more about Roxy Ballroom on their website here. Sadly their online accessibility information is lacking for their Stonebow venue in York, but hopefully this is on their radar and will be added soon.
2) Enjoy A Boat Trip With City Cruises
If you’re looking for a peaceful way to see more of the area, City Cruises in York offers boat trips throughout the day. Each tour typically lasts around 45 minutes to an hour, taking you up to the northern outskirts of the city near Clifton and then heading downstream towards the Millennium Bridge around the South Bank area of York – perfect opportunity to have a nosey at some of the stunning riverside houses in this affluent area, if you ask me.
There are two landing stages that City Cruises depart from, and you’ll need to head to the accessible one at King’s Staith. I have managed to board from here in a small power-chair but it felt a little precarious, so I’d advise doing it in a manual wheelchair if you can. Two of the boats are wheelchair-accessible, the River Palace and the River Duchess – River Duchess has a wheelchair-accessible toilet on board too. If you have access requirements, it’s advisable to contact their team and confirm the sailing times of the accessible boats before booking your tickets.
Read my blog post about City Cruises to find out more about my own experience, and visit their website for further details of their excursions. They offer some brilliant themed experiences too!
3) Wander Through Rowntree Park
One of my favourite free things to do in York is to walk along the riverside towards Rowntree Park – I enjoy the journey to get there just as much as the final destination. Start from the riverbank opposite Clifford’s Tower and follow the riverside path down to the Millenium Bridge. Cross the bridge over the river and once you reach the other side, turn right to slightly go back on yourself. Keep walking in this direction and you’ll reach the entrance to the park. The journey generally takes around 20-25 minutes and it’s very doable in a wheelchair – there’s one slightly tricky mini bridge (historically significant but still a bit dicey, if you ask me), but other than that it’s gorgeously easy to take a leisurely stroll.
At Rowntree Park, you’ll find twenty acres of beautiful gardens and greenery to explore, as well as an adventure playground for children, tennis courts, a skateboarding area, and plenty of benches where you can watch the ducks on the water. There’s also a beautiful reading café at the top end of the park, which can be accessed via a concrete slope on the right hand side. They have plenty of lovely food and drink options in here – I highly recommend the vegan blueberry croissant!
Find more info about Rowntree Park here, and visit the Friends Of Rowntree Park website to browse what’s on and future events.
4) Visit York Art Gallery
Inside York Art Gallery you’ll find a beautiful collection of paintings spanning back almost 600 years. The collections are always evolving, and there’s always something new to see. Even if (like me) you’re not hugely knowledgeable about art and sometimes feel a little intimidated in spaces like these, your visit will most likely be an enjoyable one. Despite the historic venue, I’ve found the accessibility to be pretty good here – there’s ramped access to the main entrance, lifts to take you to the different floors and exhibition rooms, and staff are also trained in providing adjustments to neurodivergent people and those with dementia.
Sketch Café is open several days a week if you’d like a bite to eat, known for its delicious coffee and seasonal dishes, and there’s indoor and outdoor seating. Make sure you have a nosey at York Art Gallery’s website to see what exhibitions are coming up – there may be ones you’d like to plan/time your visit around.
Find out more about York Art Gallery here, and read about their accessibility measures here.
5) Explore The National Railway Museum
The National Railway Museum is a criminally underrated attraction in my opinion, for children and adults alike – one of my clearest memories from my first year of university was spontaneously visiting this museum with my friends on a free afternoon and enjoying the experience far more than I expected, especially as somebody who considers themselves to have little to no real interest in the history of locomotives. I’ve been back to the museum a few times since and I’m hoping to catch the Go As You Please exhibition at the Highlights Café before it closes this year.
Entry is free (with donations encouraged), and I found it very easy to move around and between the spacious halls as a wheelchair user. There is comprehensive accessibility information on their website, including information about their quiet times.
If you’re not travelling using your own wheelchair or mobility scooter, there’s also guidance on how you can hire one on-site once you’ve arrived. Don’t forget to have a wander around the shop and grab a drink or an ice cream at the Wonderlab Café at the end of your visit!
Find out more about The National Railway Museum here, and read about their facilities and accessibility measures here.
6) Enjoy Retail Therapy At Vangarde And Monks Cross
If you fancy a shopping day, I’d actually recommend venturing out of the city centre towards Huntington – the number 9 Park and Ride bus from town will get you where you need to be in about 15 minutes. At Monks Cross Shopping Park you’ll find a range of popular high street stores including New Look, River Island, Superdrug, Hobbycraft, B&M and more. A short walk away at Vangarde Shopping Park, you’ll find some bigger retail units housing Next and M&S, a range of restaurants, and various activities and things to do. I highly recommend Mama Doreen’s – have a look at this Instagram post if you’re ready to see the most adorable breakfast/brunch you could possibly lay eyes on and quite possibly the highlight of my year.
The beauty of Monks Cross and Vangarde being dedicated retail spaces is that it’s a lot easier to navigate these areas as a wheelchair user than the cobbly streets throughout the city centre. All walkways are smooth, the units have level access, and there are a decent number of Blue Badge spaces for those who require them. If you’re going from one shopping park to the other, I recommend (carefully) cutting through Sainsbury’s car park via the pedestrian crossings to take a good chunk of time off the walk between them.
Find out more about accessibility at Monks Cross here, and find out more about accessibility (including manual wheelchair hire) at Vangarde here.
7) Play A Round At Puttstars Golf
While you’re at Vangarde, you might be tempted by a game of mini golf. Puttstars Golf is one of the fun things you can enjoy around here (along with Cineworld Cinema, Hollywood Bowl and activities inside York Stadium, which are all close by), and although I wouldn’t go so far as to call it wheelchair-accessible, it’s definitely more accessible than other mini golf courses I’ve experienced in the past and a lot of fun if you can make it work.
There are various interactive courses inside, and screens to record and activate your scores rather than traditional pen and paper. A platform lift will take you up to the top floor where you can store your bags in a locker and access the courses, but be aware that there’s still a lip between the floor and the green for each hole. I don’t think it would be totally impossible to tee off if you chose to stay in your wheelchair at the edge of the green, but as an ambulatory wheelchair user, I found it best to use my wheelchair to move between holes and briefly stand up when it was my turn to putt. It’s a great activity if you’re looking for something new to try, but for any fellow allergic-to-life humans, please also be aware that there are snack machines around the premises that dispense loose peanuts which often end up all over the floor, and this is the only reason I haven’t been back to Puttstars since my first time. Carrying around my EpiPens in my pocket while trying to have a good time was not the vibe, and I hope this changes in the future. You can watch a bit of my experience in this vlog from a few years ago!
Find out more about Puttstars here, and read their brief page of accessibility info here.
8) Hop On The Sightseeing Bus
If you’re visiting a new city and hoping to cover as much ground as possible, while also living with the absolute joys of long-term fatigue or pain, I highly recommend looking into local sightseeing buses. The main operator in York is City Sightseeing York, which runs at regular times throughout the day. The buses will take you around the city centre, pointing out all the places of interest so you can hop on or off anywhere that interests you, or simply sit back and relax.
It feels kind of criminal that I haven’t experienced a bus tour in York throughout the time I’ve lived here, especially with how much I rate a sightseeing bus when I’m somewhere new, but I have it on good authority that the service is enjoyable and reliable. There is also a provider called Golden Tours in York, but according to their website (again, with very limited info and not specific to the York service) they only accommodate folding wheelchairs and people who can board the bus without mobility aids. There’s very limited access information online for City Sightseeing too so it may be worth calling ahead first (though I know it’s a total pain to have to do this), but it’s generally the case that the driver will deploy a ramp to help you board and there will be a designated wheelchair space on the bottom deck. I hear it’s where all the coolest people hang out.
Find out more about the City Sightseeing York bus here, and read their brief access information here.
9) Be Awed By York Minster
Known worldwide as one of the most magnificent Cathedrals in existence, York Minster is one of the most well-known tourist attractions in the area. You’ll often find swarms of people from all over the world stood outside, craning their necks to try and take it all in, and the inside of the building is just as stunning. You can pay a general admission fee (valid for 12 months) to explore the Minster and learn all about the Roman roots of the medieval architecture, and it’s well worth having a look at the guided tours on offer too – with enough notice, the team can also arrange assisted guided tours on request.
I’ve been inside the Minster a few times over the years, but have only ever seen the main body of it. The Tower, a separate part of the building with an additional fee, can only be accessed by stairs. However, I have been able to easily move around the main space in both a manual and an electric wheelchair and didn’t feel as though I was having any less of an experience. I highly recommend you have a look at What’s On too – the seasonal light shows sell out very quickly once tickets go live, but they’re absolutely spectacular.
Find out more about the history of York Minster here, and read their accessibility guide here.
10) Catch A Show At The Theatre
As a lifelong theatre fan, it will probably come as no surprise that I’m encouraging you to plan a trip to the theatre. Despite being a listed building, York Theatre Royal is gorgeously accessible. There’s level access to the foyer leading through to a low counter at the Box Office, lift access to the other public floors, and a good number of accessible toilets too. You can enjoy hundreds of unique shows here throughout the year, from touring productions to those produced in-house by local talent. If you see something you like the look of, don’t forget to check out any access performances and enquire about concessionary ticket prices.
An honourable mention must also go to Grand Opera House York, which you’ll also find in the city centre. This building, constructed in 1902, is steeped in history and not quite as easy to access as a wheelchair user, although there’s been a major refurbishment over the last few years which has made a noticeable difference to the experience. This theatre tends to host the bigger, more well-known musical theatre productions as they tour the UK (as well as those from talented local and amateur theatre groups), and if you spot something you fancy seeing, I highly recommend getting in touch with the team to discuss how they can accommodate you. This venue is managed by ATG and in my experience, their customer service towards people with access requirements (including those with non-visible disabilities) is top-tier.
Find out more about York Theatre Royal and their access measures here, and find out more about Grand Opera House York and ATG’s accessibility process here. If you’re new to going to the theatre or booking access tickets, you may find this video helpful!
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Thanks so much for reading! I hope you’ve found this post useful, and that you have the best time on your trip. If you have any other recommendations for York, feel free to share them in the comments section below.
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