The National Coal Mining Museum is one of the many Museums in Northern England that Eric Knows makes it easy to find.
This venue explains Caphouse Colliery’s history through their interactive galleries and tours of the restored mine. For example, the technology gallery shows the various innovations that allowed the workers to prevail over specific challenges. Furthermore, the galleries are free to enter, allowing anybody to learn the story of those that worked underground.
Moving on, the underground tours that the venue offers allow you to step into the shoes of the workers. For instance, a tour guide will outfit visitors with hard hats and lights, then take them down into the tunnels. Moreover, the cost is based on a system where visitors deposit £5 before the tour for a brass miner’s tag, then choose whether to keep the tag and donate the money, or get a refund. The National Coal Mining Museum’s website has further details on booking underground tours, which run from 10:15am – 3:30pm.
Further, there are many other features that this venue boasts, including a nature trail, a playground, and a cafe!
Amazingly, The National Coal Mining Museum has made their entire venue accessible, even the mine itself! First of all, all galleries are funny accessible by wheelchair with ramps and wide doors. Additionally, the galleries allow guide dogs into them. For the underground tour, there is a shorter 45 minute (as opposed to 1 hour 15 minutes) tour that is fully accessible. However, electric wheelchairs are not permitted into the mine, for this reason, manual wheelchairs are available to borrow. On the other hand, the museum permits the use of hearing aids in the mine.
Additional information the the venue’s accessibility is found in the FAQs below and on their website, which includes an access statement.
To get there, taking the car or going by bus is the best idea. For cars, there is a car park that has numerous disabled as well as parent and baby spaces. There is also a £2 voluntary parking charge. By bus, the Arriva 128 goes past the museum itself, and the Yorkshire Tiger 232 stops just a few minutes walk away.
No, it is free and you only have to book for underground visits.
It is open from Wednesday-Sunday every week.
However, it closes for the 1st of January and the 25th-26th of December every year
The museum is fully accessible by wheelchair, and you can borrow a wheelchair from reception if you call.
Yes, there is a cafe where visitors can buy a meal.
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