Museum Accessibility

Visual Accessibility

The museum offers many touchable experiences that are marked by green “Please Touch” signs. You can call ahead to schedule a docent tour.

Here’s a testimonial from one family: “Not only was the place entirely wheelchair accessible but there were so so so many *please touch* displays that he could feel that he had a blast and really didn't feel like he was missing out without his sight.”

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or Special Sensory Needs

The University of Michigan Museum of Natural HIstory is pleased to welcome children and families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or sensory needs to visit.  

There is a quiet space available for those who need a break from stimulation.  It is located on the Lower Level by the restrooms and is called the Personal Room.  Please ask at the Welcome Desk in the atrium if you need assistance.

Family restrooms are located on the lower level and on the 2nd floor by the elevator. All of the restrooms have either paper towels or paper towels and hand dryers.

Sensory tools, pictured below, are available for check-out at the Welcome Desk in the atrium.  

The U-M Museum of Natural History is proud to join hundreds of museums around the country in partnership with Museums for All, an access program that focuses on removing the barriers to visiting museums and cultural centers and encouraging individuals of all backgrounds to build lifelong museum habits.

Museums for All is an initiative of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency based in Washington, D.C. The initiative is administered by the Association of Children’s Museums through a cooperative agreement with IMLS. It is the only nationally coordinated financial accessibility program in the museum field, providing an easy-to-implement structure and the ability for participating museums to customize their implementation.

Who can participate in the Museum of Natural History’s Museums for All programming?

Through Museums for All, individuals receiving food assistance (SNAP benefits) can gain free or reduced admission to more than 700 museums throughout the United States simply by presenting their SNAP EBT (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Electronic Benefit Transfer) card.  

The U-M Museum of Natural History’s admission is already free for everyone, but with Museums for All, EBT cardholders receive a 10% discount in the U-M Museum of Natural History Museum Store. 

Be sure to visit these nearby Museums for All partners:

• University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA)
• Kelsey Museum of Archaeology
• Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum