A Place for Everyone to Discover!
From personal care assistants to mobility devices to medical assistance, the Science Center offers a variety of services to help all guests discover STEM all around them.
ASL Interpreters
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation often provides the most effective communication for people who are deaf. An interpreter can be arranged to provide tours of the Museum or supplement any of the Museum’s performances. Please make arrangements for an interpreter at least two weeks prior to your visit by contacting us at 434.791.5160.
Digital Dome Theater
- Wheelchair-accessible seating is located toward the front of the Digital Dome Theater and is accessed through the main entrance. Dome operators are ready and willing to assist you.
- The main elevator provides wheelchair and stroller access for guests directly into the Dome.
Elevators
- The Science Center has elevators connecting guests with every level of the facility.
Map Guide
- Available at the Guest Services desk, the map guide contains a floor plan of the Science Center for easier navigation.
Medical and Emergency Assistance
- Our Guest Services team is here to help in the event of a medical emergency. Please see Guest Services staff at the desk located in either lobby if you have any medical needs while at the Science Center.
- Several portable defibrillators (AEDs) are located in Science Central. Staff has been trained in their use.
Mobility Devices
- Wheelchairs (including manual or electric single-seat chairs and electric mobility seated scooters) and other manually operated mobility devices including walkers, crutches, canes, and braces, are permitted in all public areas of the Science Center.
- The Science Center also has wheelchairs available for use free of charge from Guest Services on a first-come basis.
Parking and Entrance
- The Science Center parking is ample and free. Spaces near the front of the parking lots are designated for guests with disabilities.
- Guest drop-off and pickup is allowed at the Science Center’s main entrance.
Personal Care Assistants
- The Science Center offers free admission for a paid Personal Care Assistant (PCA) accompanying a guest with a severe disability who needs the PCA’s assistance due to that disability as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The guest may request a free admission for the PCA at the Guest Services desk in the Science Center lobby, and the PCA will receive, free of charge, the same admission pass that was purchased by the guest.
Restrooms
- Accessible family restrooms are located throughout all public spaces.
Service Animals
- Service animals are welcome on all levels of the Science Center.