About Relaxed Morning: National Museum of Flight

Join us for a Relaxed Morning at the National Museum of Flight, for anyone who would appreciate a calmer visit to the museum.

Friendly staff will be there to give you a warm welcome and support your visit, as you explore the museum without noisy interactives and videos to give a more relaxed environment.

This session is primarily for, but not limited to, families with neurodivergent children, neurodivergent young people and adults, adults living with dementia, adults and children with mental health problems, and any other visitors with sensory needs or who may prefer a more relaxed experience, plus their families, friends and carers.

The Relaxed Morning includes access to the entirety of the museum, excluding the Concorde Theatre which will instead be available as a quiet space.

At 12:00 sound will be switched back on. Visitors to this session are welcome to remain at the museum for as long as they like. A quiet space will be available in the Concorde Theatre from 10:00 – 12:30, please speak to a member of staff for directions. 

We also offer monthly Relaxed Mornings at the National Museum of Scotland and the National Museum of Rural Life.

Additional information

What does ‘relaxed’ mean?

‘Relaxed’ means the following changes will be made and additional resources offered:

Where possible, loud sounds from audio-visual displays, interactives and films will be reduced or switched off.
Our Visitor Experience team and other staff will be available to answer questions and support your visit – we’ll be looking out for sunflower lanyards too.
Some sensory backpacks are available for children to borrow to enhance their visit.
There will be signage around the museum, alerting visitors to the time slot being a ‘relaxed’ session, and signposting noisier and busier galleries that cannot be adapted. Please note we are unable to reduce the sound of the interactives in Fantastic Flight.
A quiet space will be available.

Planning and preparing for your visit

Download a map of the museum to help you plan your route.

FAQs

Why is the museum offering Relaxed Mornings?

We are committed to supporting all visitors to access our collections and enjoy visiting us. Based on feedback we have received from neurodivergent visitors, we are offering Relaxed Mornings once a month, providing an environment that supports the needs of neurodivergent visitors and those with other sensory needs.

Why has the museum switched off the audiovisual content?

We have received feedback from autistic visitors who told us that they struggled to visit due to sensory overload from multiple devices playing sound. In some cases, we are unable to only switch off the sound, so to reduce the noise we have completely switched off audiovisuals. They will be switched on again at 12:00.

Why are some of the galleries so dark?

Due to the fragile nature of some of our collections, we have to keep lighting levels low in some areas in order to protect them. Our sensory map can help you identify darker and lighter galleries and torches are available to borrow at the Museum information desks if this would help improve your experience.

Why have some areas not changed but instead have signage to warn visitors about noise?

We have three spaces in the museum that are highly interactive, with multiple noisy devices and videos playing. Unfortunately, it is impossible to remove sound from these spaces. The best approach was to highlight these areas as ones with potential noise so that visitors can choose to avoid them or wear ear defenders.

Where can I go if I am experiencing sensory overload?

During Relaxed Mornings, we will provide a quiet space in the Concorde Theatre. Staff will be able to provide directions and information about this on the day.

How can I provide feedback on my experience of a Relaxed Morning?

We are always keen to hear from visitors about their visit. We have just started Relaxed Mornings and will continue to adapt our offer as best we can from the feedback we receive. We have feedback cards with questions about your visit at our Relaxed Morning and would appreciate you taking the time to complete them. Or you can email any feedback to communities@nms.ac.uk.

Do I need to stay for the whole morning?

The relaxed morning is an open session so please arrive and leave whenever you want. However, we will only be offering reduced sound levels between 10:00 and 12:00. You can continue to use borrowed resources (e.g. sensory backpacks and maps) after this time.

Access

We want everyone who comes to our museums to enjoy their time with us and make the most of their visit. 

The site is wheelchair accessible and wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge.   
The hangars have ramped access, however, due to the historic nature of our collection, Concorde is not accessible to everyone.  
Adapted toilets are available.
Guide dogs, hearing dogs and other recognised assistance dogs are admitted.

Find out more about our access information.