Quiet Time Early Opening @ Imperial War Museum, London

Join us for a relaxed early opening of IWM London. This is a sensory-friendly event for families and individuals who would benefit from a quieter environment to enjoy our museum.

This free event provides a way to explore and enjoy our museum without the hustle and bustle of the general public. The event is suitable for individuals or families with members who may have sensory processing differences, autistic spectrum conditions or any other access needs.

As part of our early opening, you will be able to explore all our current exhibitions and have the opportunity to participate in family-friendly activities.

There will also be quiet rooms for those needing to take a break, a breakout space, and an indoor eating area for anyone wishing to bring their own food.

All visitors must book a free ticket online in advance. Tickets will have a suggested arrival time between 8am and 8:45am to help ensure the amount of time spent queuing to enter the museum is minimal. You may have to queue outside the museum before entering.

We will send all visitors an email around a week before the event with more information and a visual walkthrough to help you fully plan for your visit. The museum will open to the general public at 10am.

Access
· Tickets are limited to 6 per group

· There will be one entrance open, our step-free West Entrance. This entrance is accessible and can be found at the side of the building. There will be staff in the surrounding park to help direct people to the entrance. A map can be downloaded here.

· IWM London is fully accessible by wheelchair. There are manual wheelchairs available for loan on a first come first served basis. These are provided free of charge (subject to availability) and are located at the West Entrance.

· There are some limited designated disabled parking bays available (located off Brook Drive, behind IWM London). Any visitors wishing to use these bays must book them prior to the event by contacting us at RearYard@zeglobal.com or calling 020 7416 500. Please provide your vehicle model and registration number, your expected time of arrival and a contact number when requesting a space.

A visitor walks through the Second World War Galleries at IWM London
Exhibition Information
· There will be a temporary exhibition on during this event called War and the Mind exploring war’s many psychological dimensions, from the First World War to the present day.

· The museum opens to the general public at 10am. You are welcome to stay and continue to explore the museum but it may get busier after this time and any audio or visual amendments in place for the exhibitions will be removed.

· Please be aware that areas of our galleries can be quite dark and can contain loud noises and potentially distressing images. Details of where these areas are located can be found in the visual walkthrough. There will be signage at the event.

· The exhibitions are designed to encourage visitors to consider the experiences of people during conflict. In our First World War gallery there is a short, optional section that takes visitors through a replica trench. The floor in this area is textured, with low lighting and sound effects. Visitors using mobility aids, with mobility impairments, sensory processing differences or with buggies may wish to take extra care in this area, or take an alternative route that avoids this experience.

· The Holocaust galleries are not recommended for children under the age of 14. A section of the gallery features film footage of a highly graphic nature which some visitors may find distressing. There are also soundscapes in some areas of the gallery that feature high-pitched tones and rumbling. Details of these areas can be found on our website and in the visual walkthrough. There will also be signage at the event.

Facilities
· The café will be open for hot drinks and breakfast snacks.

· Accessible toilets and baby change facilities are available throughout the museum and are signposted.

· There are a small number of sensory backpacks containing items that may help your visit. They are available upon request on a first-come, first-serve basis and are free to use. Examples of what they may contain include:

Ear defenders
Sunflower lanyard.
2x fidget toys.
A simple map.
Magnifying glass.
Cuddly toy.
Pencils and grips.
Emotions fan.
Reading overlays.