Wheelchair Friendly Attractions Around the World

Tourist attractions are becoming more accessible all the time; for wheelchair users, travelers with guide dogs and for those who may have mobility issues. While most tourist attractions around the world offer good wheelchair access and facilities, the following still tend to be the best wheelchair friendly attractions.

Natural Sites

My mom and I loved riding the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls – ponchos and all!

Most parks here in the United States acknowledge the importance of providing a range of outdoor recreation opportunities for people of all abilities. With that said, many of the trails, parking areas, facilities and shelters in national parks across the country are made easily accessible for the average walker, scooter and wheelchair user. Many hotels that are situated close to national parks have taken the same stance so when it comes to visiting the almighty Niagara Falls for example, you won’t have any trouble finding a wheelchair friendly Niagara Falls Marriott hotel for the duration of your stay.

Theme Parks

Cinderella’s Castle at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Theme parks try to be inclusive of just about everyone, from adults and small children to people with accessibility issues and others. Typically, someone in a wheelchair will receive special treatment when visiting a theme park and, in many cases, they might be able to skip to the front of a long queue for a roller coaster, for instance, or they might be a favorite of the park mascots who want to take photos with them.

Some of the best parks for accommodating special needs guests include the international locations of Disney World and Disney Land worldwide; the multiple LEGOLAND’s sprinkled around the globe, including in Carlsbad, CA (two weeks’ notice requested); and Morgan’s Wonderland in San Antonio, TX, where they proudly boast that every single ride is completely accessible to guests with disabilities.

Museums

I found the world at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

If you are lover of fine art, history, and the relics of cultures past and present, then perhaps a museum of worldwide prestige is what you are looking for when you go on vacation. Fortunately, there is no shortage of museums around the world that cater to curious guests with accessibility issues. These include the Science Museum in London, which was recognized in 2010 as one of England’s best accessible visitor attractions. Also in London is the Tate Modern Museum, a bastion of modern art that not only offers wheelchairs to their guests, but also has touch tours, sign language multimedia, and audio guides for people with a range of disabilities.

In New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is well known for its programs that have been specifically designed for persons with disabilities – just remember to enter at the 5^th avenue entrance for wheelchair accessibility. Finally, the Louvre in Paris is one of the oldest, most famous museums in the world and has 20 wheelchair lifts and 18 elevators, making sure that navigating its vast expanse is no more difficult for wheelchair users than it is for walkers.

As you can see, from the national parks of the U.S. to the most famous museums in all of Europe, millions of tourist attractions around the world have made some remarkable developments toward opening its doors to everyone, including those with limited mobility.