Accessibility

Steamtown National Historic Site is generally accessible, with the exception of some historic locomotives and railroad cars. IMPORTANT NOTE: Some train rides/excursions are NOT accessible. Please explain your accessibility needs before purchasing train ride tickets at the Ticket Booth. We are working to correct accessibility deficiencies to ensure an enjoyable experience for all of our visitors.

General Information

Parking

Designated accessible parking is available at the front of the main lot. There are 6 accessible-reserved spots.

Entrances and Exits

The entrances and exits to our Visitor Center, History and Technology Museums, Theater, and Roundhouse have push-button doors. NOTE: The Theater is currently closed to the public.

Elevators

The public use elevators located in the Visitor Center and the History and Technology Museums are currently out of service. NOTE: The upstairs floors of the museums are currently closed to the public.

Restrooms

All restrooms throughout the Museum Complex have wheelchair accessible stalls. There is one restroom per train car on rides and excursions, but they are not suitable for wheelchair access.

Water

There are public water fountains located in the Visitor Center by the restrooms, in front of the Park Store (includes a pet bowl), and in the Technology Museum. There is also a water fountain at Track 9 in the locomotive shop, which visitors can use during shop tours. NOTE: The water fountain in front of the Park Store is seasonal (not available in the winter) and is on top of a grate; the water fountain located in the Technology Museum is not wheelchair accessible. The Park Store sells water.

Temperature

The HVAC system in the Visitor Center and Technology Museum is currently down, and the History Museum does not have AC. There is temporary heating in the Visitor Center in the winter. The historic train cars are not climate controlled and do not always provide heating on excursions. Train rides in the summer can get hot and, during our fall and winter excursions, temperatures can drop to below freezing. Please plan your visit accordingly.

Excursions

Some excursions are not accessible or may not fit your accessibility needs. For station accessibility information for each of our excursions, please refer to our Station Accessibility Guide.

America the Beautiful Access Pass

There is no fee to enter the park. However, many other parks do have a fee. If you are interested in visiting another park that charges an entrance fee, consider the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Access Pass (opens in new tab)– also called the Access Pass. The Access Pass is a free lifetime pass available to U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities.

 

This tactile graphic of our steam engine cutaway can be found in the Technology Museum, along with other tactile exhibits.

NPS

Improved Access to Exhibits at Steamtown NHS

Steamtown National Historic Site (NHS) published a News Release on November 20, 2019, to announce updates to our recent accessibility project. The Park completed new permanent exhibits that were universally designed to enhance site orientation and visitor understanding. The exhibits, located in the Visitor Center and Technology Museum, were funded through the National Park Service’s Targeted Accessibility Improvement Program (TAIP) and took several years to design, produce, and install.

Steamtown NHS staff worked with a host of experts, including Harpers Ferry Center and the National Center on Accessibility in developing the interpretive exhibits. Perhaps most importantly, Steamtown NHS staff welcomed local residents with mobility, hearing, and sight challenges to review ideas and project prototypes to help ensure that the final products would meet the needs of all visitors coming to the park.

For details on our new project, please follow the link above to read the news release.

If you would like additional information, you may call the Park at [phone].

 

Service Animals

Service animals are allowed in national parks. For a definition of a service animal, please see the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) definition.