Site accessibility

We regard access to education, exhibitions, and the site as being a priority.

Cliffs and beach

Due to the rugged nature of the beach and cliffs, they are not generally accessible to wheelchairs or those with limited mobility.

Visitor centre

The Visitor Centre was designed to be barrier-free and its facilities include:

• Accessible parking and access ramps onto walkways
• External walkways are compact gravel and accessible for wheel chairs
• Powered doors
• Public washrooms which meet building code for wheelchair users
• All public areas are on a single level with wide doors and ample access around exhibits, the gift shop, and the café
• The Roundhouse Cafe has a lowered counter for ease of access
• We can present a tactile exhibit of fossils from our collection for those with impaired visibility
• There is a large-print printed version of our "Big Ideas" movie for those with hearing difficulties
• Dioramas of the beach are set into the floors to enable those who can not access the beach to discover fossils in the comfort of the centre
• Personal verbal interpretation for visitors who have visual impairment and can not view our printed interpretation panels

Very few areas are not accessible, one being our hollow tree exhibit, which due to its nature is not accessible for wheelchair users but does provide auditory interpretation of the sounds of a carboniferous forest.

The Joggins Fossil Institute is continually looking at ways to improve access for all and it is often the smaller things that help, so our gift shop staff are always happy to help visitors access merchandise, which is out of reach. A member of our team will give a helping hand if you just need someone to lean on on your way down to the beach and our cafe team will, of course carry your food and drinks across to your table for you if you find this difficult sometimes.

Please email us if you have any specific questions or worries about visiting our site.