Accessibility
Welcome to your Science Center.
The Saint Louis Science Center believes that science is for everyone and welcomes guests of all backgrounds and ability levels. By creating a place where everyone can discover together, we’re working to forge the future of our region — where St. Louis is located at the center of science, and science is at the center of a more connected world.
Parking
The Oakland building and James S. McDonnell Planetarium parking lots feature parking dedicated for vehicles displaying disabled placards. Guests may wish to drop off individuals with mobility concerns in the circle drive in front of each building entrance prior to parking in the desired lot.
Disability Grievance Procedure
It is the policy of the Saint Louis Science Center not to discriminate on the basis of disability. The Saint Louis Science Center has adopted a grievance procedure which provides for prompt and equitable resolution of complaints which allege any action prohibited by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), and applicable state law.
Groups with accessibility questions or special programming requests should contact our Group Sales Manager at 314.286.4680.
KultureCity® Partnership
One-in-four individuals have a sensory need or invisible disability, where sights, sounds, smells and feels can become overwhelming or physically painful. To help those guests and their families better enjoy their experience at the Science Center, we have partnered with KultureCity®, the nation’s leading nonprofit on sensory accessibility and acceptance for those with invisible disabilities.
With loud noises, constant motion and large crowds, a visit to the Science Center can be difficult for some individuals. Through the KultureCity partnership, the Science Center offers our social story that previews what guests can expect to experience before, during and after their visit.
The partnership has also provided sensory bags — a collection of items that may help to calm overstimulating situations. These bags are available to guests free of charge at the box offices in the main lobby of both the Oakland and Planetarium buildings, as well as through guest services and security personnel. Bags are available on a first-come, first-served basis and must be returned to Science Center staff before leaving.
Sensory bags include:
- Noise-cancelling headphones
- A Wacky Track fidget
- A Monkey Tube fidget
- A Marble fidget
- A Visual Cue Card/Feeling Thermometer
- KultureCity® VIP Lanyards
- An optional sensory item is the weighted lap pad. There are two available upon request.
In addition to the sensory bags, dedicated areas are established to help calm overstimulated guests. You can recognize them through signs located around the Science Center:
- Quiet Areas: These places are typically quieter than other locations of the building and are a good place to go if you require a quieter setting.
- Headphone Zones: These places are consistently louder than others — such as the Energy Stage, Game XPloration gallery and around the Energizer Ball Machine on the first and second floors of the Oakland building. Wearing headphones can help to make these areas quieter.
You can request these items at our Visitor Service area in the main lobby of the Science Center.
Sensory Friendly Science Time
The Science Center is known for its hands-on STEM learning experiences, but we know that some of our exhibits can be overwhelming for those with special sensory needs. We offer Sensory Friendly Science Time on Sundays from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
The entire building will be open, but the following accommodations will be in place:
- The T-Rex roar in the Earth Sciences gallery will be turned off and the ball machine in the main lobby will be off until 1:00 PM.
- The 12:00 PM and 1:15 PM OMNIMAX® shows will feature sensory-friendly adjustments, such as reduced volume and enhanced lighting. All are welcome!
- The Energy Stage Show at 11:30 AM will be much quieter.
Across the entire Science Center guests will experience:
- Noise-reduction practices
- Modified lighting
- And more…
Explore the Wonder of Why in a quieter setting on Sundays!
Additional Accommodations
Strollers, Wheelchairs and Motorized Scooters
Elevators and ramps serve all public areas, including the OMNIMAX Theater, McDonnell Planetarium, and GROW Pavilion and Gallery. Convenient wheelchair-accessible seating for the OMNIMAX is available via the third-floor theater entrance.
As noted above, wheelchairs and strollers are free to rent and are available in the lobbies of the Oakland building and the McDonnell Planetarium. The Science Center also has a limited number of motorized scooters available for a $25 rental fee. Please ask a Guest Services team member, and they will be happy to assist you. Please note that supplies are limited.
Closed Captioning and Assistive Hearing Devices
OMNIMAX® Theater
The OMNIMAX Theater offers an enhanced accessibility experience for everyone. This includes:
More accessible seating space for guests in wheelchairs and their guests available on the 3rd floor. Guests who are in wheelchairs, use walkers, or have difficulty with stairs should enter via the 3rd floor.
Adjustable captioning devices allow guests to see captions for their film by using a cupholder device that they can adjust within their view. This is available for all films shown in the theater. They are Dolby Captiview devices.
Hearing assistance devices with optional Descriptive Video Services (DVS). This allows guests with visual and hearing impairments to hear audio more clearly or hear descriptive narration of the film alongside film audio through headphones. DVS/Descriptive Narration is available for all films unless otherwise noted.
A hearing loop assisted listening system is installed in the theater. Guests can easily switch their hearing aid or cochlear implant to the T-Coil (telecoil) setting, and the theater audio is directly transmitted to their device. The service is compatible with at least 70% of hearing aids currently in use. If guests do not have a device with a T-Coil, our staff also offers headphones that amplify the theater audio.
To access these devices or for more information speak with an OMNIMAX Theater staff member.
James S. McDonnell Planetarium
The McDonnell Planetarium also offers hearing assist devices for star shows. When calling in for a group reservation, please let your reservationist know you’re interested in a hearing assist device.
Service Animals
Service animals are welcome inside the Science Center as they are specifically trained to aid a person with a disability. Emotional support animals and pets are not allowed.
Website Accessibility
Accessibility for our website guests is very important to the Saint Louis Science Center. We have many onsite tools that help our guests make the most of their experience, and now we offer better accessibility through our website to be more inclusive. When you see the icon for accessibility, you have such options as:
- A built-in screen reader
- Ability to adjust contrast
- Visually highlighting links
- Adjusting text size and spacing
- Hiding images
- Dyslexia friendly fonts
and much much more!
You can also move it to another part of your screen, or hide it if you do not require accessibility assistance. By clicking/tapping on the icon, you can scroll to the bottom of the widget and choose “Move/Hide Widget” and position or hide the tool as you see fit.
People who use the widget can set it and forget it. The next time you visit, your settings are ready to go to make your digital experience better!
A Safe Place
Project Safe Place is a national crisis prevention program for children and teens. Youth In Need is the regional provider of Safe Place services in eastern Missouri. If a young person needs help for any reason, they can go to any business displaying the yellow and black Safe Place sign. The Saint Louis Science Center is an official Safe Place site. This means Science Center staff are trained to call a designated help line that sends a Safe Place case worker to assess the situation, provide aid and pick up the child or teen if necessary. Project Safe Place is an accessible and confidential way for children and teens to get immediate help and provides an opportunity for them to act when a situation has become dangerous.
Why would a young person need Safe Place help? If they are: A runaway, lost, in danger, being abused, locked out of the house, kidnapped, having trouble at home or school, avoiding a bully, on an unsafe date or in the car with an unsafe or drunk driver.
Questions?
For questions or concerns about accessibility, or special programming, please contact our team at 314.289.4400. Guest Service Comment Cards are also available upon request if you wish to provide feedback after your visit.
