Your visit

Welcome to the Cooper Gallery. We want all visitors to enjoy their visit and be as accessible and inclusive as possible. As we are always looking to improve our access, we welcome any visitor feedback on this.

Our friendly team will always be on hand to welcome you to our venues and help you with any questions you may have about your visit. In the meantime, have a look at the information below to help you plan your day with us.

Please see our access vision.

Find us on Euan's guide

We have a Visit England Accessibility Guide.

Getting here and parking

There are various options for town centre parking available close to the museum, many of which are free at the weekend. They include Gateway Plaza, Peel Parade, Sackville Street and Market Hill.

There is a bus station (Barnsley Interchange) 0.3 miles from the museum and a bus stop over the road. All buses in Barnsley are wheelchair and pushchair accessible. The route from Barnsley Interchange to the Museum is uphill.

You can find out more about parking in Barnsley here.

Admission and opening times

Free admission
Opening times, Monday - Saturday, 10 - 4. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.
Cafe opening times - Monday - Saturday, 9.30 - 3pm. Closed Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Training

Our staff have disability awareness training. Some have Makaton training.

Food and Drink

The Gallery is home to two warm and welcoming cafes serving a delicious range of food and drink. Impressions is situated inside the Gallery and Joshua’s at the Cooper found in the recently converted cottages. Both are perfect for a light lunch or afternoon tea.

Please note that the café only accepts cash payments. To contact the café call 07470753315

Contact us

Telephone: 01226 775678

Email: coopergallery@barnsley.gov.uk

We aim to respond to all enquiries within 3 working days.

Visitors who are wheelchair users or whose mobility is limited

Level access entry from Church Street
Lifts available to all floors and outside spaces
Seating available throughout the Gallery. Portable seating is also available.
Accessible toilets are available next to the café
There are Changing Places available in the Town Hall and in the Library at the Lightbox, both less than half a mile away in the town centre. A radar key is required for the Town Hall facility, if you do not have one you can request one at the main reception desk in the Town Hall (Monday - Friday) and in the shop at Experience Barnsley (Saturday). The Town Hall building is closed on Sundays.

Visitors who are D/deaf or have hearing loss

Portable hearing loops available on the front desk - please speak to a member of staff for further information
Subtitles on films
Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the Gallery

Visitors who are Blind or partially sighted

Assistance dogs are welcome in all areas of the Gallery

Audio Descriptions

We have audio descriptions of a selection objects from our collections.

We will have a descriptive audio guide of our 'Light and Soul' exhibition at the Cooper Gallery available from 7 August until 7 October, developed by VocalEyes. This will include descriptive directions for navigating the exhibition and audio descriptions of 21 of the artworks. Please collect your audio device from the front desk at the Cooper Gallery, located in the shop to the left of the main entrance. Please provide your own headphones for this, either bluetooth or wired headphones will work. Alternatively, you can listen to the guide on your own device via our website.

Autistic visitors and vistors with learning difficulties or who are neurodivergent

We have visual stories for each of our sites
We have a 360 tour of the Cooper Gallery available
Our garden area is usually a relaxed and calm environment, but please check our events page for details of activities that maybe taking place on specific days.
We have sensory backpacks available to borrow from our shop desk including ear defenders, fidget toys, soft toys and coloured filters. These are free of charge, please return them to the front desk at the end of your visit. We also have sunflower lanyards available to borrow free of charge for the duration of your visit.

We are holding relaxed openings at the Cooper Gallery and Experience Barnsley on the following dates in 2023:

Monday 30 October
Saturday 18 November
Saturday 9 December

Interactives will be turned down or off to create a quieter experience for visitors who prefer it. We can never guarantee how quiet or busy the Gallery might be on these sessions however we will not book in any groups or school visits on these days.

Please note that although music and interactives will be turned down, we do still have a busy cafe onsite which may generate some noise in the entrance to the Gallery and in the shop.

If you are visiting outside of our relaxed opening hours, our quietest times are usually at the start and end of the day. The Cooper Gallery is usually a quiet and relaxed space but please check our What's On page for details of any special events which may mean we are busier. Noise from the cafe can sometimes be heard on Gallery at lunchtimes and busy periods. During term time, we may have school groups in between 10am and 2pm, and during the school holidays we may be busy with family visitors. Please note our cafe closes at 3pm, so noise levels will be reduced after then.