The Traveling Wheelchair

Central Wharf
Boston, MA 02110
Phone: 617-973-5281
Reservations: 617-973-5206
Website: www.neaq.org

My friends, mom and I headed to the New England Aquarium in Boston today to meet up with some friends and do a wheelchair accessibility review. I’ve been to this Aquarium many times in the past and always found it very wheelchair accessible yet I wanted to do a thorough review today.

We parked in The Boston Harbor Garage because it is the closest and most convenient parking place to the Aquarium. You will have to pay full price unless you have an Aquarium membership which can save you about $15 on parking. To learn more on how to become a member of the Aquarium click on the website above. There are four handicap parking spaces on all levels by all the elevators in the garage so finding a spot is not a problem. Once you exit the garage you will be on Central Wharf in front of the Aquarium.

The first thing we noticed was that the picnic tables located in front of the Aquarium entrance are wheelchair accessible for two sides are open for a wheelchair and the other two sides have benches for your friends. Most picnic tables are not wheelchair accessible so I think this is great!

My mom and friends purchased their tickets at the ticket booth located outside and a nice employee came right over to me to tell me that my ticket was FREE. Ticket Prices are: Adults $19.95, Children $11.95, Seniors $17.95 and Disabled Wheelchair users FREE because not all of the aquarium is accessible. The IMAX Theatre tickets are also on sale at the Aquarium ticket booth and the cost is:  Adult $9.95, Child $7.95, Seniors $7.95. There is no disability discount because the theatre is fully wheelchair accessible.

We entered the lobby of the Aquarium and met our friends. We all spoke with Tony, the very nice Communications Director. Tony told us that the Aquarium is very wheelchair accessible except for the upper level that has stairs leading to the top of the Giant Ocean Tank. He said that the Aquarium has a three to five year plan to redo that part and try to make it fully accessible to all! Tony told us the Aquarium has three levels and an elevator. All the restrooms are wheelchair accessible and there are two Family Restrooms on the second level which is on the same floor as a Café. My friends and I thanked him for his time spent with us.

There are loaner wheelchairs available in the lobby area for persons to use in the Aquarium. If you want to check out all of the special services they offer to the disabled just click on the website above!

The first floor restrooms are located to the left of the lobby. The restroom here is very spacious and easy to maneuver a wheelchair. There is a large handicap stall with all the ADA required safety grab bars. The accessible sinks are nice but don’t have the protective covering around the exposed pipes underneath as is now ADA required.

After using the restroom we headed to the first floor exhibit area. I was very happy to see that here is a button to push and the door opens automatically! The first animals I saw were the cute little Penguins. The Penguins stand tall on hills or swim in the water. There is a half wall you look over to see the Penguins and it was a little high but manageable for me to peak over. Plus in some areas along the wall  have windows where I can get a great view!

We then headed across the way to see and learn about frogs. John, a very nice Aquarium Volunteer came right over to me and showed me the video screen in front of the window of frogs which provides much information about all kinds of frogs. The video screen is a perfect height for my wheelchair.

Next to the frog exhibit we saw a Critical Care Unit which is a hospital for very sick animals. Some of the animals are even on life support and we saw 3 baby Sting Rays in a tank that looked like they may be receiving some oxygen. I love all animals so I am glad to see how well the Aquarium cares for their animals.

We then went up a very steep sloped walkway that led to the second level. I was in my manual wheelchair today because my Power Chair is broken and Kevin my friend pushed my wheelchair all the way up. My Power Chair would have no problem getting up this slope but it would be difficult for a person in a manual wheelchair to self propel up this slope and difficult for some persons to push a manual wheelchair. I would recommend all manual wheelchair users to take the elevator up to the second level.

Once on the second level I got a great close up view of the Giant Ocean Tank. There are small video screens along the tank that tell much about all the great animals of the sea that swim in this huge circular tank. The tank is four stories high and holds more than 200,000 gallons of water! My friend Ric really wanted to get a picture of one of the large and beautiful sharks that swim in here but the sharks swam by too fast for him to get a picture. My friends and I laughed as he ran around trying to catch a shark on film!

There is a sloped cement walkway spiraling up alongside of the Giant Ocean Tank. My friend Kevin pushed my manual wheelchair up this slope and said it was difficult. My Power Chair would have no problem. A person self propelling a wheelchair should bring a friend to give them a push up this sloped walkway.

Along the other sides of the Giant Ocean Tank are other exhibits and galleries. There was a large video screen on one wall that showed sharks and I was glad to see it had closed caption for the hard of hearing. I also enjoyed seeing an exhibit of star fish and many other fish in a smaller tanks. All exhibits are displayed at a great height for us in wheelchairs to see.

When we reached the top of the spiral walkway around the Giant Ocean Tank I saw the stairs that lead to the top of the tank for all others to view. In a few years I do hope I can access this area too!

We then took the ELEVATOR to the Harbor View Café located on the second floor. The nicest thing about this elevator is that there is a handicap sign on it that states ‘Wheelchair and Stroller Access Only’ so the elevator never gets too crowded.  The elevator has a door you enter and the other side has a door you exit so you don’t need to turn your wheelchair around to exit. These are my favorite kind of elevators!

The Harbor View Café is very wheelchair accessible. It is cafeteria style with fast food. The food is all reachable and at a good height for a person in a wheelchair. The cashier counter is also accessible and a good height as well as the tables to dine at. It is probably best to sit at one of the far tables by the back windows so your wheelchair will not be in anyone’s way and here is the best view too.

My friends checked out the 2 Family restrooms located on the second level. They are large single restrooms and have all the ADA required safety grab bars but the pipes under the accessible sinks are not yet covered as is now ADA required. It is a new ADA regulation so the Aquarium may not be aware.

It was getting late so we said goodbye to our friends and headed out. We did miss going into the Aquarium Gift Shop and seeing the Amazing Jellies so I will come back soon to see this. Tony, the Communications Director told us that the Amazing Jellies exhibit is very wheelchair accessible and wonderful to see for the fish are beautiful!

Right Outside in front of the Aquarium is a really neat tank with seals swimming all around. I got a great close up view of the seals while sitting in my wheelchair and Ric finally got a great picture of me with a big animal of the sea!  It wasn’t a shark but he was happy with the seal!

I give New England Aquarium FOUR STARS. In order to earn the other Star they need to cover the exposed pipes under the restrooms’ accessible sinks and make the top of the Giant Ocean Tank wheelchair accessible so all can see!