Transportation museum hosting Sensory Friendly Day – Salisbury Post

SPENCER — The N.C. Transportation Museum will have special morning hours on April 6 to welcome guests for a Sensory Friendly Day. Specialized programming will be available from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. and will be designed to help visitors with sensory issues enjoy the museum and its exhibits. 

Trained museum educators and volunteers will be available around the museum with specially designed interactive activities to create a meaningful experience at a variety of exhibits. The museum will provide social narratives and maps for guests upon arrival. To help guests prepare for the day, those materials are also available for download in advance at www.nctransportationmuseum.org/sensory-friendly-day/.  Visual supporting materials, such as schedules and sensory-friendly maps, will be available to help guide individuals through their preferred routes. There will be quiet/calm down spaces identified throughout the museum and highlighted on a detailed event map. 

Fun and engaging activities will be provided for individuals of all ages with autism spectrum disorder, filled with opportunities to learn, interact and enjoy exhibits that the museum has to offer. The museum is open exclusively for those with sensory challenges and their families from 9 a.m. until noon and opens fully to the public from noon until 5 p.m. Activities related to the event end at 1 p.m., but guests are welcome to stay longer during the regular public hours.

Train rides will be available for Sensory Friendly Day guests at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m., providing a 25-minute ride around the museum property when the train is less crowded. Participants can also take rides aboard restored motor cars, which are railroad maintenance vehicles operated by the Red Springs & Northern Foundation. The regular N.C. Transportation Museum exhibits will be available including model trains and more.

“Our Sensory Friendly Day opens the museum to an audience that is more comfortable in smaller groups, with less noise and more structured programming than on a larger event day when the sights, sounds and crowds can become overwhelming,” Executive Director Kelly Alexander said. We are happy to offer this inclusive programming to our guests who are often fascinated by trains, planes, automobiles and trucks.”

Each ticket includes entrance to the museum and access to all museum exhibits on the 60-acre site. Ticket prices for admission only are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors or military, and $4 for children 3-12 years old. Children under 3 are free. Ticket prices for admission and one train ride are $16 for adults, $14 for seniors or military, and $12 for children 3-12 years old. Children under 3 are free. Tax and ticket fees apply. The event is sponsored by CompleatKidz and Novant Health. 

For more information about the event, a complete schedule of events and activities, and to purchase tickets, go to www.nctransportationmuseum.org/sensory-friendly-day/or call the N.C. Transportation Museum at 704-636-2889.