Plan Your Visit

The North Carolina Museum of Art strives to be accessible to all visitors. Read the Museum's Public Accessibility Policy here.

Accessibility and Inclusion News for Patrons with Disabilities

The Museum’s Visitor Services staff is working to make the NCMA more inclusive and welcoming to children and adult visitors with disabilities. We are working with Arts Access and other local partners to gather information on accessibility needs, provide staff training, and increase accommodations during exhibitions and events. If you would like to be connected to these efforts and receive news about upcoming events, sign up for our new monthly newsletter! 

Downloadable social narratives for the Museum galleries and Museum Park and a suggested visual schedule are available for visitors who have family members or companions with autism, intellectual disabilities, or other barriers who would benefit from reading them before their visit.

If you have a question, concern, or suggestion about accessibility, call us at (919) 664-6743 or send email.

• Free ADA-compliant parking is available.
• Curb cuts are located at all entrances to the Museum.
• Motorized and regular wheelchairs of standard size as well as rollators are available free of charge and may be checked out at the information desks in both buildings.
• Noise cancellation headsets are available from the Box Office.
• Elevators are available to all floors of East Building. West Building is a single story.
• Accessible restrooms are available in West Building and on the top three levels of East Building.
• Family restrooms are available in the Education Lobby of East Building. Please ask a guard for assistance to access the family restrooms in West Building.
• Museum entrances have automatic doors.
• Service animals are welcome.
• Although the Museum Park includes some paved trails, wheelchairs are not recommended because of steep grades in the natural landscape.

Hearing

• Assistive listening devices are available from audiovisual staff in the SECU Auditorium and available for docent-guided tours at the Information Desk in West Building.
• School and public docent-led tours including American Sign Language (ASL) are available upon request with at least four weeks notice. Contact Jen Coon, (919) 664-6820.
• A written transcript of the Cell Phone Tour is available at the Information Desk in West Building.
• The SECU Auditorium features a hearing loop to provide improved accessibility for visitors with telecoils. The hearing loop is available for film screenings, lectures, and other programs in the auditorium.

Vision

• Braille is on all Museum directional signs and elevators.
• Large-print label text is available at the entrance to special exhibitions.
• Audio description is provided for select outdoor films by Arts Access Inc.
• Docent-led tactile tours are available for visitors with vision loss. Please request these tours at least four weeks in advance. Contact Michelle Harrell, (919) 664-6853.
• Large-print labels for selected works in the permanent collection are available at West Building Information Desk.

General Amenities

• Strollers are available free of charge and may be checked out at the Information Desk in West or East Building.
• Coat check is available free of charge and is located behind the Information Desk in West Building and East Building.
• Lockers are available free of charge and are located behind the Information Desk in West Building and East Building.
• Drinking fountains are located behind the Information Desk in West Building and on the top three levels of East Building.
• First aid assistance is available by alerting any Museum guard.
• Patrons requiring accessible seating for events in the amphitheater and wishing to purchase tickets online should buy general admission tickets, including any necessary companion tickets. When you arrive at the amphitheater, a guard at the entrance gate will show you to your designated seating area.

Admission to the Museum’s permanent collection and Museum Park is free. Admission is charged to visit West Building and the permanent collection during the annual four-day fundraiser Art in Bloom.

There is a charge for some special exhibitions and programs, such as concerts, films, classes, and performances.

Enhance your visit with a docent-guided tour.

Explore a variety of engaging programs for toddlers, teens, and everyone in between. Make cool art, see live performances, or take a family-friendly tour of the Museum. Our programs and in-gallery materials invite you to look, talk, and interpret works of art together.

• Learn more about amenities and upcoming events for families.
• See special opportunities for teens, including the Teen Arts Council and teen art exhibition.
• Find more information on programming for college students, the College Advisory Council, annual College Night, and more.

Take public transportation to the NCMA via the GoRaleigh bus route 27. Information about the bus is available on GoRaleigh’s website. The Museum's two bus stops are located at District Drive and the main Museum entrance near Reedy Creek Road.

Visitor Parking

Visitor parking is free and available in the Blue Ridge lot, on the right after entering the Museum drive. Overflow parking is behind West Building, on the left after entering the Museum drive.

Visitor Drop-off

Visitor drop-off is located between West and East buildings and can be reached by turning left after entering the Museum drive and following the signs.

General Policies

Please do not touch the works of art, as natural oils from hands and fingers can significantly damage these treasured objects. Please remain an arm’s length away from all objects.

Large packages, bags, briefcases, or other such objects are subject to search before entering the Museum and are prohibited in galleries. Check large items and bags at the lockers behind the Information Desk in either building. Suitcases and luggage are not allowed to be checked.

Strollers are welcome in the Museum; however, their use may be restricted near fragile art or in busy galleries.

Any object that may pose a hazard to artwork or visitors is prohibited. These objects include, but are not limited to, umbrellas, food and drink, backpacks, lasers, gum, and knives. No firearms are allowed on Museum property.

Only service dogs and miniature horses are permitted in the Museum.

Photography, Video Shoots, and Unmanned Aircraft Systems Policies

Still photography of the permanent collection is permitted on condition that the photographs are for personal, noncommercial use. Flash photography is acceptable unless it disrupts other visitors’ experiences. Tripods, lights, tracks, selfie sticks, and other types of equipment are prohibited. Monopods may be used at the discretion of security.

Bridal or wedding party photography is permitted only if the party is renting space at the Museum as a special events venue. All other bridal or wedding photography/filming are governed by the commercial photo shoot policy, outlined below.

Commercial photography and filming intended for commercial use is prohibited unless prior written approval by the NCMA is granted. See the full commercial filming and photography policy here, including the required application and submission guidelines on page 3.

Please see our official policy for all Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), including drones, model aircrafts, balloons, and gliders.

Please note: The Museum may capture photographs and videos in the galleries, Park, and at special events for archival, educational, promotional, and commercial use.

Sketching

Sketching is permitted in all galleries except select exhibitions; only pencils may be used without staff supervision. Sketching materials can be obtained at the information desks.

• Homewood Suites, Raleigh Crabtree Valley (2.8 miles from NCMA)
• Marriott Fairfield Inn & Suites, Courtyard, or Residence Inn Raleigh Crabtree Valley (3.2 miles from NCMA)
• Hyatt Place Raleigh West (3.7 miles from NCMA)
• Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh Crabtree (3.8 miles from NCMA)
• The Umstead Hotel and Spa (5 miles from NCMA)

Arrange group hotel accommodations or visits to other attractions in the Raleigh area through the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.