The MAD Museum

About

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The MAD Museum does what it says on the tin! This quirky attraction located in the centre of Stratford upon Avon houses around 60 interactive pieces of kinetic art and automata. With a whole host of interactive displays so kids big and small can really get stuck in.

‘MAD’ stands for Mechanical Art and Design and as the UK’s only museum of its kind, it’s definitely got to be seen to be believed. The MAD Museum was first brought to life in 2012 by a local entrepreneur’s passion for mechanical art. Having always had an eye for weird and wonderful machines, he wanted to open up a venue that showcased the curiosities of kinetic art and automata before retiring.

The best way to describe this MAD Museum is that it’s a cross between Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Wallace and Gromit and Scrapheap Challenge. What’s fascinating about this hands-on hide away is that it combines inspirational creativity, witty design and engineering ingenuity. The pieces on display have been sourced from artists all around the world and the fact that nearly everything is interactive means kids and big kids(!) can really get stuck in. The museum’s staff encourage you to press buttons and to “release your inner inventor”. In a world full of computer screens and ‘do not touch’ signs, MAD is refreshingly satisfying. As well as being lots of fun, a visit to the MAD Museum inspires creativity using clever and witty designs and the whole team are firm supporters of STEM subjects and Art and Design, so students young and old, will get the chance to experience plenty of encouragement in these fields.

Visitors will have plenty of opportunity to play and with the abundance of different styles of kinetic art and automata to interactive with every visit will be special. All of the displays are completely sensory, so visitors can enjoy a myriad of colours, unusual sounds, flashing lights and movement. There is a wide use of contrast markings throughout the museum, as well as clear signage making it a welcoming environment for all guests. For those visiting with mobility aids, the museum is situated entirely on one floor and you can move through the displays at their own pace and spend as long as they wish in any particular area. The entrance is well lit and visitors are welcome to either use the staircase or lift to access the main exhibition area. For guests who wish to use the lift, it can carry one pushchair or wheelchair user at a time and features clear audio announcements and braille texts.

All our guests are encouraged to get involved with the displays and interact with the tactile objects. All the displays work together to create an exciting multi-sensory experience. The staff have experience with a wide range of additional needs, so please do speak to a member of the team if you have any questions

The MAD Museum is a fantastic playground for adults and a perfect treasure-trove for inquisitive kids. As well as being highly interactive and a lot of fun, this eccentric museum appeals to those with curious and methodical brains too. Figure out how the gears, sprockets, robotics and eccentric paraphernalia all engage with one another at the press of a button. The MAD Museum is where art meets movement, sometimes operating to achieve a function but most of the time, just moving for the fun of it! If you like art, design, science and/or engineering, The MAD Museum is for you.

Autism Friendly

The MAD Museum is multi-sensory and hands-on. We encourage our visitors to press buttons and interact with tactile objects. Within this venue are a wide variety of sounds, lights, movements and colours on display. These all work together to provide an exciting, multi-sensory experience.  

The museum also helps with the development of social communication, cognitive skills and visual memory.

We installed MAD Marbles, which is essentially a giant wall on which we ask people to construct their own marble runs using inspiration from around the museum. This activity encourages the exploration of personal creativity, teamwork and understanding through what is principally a rather fun, tactile game.

This independent museum is relatively small meaning those with emotional and behavioural difficulties have the space to move around the museum freely while also never being out of sight.

Our members of staff are experienced in caring across a broad spectrum of abilities and learning needs.

If you would like to visit during a quiet period in the week, please ring the museum, they will be able to tell you when groups are booked in and when is the best time to visit.