Spike Island’s galleries are open Wednesday to Sunday, 12–5pm during exhibitions. Gallery entry is free and you do not need to book.

Emmeline Café is open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am–5pm and Sunday 10am–4pm.

This page outlines the safety measures you will see when you visit. Please read through this information so you know what to expect.

What you need to know before you visit 

• You do not need to book a time slot in advance of your visit. Entry is free.
• We continue to recommend the use of face masks, good hand hygiene and being considerate of others.
• Our cleaners clean high-contact areas regularly.
• Risk assessments have been carried out for both staff and visitor operations.
• Please follow self-isolation advice, especially if you have tested positive or have Coronavirus symptoms, and follow NHS coronavirus guidelines.

When you arrive

• The main entrance to Spike Island is via our main foyer on Cumberland Road. You will need to enter via this entrance as normal.
• When you enter the foyer, please follow the signs to the Gallery Entrance directly in front of the building entrance (you do not need to check-in at reception first).
• You may need to queue momentarily whilst we greet visitors. Please be patient.
• We recommend all visitors to wear face coverings in all public areas of the building except when seated and eating or drinking in the café, or if you are exempt. Not all exemptions are visible so please be understanding of others.
• You can sanitise your hands upon arrival – there are multiple hand sanitising points within the entrance foyer and galleries.
• We want Spike Island to be as accessible and inclusive as possible in everything we do. We have ensured that maximum access and inclusion has been considered at every stage of our plan for reopening to create a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone who visits.

During your visit 

• Please respect people’s personal space at all times.
• We recommend that you wash your hands frequently. Hand sanitiser is available for your use in the foyer, gallery and throughout the building.
• Please keep children close to you at all times.
• There is increased cleaning throughout the building, including washrooms, door handles, handrails and other areas of the building.
• Please pay with contactless or card wherever possible.

Exhibitions

• Spike Island’s galleries are open Wednesday to Sunday, 12–5pm during exhibitions. Gallery entry is free and you do not need to book.
• Exhibition information is available for visitors to collect on arrival, with large print alternatives available. An activity sheet for children is also available to pick up and an audio guide can be accessed by scanning a QR code.
• Our galleries are constantly supervised by our visitor team. Please act on any guidance our team may give you and don’t be afraid to ask any questions – we’re happy to help in any way we can.

Reception and general enquiries  

• Our Reception is open for general enquiries from Monday to Friday 9am–5pm, and Saturday to Sunday 10am–12pm* (*during exhibitions).
• Our reception desk has Perspex screens for the safety of staff and visitors.
• Contactless/card payments are preferred.

Café 

• Emmeline Café opening hours are Wednesday to Saturday, 10am–5pm and Sunday 10am – 4pm.
• We recommend wearing a face mask when in the cafe unless you are seated and eating or drinking.
• For eating in, please order at the counter and then take a seat. Alternatively takeaway options can be purchased from the counter, or the outside window.
• Hand sanitiser is provided for your use.
• Contactless/card payments are preferred.
• There is seating both outside and inside.

Toilets

• Toilets including accessible toilets are open for our visitors and café customers as well as baby changing facilities.
• We recommend that you wear a face mask in all public areas.
• Hand towels are provided in all washrooms and kept topped up, as well as hot-air hand dryers.
• We are cleaning the toilets frequently throughout each day.