Bassins des Lumières wheelchair accessibility
Free for disabled cardholders, reduced companion rate, and a flat run along the basins inside the former submarine base.
Bassins des Lumières is a digital art venue inside a former WWII submarine base in north Bordeaux. Standard adult: 16 €. Disabled cardholders enter free but the free ticket needs an advance online reservation; the companion pays the reduced 12,50 € rate. Strollers and wheelchairs are allowed on the flat exhibition deck.
Accessibility at a glance
| What | Details | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Step-free entrance | The main entrance is on Boulevard Alfred Daney and leads onto the flat concrete deck around the basins. The published accessibility statement does not describe the entrance threshold in detail, so call ahead for the latest practical state if you are arriving outside opening hours. The venue confirms strollers are allowed in the exhibition, which is a strong signal that the floor route is flat, but the entrance threshold itself is not documented. | Partially confirmed |
| Lift coverage | The exhibition route is single-level around the four water basins. No lift is needed to move between exhibition areas once you are inside. The submarine base layout is a single concrete deck around four parallel basins; vertical circulation is not part of the visit. | Partially confirmed |
| Accessible toilets | Accessible toilet location is not published on the venue's accessibility page. Ask at the welcome desk on arrival. | Unconfirmed |
| Companion ticket | Disabled cardholders enter free; the companion pays the reduced 12,50 € rate (not the full 16 € adult tariff). The disabled free ticket requires an advance reservation on the venue's website ('réservation obligatoire'); the companion's reduced ticket is bought together with it. | Confirmed accessible |
Getting there
Bassins des Lumières sits in north Bordeaux on Boulevard Alfred Daney, well outside the medieval centre. The closest tram stop is Brandenburg on tram line B, a roughly 10-minute walk on flat ground. From Saint-Jean station the trip is about 25 minutes by tram B end to end.
Several disabled parking bays sit along Boulevard Alfred Daney near the entrance. On-street parking is free at any meter when you display a European parking card (CES) or a French CMI marked 'stationnement' (CMI-S). An accessible taxi from the centre takes about 12 minutes.
Inside the basins, in accessibility terms
The venue is a single concrete deck that runs around four water basins (each 110 m long, 22 m wide and 12 m high), with projections lighting up the walls and the surface of the water. The whole route is flat. You roll along the deck and stop wherever the projections work best.
The exhibition runs in a continuous 30-to-45-minute loop, so there is no fixed starting point: arrive, find a deck spot you like, and stay through one full loop. Acoustic seating areas appear along the deck for the companion who wants to rest.
Free admission for the disabled visitor and reduced companion
Disabled cardholders enter free on presentation of a Carte d'Invalidité, an attestation for the French AAH, AEEH or ASI benefits, or a recognised equivalent. The free ticket requires an advance reservation on the venue's website ('réservation obligatoire'); turning up without one means you may not be admitted at the disabled rate. The companion pays the reduced 12,50 € rate rather than the full 16 € adult ticket; book both tickets together on the same reservation.
Practical tips before you visit
Strollers are allowed in the exhibition, which the venue states explicitly. The same flat floor route serves wheelchair users, so equipment that rolls is welcome.
Pick a weekday outside school holidays for the lowest density on the deck; the projections are most immersive when you can stop where you want without manoeuvring around stationary groups. Bring layers, the basin air is cool year round.
Quick facts
Address: Imp. Brown de Colstoun (Boulevard Alfred Daney), 33300 Bordeaux. Standard adult ticket: 16 €. Disabled tariff: free for the cardholder, reduced 12,50 € for the companion. Opening hours: from 10:00 to 19:00 on weekdays (extended on Saturdays); check the venue's site for the current season. Nearest accessible transport: tram B, Brandenburg stop.
How we verified this page
Last verified .
Sources:
- Bassins des Lumieres (Horaires et tarifs) (verified )
- Bassins des Lumieres, Bordeaux (official site) (verified )
- Wikipedia FR (Bassins des Lumieres) (verified )