From large elevators to touchable fossils, our expanded and renovated spaces will serve visitors of all ages and abilities. We look forward to welcoming members of the public and the Yale community to explore, create, and make lifelong memories.
Read more about our visitor accommodations here.
• Four building entrances featuring gentle inclines
• A route from public parking that avoids street crossings
• A school bus zone leading directly to a special group entrance
• Two large public elevators
• State-of-the-art inclusive bathrooms, wellness rooms, and water fountains
• Reception desks and other furnishings at accessible heights
• Wide doors and pathways and clear circulation paths
• Quiet areas—and spaces where it’s okay to be loud
• Touchable objects and large, high-contrast text
• Assistive listening devices and visually descriptive audio tours
• Sensory-friendly events and visiting hours
• Multilingual audio programming
• Seating in every gallery
• Storytelling from a range of perspectives
We are stewards of natural history, but also promote, educate, and advocate for the natural future, including renovating the Peabody Museum in a way that respects natural resources and enhances the experience of visitors and staff. The 14 million objects in our collections tell the three-billion-year history of life on Earth, which Peabody scientists use to study the impact environment and climate change have on the quality and composition of life. From the outside in, we have found ways to protect resources and improve accessibility and well-being for our visitors.
Our new and renovated buildings promote sustainability in four ways:
• Integrated pest management plan – pest monitoring to avoid pesticide use
• Heating and cooling shutdowns during unoccupied hours
• Compact cabinets and gasketed doors to buffer climate
• Auction and salvage of outdated cabinets and furniture
• Insulation retrofit to minimize heating/cooling and save energy
• Double-glazed windows throughout
• 50% reduction in energy use overall
• Innovative heat recovery chiller to reclaim waste heat
• LEED Gold certification anticipated
• Natural lighting where possible
• Low-toxicity paints and building materials, and FSC-certified wood
• Low-energy LED lighting
• Green cleaning policy
• 35% indoor water use reduction (<20 gallons/person/day)
• Bottle-fillers to discourage bottled water use
• Environmentally responsible office furnishing materials
• Common electronic resources, swap desks, and kitchen facilities
• Showers for bike commuters
• Open floor plan offices with meeting rooms
• Integrated pest management plan – pest monitoring to avoid pesticide use
• Heating and cooling shutdowns during unoccupied hours
• Compact cabinets and gasketed doors to buffer climate
• Auction and salvage of outdated cabinets and furniture