National Paralympic Heritage Centre

From modest beginnings in the late 1940s at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann encouraged wounded veterans to play sport as an aid to rehabilitation from spinal injury. This led to local competitions, to the Stoke Mandeville Games, and to the Paralympic Games which today attracts national and international public support and interest.Widely acknowledged as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, the Heritage Centre at Stoke Mandeville Stadium will celebrate and explore this unique status.•The life and work of Professor Sir Ludwig Guttmann•Key milestones in the journey from the 1948 Stoke Mandeville Games to the present day Paralympic Games•The development of wheelchair sports•Paralympic ceremoniesVisitor Information:•Free Admission•Open daily for the general public•School and group bookings available•Audio and BSL Tours available•Please visit our website for more information about accessibility and family activities.

For visiting with hearing impairments •The fire alarm has flashing lights. •We have a hearing loop in The Sports Stadium entrance reception area and in the Heritage Centre for the Dr Guttmann display area. •All staff have disability awareness training. For neurodiverse visitors•We have a concessionary rate for disabled visitors.•We have a complimentary ticket policy for personal assistants. •There is a public toilet for disabled visitors•All staff have disabled awareness training.•We have emergency evacuation procedures for disabled visitors.

half a day

No tickets needed