Stonehenge is a World Heritage Site, a Scheduled Ancient Monument and is seen by many as a sacred place.

To provide open access to those attending Autumn Equinox, we ask that you adhere to our conditions of entry:

• Respect others celebrating Autumn Equinox. For many people attending, Stonehenge is a sacred place.
• Do not touch or climb on the stones. Stonehenge is a World Heritage Site and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. Touching the stones will damage their surface and the rare lichens that grow on them.
• No drugs or alcohol are permitted in any area of Stonehenge.
• Take your rubbish home with you or bag and bin it at a designated point on site.
• Do not desecrate Stonehenge and the surrounding land. Please use the toilets provided.
• Do not bring any prohibited items (see ‘Prohibited Items’ section below)

The car park at Stonehenge will open at 5.15am on Wednesday 23 September.
Sunrise will take place at approx. 6.54am. Open access to the monument will finish at 8.30am. Please vacate the car park by 10am. 

There will be no public transport operating for the Autumn Equinox. Visitors can access the site by car, taxi, bicycle, motorcycle, or on foot. The road network will remain open as usual.

Walking from the Stonehenge Visitor Centre to the Stone Circle will take 25–30 minutes (approximately 1 ½ miles or 2km). This is across land (owned by the National Trust) which is uneven. Sensible footwear and a torch are advisable.

A shuttle bus will also operate from the Stonehenge Visitor Centre to the Stone Circle at regular intervals, with priority boarding given to those with accessibility needs.

We aim to make Autumn Equinox as accessible as possible for disabled visitors. If you have a question that is not covered in the information below, please contact English Heritage Customer Services on 0370 333 1181 or email customers@english-heritage.org.uk

Travelling to Stonehenge

A limited number of accessible parking for blue-badge holders are available. Please ensure your blue badge is clearly displayed upon entry. 

If you are being dropped off, this can be done at the main Visitor Centre Car Park. You can then catch the step-free shuttle bus from the Visitor Centre to near the stone circle. These will run at regular intervals.

Our accessible parking is on hardstanding ground. The path from the shuttle bus drop-off to the stone circle is mainly grass with some hardstanding pathways.

Sensory Information

Equinox celebrations can be very busy, and many areas will be very dark. - not sure if you want to amend this as the Equinoxes are much calmer than the Solstices

Assistance at Equinox

There will be several uniformed stewards around all areas of the site who will be happy to help you at any point.

We recommend bringing:

• Sensible shoes. The car park and area around Stonehenge are fields and uneven underfoot.
• Warm, waterproof clothing. Please note that large umbrellas are not permitted at Autumn Equinox.
• A torch. We recommend bringing a small torch for walking to the stone circle from the car parks and bus drop off points.
• Small ground sheet and/or blanket. We do not permit sleeping bags, duvets or tents. Please ensure any chairs are designed for outdoor use and placed at least 2 metres away from standing or fallen stones, with the legs not driven into the ground.

There are a number of prohibited items at Autumn Equinox. Please read the next section.

• Large bags. Only small bags (approx. 30cm x 25cm x 15cm) will be permitted, in accordance with the current terrorism threat level. Security searches may be conducted, with illegal items confiscated and entry refused.
• Alcohol. This will be confiscated, and you may be asked to leave.
• Drugs. Illegal drugs are prohibited; the police will take action against offenders.
• Drones. Drones and remote-controlled flying devices are not permitted at Stonehenge or the surrounding areas.
• Glass. This is to protect livestock and wildlife that graze in the area, plus visitors who walk barefoot during Solstice.
• Bladed or sharply pointed items. These will be confiscated upon entry.
• Sleeping bags, duvets, or tents. Camping is not permitted and sleeping on the ground is a trip hazard which can interfere with the work of our stewards and emergency services.
• Naked flames. No open flames, enclosed or unenclosed, are permitted. This includes fires, barbecues, flaming torches, candles, night-lights, Chinese lanterns and fireworks. We also do not permit any smouldering items, such as smudge sticks or burning incense, or cigarettes and vapes in the stone circle.
• Pets. Except for assistance dogs, no pets or other animals may be brought to Stonehenge in order to protect wildlife. Animal faeces also present a health risk to children and to people walking barefoot.
• Amplified music. Acoustic instruments are permitted.

In case of any questions, to report anything concerning, or to seek medical attention, do not hesitate to approach one of the security or stewarding team on duty.

In the unlikely event of an incident that requires the evacuation of Stonehenge or the car park, we would ask that members of the public respond quickly to instructions given by stewarding staff.

English Heritage does everything it can to make your Autumn Equinox visit a safe and enjoyable experience. However, English Heritage accepts no liability for any injury to persons or loss of, or damage to, property arising in any way whatsoever whilst at Stonehenge or the car park, and entry is at people's own risk. Although stewards and security are present at both Stonehenge and the car park, please note that any people entering these areas do so at their own risk.