Accessibility at ICA North in Encinitas
The ICA welcomes all visitors and is dedicated to making art accessible to all in an inclusive and safe environment. Outlined below are some of the ways we make our facility accommodating. If you have questions or needs that are not addressed here, please contact accessibility@icasandiego.org for assistance.
Parking
Accessible parking is available in the lower parking lot located in front of the lower building. Locate the ramp and access through the front door entrance.
Accessible parking is available in the upper parking lot located opposite the upper building.
Pickup/Dropoff
There are passenger loading zones located in front of the upper building and lower building.
Buses and Large Groups
Drive up the driveway to the roundabout to turn around the vehicle, come back down the hill facing the street. Unload the bus/large vehicle from the driveway.
Exhibition Entrance
ICA North is wheelchair accessible from the entrance to the lower and upper buildings. The lower building’s front door can be very heavy to pull open. A Visitor Experience associate will be available to help open the door, but if there is not someone available right away, please call 760-436-6611.
Service Animals
ICA complies with the ADA, which defines service animals as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for an individual with a disability, and allows service dogs in all public areas of the ICA. Emotional Support Animals, Comfort Animals, or Therapy Animals that provide comfort do not qualify as service animals under the ADA and are not allowed inside. If the dog is barking excessively, not housebroken, or otherwise deemed out of control, the handler may be asked to remove the dog. ICA North has outdoor spaces including a sculpture trail and garden for your pet.
Visual Access
Exhibitions offer large-print wall text introductions. Large print text of the gallery labels are available at the front desk in English and Spanish upon request.
Restroom
There are wheelchair accessible stalls in the restrooms of the lower building. There are restrooms labeled with an urinal and without an urinal. We acknowledge that these two categories do not reflect the gender identity or expression of all our visitors. Please use the restroom that feels most comfortable for you.
There is a gender neutral and accessible restroom in the upper building.
Seating
The ICA has seating available dispersed throughout both galleries.
Children
All galleries and facilities are stroller accessible. Visitors are asked to exercise caution when bringing strollers into galleries. Breastfeeding and bottlefeeding are permitted throughout the ICA. While the restrooms do not currently have changing tables, staff can assist in finding a safe changing area. We encourage children of all ages to visit the ICA; however, all children must be accompanied by an adult.
Gallery Labels
The ICA is making exhibition and art work insights more accessible by sharing all gallery label text on our website in both English and Spanish.
Additional Information About Artworks On View
Due to the changing nature of our exhibitions, some artwork may have extra auditory or visual elements. Please visit the current exhibition page for more information before your visit.
Sculpture Trail
The ICA Sculpture Trail is a half mile (0.5 miles/0.8 km) loop with an elevation gain of seventy-eight (78) feet and hilly terrain. This trail is considered easy to moderate. This trail is also home to a fair amount of wildlife, please be aware of your surroundings.
Start your journey in the garden, where the majority of ICA’s major art events, venue rentals and programming take place, at Letha Wilson’s sculpture. Climb three (3) steps to exit the garden, and climb twenty-eight (28) steps to the overflow parking lot
From the overflow parking lot, there are seven (7) steps and a narrow dirt ramp (approximately 24 inches/0.6 meters) to the Sculpture Trail. Please be aware of unstable footing due to erosion in places and watch your step. Please come prepared with closed toed shoes and proper sun coverage. The front desk in the lower pavilion will have some umbrellas to borrow.
To access the upper gallery, visitors may walk up The Sculpture Trail or drive and park in the parking spaces along the driveway or the accessible spaces near the roundabout.
Please be advised: There is no sidewalk to the upper gallery from the lower pavilion and no ramp access from the garden to the overflow parking lot. Visitors using mobility aids can drive from the lower pavilion to the upper gallery.
The Sculpture Trail at ICA North is not wheelchair accessible. See map and more information HERE.
Our accessibility efforts are an ongoing commitment. Please check back for updates as we expand and grow.