Accessibility at The Actors Gymnasium

Accessibility

Everyone belongs in the circus

The Actors Gymnasium welcomes disabled students, families, and audiences. We would rather hear from you before class than have you wonder whether you can come. Tell us what you need and we will work it out with you.

This page tells you what we know about getting here, getting in, and getting around, including the places where our building still falls short.

Getting here

Address: Noyes Cultural Arts Center, 927 Noyes Street, Evanston, IL 60201
Train: The CTA Purple Line Noyes stop is on the same block, about a two-minute walk. Noyes station has stairs only, with no elevator. The nearest accessible Purple Line station is Davis, about a mile south.
Parking: The City lot next to the building has accessible parking spaces. The lot mixes metered and permit spaces, so check the signs when you arrive.
Drop-off: The lot makes drop-off and pickup easy.

Getting in

There are two step-free ways into the building:

Gym entrance, Tallmadge Park side. The gym is at ground level, so you can roll or walk straight in over a flat surface. From the gym, a lift takes you up to the first floor, where many of our classes meet.
Ramp entrance, Noyes Street at Maple Avenue. The building has an accessible ramp and door off Noyes Street at the Maple Avenue corner.

Inside the gym, the stage and sprung training floor are raised, with a step up of about 6 inches. If that step is a barrier for you, tell us before class and we will plan how you get on and off the floor.

If you arrive and a door you need is locked, call the front desk at (847) 328-2795 and we will come open it.

Entrances and accessible routes

Photos to help you recognize the entrances, stairs, ramp route, and door controls before your visit.

Covered gym entrance with double doors and a level concrete walkway, on the Tallmadge Park side. — Gym entrance — Tallmadge Park side

Double doors beneath the Noyes Cultural Arts Center main entrance sign. — Noyes Cultural Arts Center main entrance

Interior staircase with blue steps, landing, and handrails near the main entrance. — Main entrance stairway

Pathway alongside the building toward the accessible ramp entrance at Noyes Street and Maple Avenue. — Accessible ramp entrance — Noyes at Maple

First section of the concrete accessible ramp with a handrail beside the building. — First section of the ramp

Covered walkway with bench leading to the ramp entrance doors at Noyes and Maple. — Covered ramp entrance

Push-to-open button beside a yellow wheelchair-access assistance sign and doorbell. — Accessible door button and help sign

Getting around the building

Gym level: The gym is at ground level, a half flight below the building’s first floor. A lift at the gym connects it to the first floor.
Upper floors: The building’s elevator reaches the second floor, so every floor can be reached without stairs.
Restrooms: Men’s and women’s restrooms on the first and second floors each have a wheelchair-accessible stall.
Finding your room: Tell us which class or event you are coming to and we will walk you through the best step-free route before you arrive.

What we are still working on

Noyes is a City-owned landmark built in 1892. The City of Evanston surveyed the building for its ADA Transition Plan and found barriers that have not all been fixed yet. The ones you are most likely to notice:

Grab bars in the restroom stalls are not at standard heights, and some stall doors swing inward into the space.
Many doors have round knobs rather than lever handles.
Some fire extinguishers, drinking fountains, and dispensers stick out from the wall where a cane may not find them.

The building belongs to the City, and these repairs are the City’s to make. We actively push for them. In the meantime, if any of these affect you, tell us and we will plan around them with you.

Inside the building

See the lift between levels, restroom entrances, and the interior entrance to the gym.

Platform lift between the first floor and gym, shown with its gate open beside the stairs. — Lift between gym and first floor

Platform lift at gym level beside a short wooden staircase with handrails. — Lift from the gym level

Interior entry area with The Actors Gymnasium banner, bench and hallway doors. — Entrance inside the gym

Wooden entrance door to the women’s restroom with a wheelchair-access symbol beside it. — Women’s accessible restroom

Wooden entrance door to the men’s restroom with a wheelchair-access symbol beside it. — Men’s accessible restroom

Classes and accommodations

Circus is for every kind of body and brain. We can often adapt how a skill is taught, give extra time, allow breaks, or make room for a support person. Tell us what helps you learn, and we will talk with your instructor before your first class. Ask as early as you are able. The earlier we hear from you, the more we can arrange. A late request is still welcome, and we will do what we can.

Some circus skills carry real physical risk. When we adapt a class, we do it with your safety and your goals in mind, together.

Restrooms. Adults can step out for the restroom at any time. Kids ask their instructor first. Our staff do not help with toileting. If your child needs help in the restroom, a parent or caregiver needs to stay in the building during class to help. The Actors Gymnasium defends the right of everyone to use the restroom that fits their gender identity.

Visit before your first class

Want to see the space first? Come for a free preview visit before your first class. We will show you the entrances, the lift, your classroom, and the restrooms, and you can meet your instructor if they are in. Call or email us to pick a time.

Shows

Every show has reserved accessible seating. You can buy accessible seats online or through the box office. If you need anything else to enjoy a performance, contact us when you buy your ticket, or as early as you can, and we will do our best to make it work.

In an emergency

Our emergency plan gives extra time and an assigned staff member to anyone with mobility, hearing, or vision needs, during drills and real emergencies. If you want us to know about a need ahead of time, tell us and we will note it for your class.

This website

We want this site to work for everyone, including people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, or magnification. We are working toward the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA. If something on the site gets in your way, tell us what page and what happened, and we will do our best to fix it or get you the information another way.

Contact us

To ask a question, request an accommodation, or report a barrier:

Phone: (847) 328-2795
Email: hello@actorsgymnasium.org
Form: on this page.

We respond within three working days.

Last updated October 2026.