Things to do in Birmingham
Art lovers will find plenty to admire in Birmingham's city centre from pre-Raphaelites at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery to innovative visuals at the Ikon Gallery. Explore the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter and admire the statues on Victoria Square. Head east to Millennium Point for the innovative Thinktank museum or to the southern suburbs for chocoholic haven, Cadbury World. Most city museums are free with some closed on Mondays.
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
Jewellery-making heritage
Hockley's Museum of the Jewellery Quarter retraces Birmingham's 250-year-old
jewellery and metalworking legacy with live demonstrations, workshop
recreations and pre-booked factory tours. Buy antique to contemporary
trinkets from the museum's shop or wander the unique district's 200 listed
buildings.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Tue-Sat 10.30am-4pm
Address
75-79, Vyse St, Hockley, Birmingham B18 6HA
Telephone
+44 (0) 121 554 3598
Transport
Midlands Metro tram to Jewellery Quarter station or 15-minute walk from Snow Hill station.
Website
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Fine art and Egyptian mummies
Middle Eastern treasures and one of the world's largest pre-Raphaelite
collections are among highlights of the centrally-located Birmingham Museum
& Art Gallery. The Waterhall Gallery of Modern Art, 19th-century
Round Room and impressive Edwardian Tea Room are worth a visit.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-5pm (from 10.30am Fri & 12.30pm Sun)
Address
Chamberlain Square, Birmingham B3 3DH
Telephone
+44 (0) 121 303 2834
St Pauls Gallery
Contemporary art treasure trove
From Picasso to Warhol, the Jewellery Quarter's St Pauls Gallery has an
impressive collection of modern art. It is renowned for signed, album-cover
artwork from iconic musicians like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, David Bowie and
Jimi Hendrix.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Mon-Sat 10am-6pm; Sun 11am-4pm
Address
94-108, Northwood Street, Birmingham B3 1TH
Telephone
+44 (0) 121 236 5800
Ikon Gallery
Cutting-edge visual art
The Ikon Gallery, housed in a neo-gothic school in Brindleyplace, is home to
innovative modern art exhibitions, an excellent specialist shop and renowned
Spanish restaurant. Ride the quirky lift where the voice gets higher as you
ascend.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 11am-6pm (open Bank Holidays)
Address
1, Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, Birmingham B1 2HS
Telephone
+44 (0) 121 248 0708
Cadbury World
Chocolate factory paradise
Chocoholics flock to Cadbury World, four miles from central Birmingham,
to sample fresh liquid chocolate, explore its Aztec origins, browse the
world's biggest Cadbury shop, ride the Beanmobile and chase Creme Eggs
in Cadbury World Essence. Advance booking is recommended.
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Cost
£13.45; children £10.10; concessions £10.30; under 4s free
Opening Hours
Opening hours vary throughout the year
Address
Linden Rd, Bournville, Birmingham B30 2LU
Telephone
+ 44 (0) 845 450 3599
Transport
Cross-City Line (southern section) from New Street to Bournville station
Website
Thinktank
Discovery and invention of science
Ten inspirational galleries explore science, history and the world in
Thinktank at Millennium Point. They include Power Up's incredible steam
engines, and City Stories exploring Birmingham past and future. Enjoy
the state-of-the-art Planetarium and surround-sound IMAX cinema.
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Cost
£9; children (3-15 years) & concessions £7.15; family £27.40
Opening Hours
Daily 10am-5pm
Address
Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham B4 7XG
Telephone
+44 (0) 121 202 2222
Birmingham Back to Backs
Restored 19th-century homes
Back to Backs, Birmingham's last remaining city-centre National
Trust-restored back-to-back housing, reflects four periods from 1840 to
1977. Experience the lives of its residents and stock up at the 1930s
sweetshop for nostalgia's sake. Advance booking is recommended.
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Cost
£5.15; children £2.60; family £12.90
Opening Hours
Tue-Sun 10am-5pm. Open Bank Holiday Mondays but closed next day
Address
50-54, Inge Street and 55-63, Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TE
Telephone
+44 (0) 121 666 7671
Victoria Square
Piazza-style public art
The Grade I-listed Town Hall, a restored neo-classical music venue which
re-opened in 2007 following a £35m renovation, dominates
Victoria Square, Birmingham's main piazza. Stop to admire the quirky
Floozie in the Jacuzzi sculpture and Iron: Man by Antony Gormley.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily all day
Address
Victoria Square, Birmingham B3 3DQ
Telephone
+44 (0) 121 780 3333
Brindleyplace and Canalside
Canalside city walks
With reportedly more canals than Venice, Birmingham Canal Navigations
offer alternative city views from 15 miles of towpath. Start at
Brindleyplace's canalside bars, shops and galleries and walk towards Gas
Street basin lined with narrow boats. Dinner cruises are popular.
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Cost
Free
Opening Hours
Daily
Address
Brindleyplace, Convention Quarter, Birmingham B1 2JF
Telephone
+44 (0) 121 643 6866
