Top Museums In Birmingham To Absorb Some Culture

Birmingham isn't just home to fabulous shops, delicious restaurants, and performance filled stadiums, it's also full of history, science and heritage. Populated with many museums, Birmingham puts every bit of their history on display, from their famous Jewellery Quarter to its artwork at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Because of this, we've listed the top 10 must-visit museums in Birmingham, so you can absorb all of the city's history and heritage while you're there. 

10 Top Museums in Birmingham 

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery first opened in 1885 and has showcased over 40 permanent galleries filled with art, social history and ethnography. Since then, this grade-II listed building has showcased many special exhibitions and events, showcasing everything from British ceramics to Jacob Lawrence. On occasion, the domed round room hosts free musical performances. Please be aware that this building is currently closed, with it being partially reopened in April 2022 after being closed due to essential repairs.

ThinkTank

ThinkTank is Birmingham's most interactive museum, perfect for little ones and adults as it brings science to life. Covering four floors, each having a different theme, with the top floor having a digital planetarium and the rest corresponding to Birmingham's industrial past. Over the years, ThinkTank also hosts special events in science and runs daily workshops where you can get more hands-on with science or even solve crimes. Outside there's a Science Garden and a mini-city for little ones called MiniBrum. 

Coffin Works Museum

Likely not at the top of most lists for museums to visit, the Coffin Works museum is a compelling and well-visited attraction in Birmingham. First established in the 1880s, it has since made several fittings for the funerals for Winston Churchill and the Queen Mother, to name a few, with their museum demonstrating how coffin furniture is built, including breastplates, crucifixes and handles. The hours here are limited, with one guided tour a day being run at 11 am, followed by a self-guided entry on the half-hour from 12 pm to 3 pm. Be sure to check their website prior to visiting to avoid disappointment, as well as check out any events they're hosting.

National Motorcycle Museum

Opened in 1984, the National Motorcycle Museum has an impressive collection of 350 motorcycles, the most extensive British collection globally, and now boasts over 1000 fully restored bikes and machines. This museum aims to preserve and restore history to show future generations the engineering prowess and industry. Each year, in October, the museum hosts a National Motorcycle Museum Live event to celebrate the anniversary of its opening. This event is free and has live shows and all regular exhibits. With guided tours and special events, it's worth visiting whether you're a motorcycle fan or not. 

Lapworth Museum of Geology

A museum part of the University of Birmingham is the Lapworth Museum of Geology. With an extensive collection of billions of years of the Earth's history, it showcases everything from rocks to fossils, volcanoes to earthquakes, and even dinosaurs with a large palaeontological collection. When visiting, the museum is free to enter and hosts several interactive and family activities to entertain everyone from the young to the old. Regularly, Lapworth Museum hosts temporary exhibitions, which have included photography and prints.

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter

Inside the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is the preserved jewellery workshop and the 200-year story of the Jewellery Quarter. The workshop, formerly owned by Smith & Pepper for 80 years, made and sold jewellery worldwide. It still has all the tools, workbenches and equipment previously used to make jewellery. The museum opened in 1992, almost ten years after the doors closed, showing the centre of the British jewellery industry with guided tours through the process of jewellery making and the history integral to Birmingham. 

Aston Hall

Aston Hall is a fabulously maintained Grade-I listed 17th-century mansion, which has become one of Birmingham's most recognisable and iconic buildings. Bursting with 400 years of architecture and history, with it being one of Birmingham's most iconic buildings. A must-visit is their Long Gallery, which has been the least modified room in the house and the various pieces of artwork, treasures, and furniture.

Sarehole Mill

Less of a museum but just as fascinating, Sarehole Mill is a 250-year-old watermill famously associated with J.R.R Tolkien, writer of the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Here you can visit and take a tour to experience what life was like for a miller. While there, you can take in the sights and sounds of a traditional 18th-century watermill. Afterwards, you can sit in the courtyard to enjoy a pizza. Sarehole Mill regularly hosts an event called Origins of Middle-Earth for fans of J.R.R Tolkien, where you're taken up to Tolkien's childhood home.

Barber Institute of Fine Arts

The Barber Institute of Fine Arts is housed in Birmingham's Art Deco buildings, purpose-built and opened by Queen Mary in 1939. Both an art gallery and concert hall it's found on the University of Birmingham campus, with the gallery being free for all visitors. With a large collection of European art, including print, paintings and drawings, including works by Monet. It also has an impressive array of rare coins, sculptures and decorative art.

Soho House

Found on Soho Avenue is Soho House, the former home for industrialist Matthew Boulton. It is an impressive example of Georgian Architecture, having formerly been a school, hotel, and hostel for police officers. It was also the meeting place for scientists such as Erasmus Darwin, inventor James Watt and theologian Joseph Priestley. Now, though, Soho House is open to visitors each day with special tours on occasion, showcasing the house's past and secrets. 

Whether you want to get hands-on with science, step into a historic home or discover how to make jewellery, Birmingham can answer all of those curiosities. With each museum packed with heritage and insight, there are lots to explore and experience, but where will you start first? Let us know on Insta or tweet us @justhooit, and don’t forget to check out how to make an offer on a hotel room with hoo to get the best possible deal for your next trip.