Birmingham's past undoubtedly goes back as far as the Bronze Age and beyond. However, very little remains from this era except the scattered flint stones and bronze artefacts that can be found in the city museum. Today Birmingham has grown into a diverse and dynamic city, vibrant by day and by night, a city where yesterday and today combine to give you a glimpse into a city full of surprises. With its fascinating history and world-class cultural scene, combined with superb shopping, major international events and exhibitions, great nightlife and award-winning restaurants, Birmingham has a unique quality that brings with it an exciting and dynamic spirit.
Cadbury World
Birmingham's very own chocolate paradise, a unique place to indulge all of your senses. Attractions include the story of chocolate making, a gentle ride through a chocolate wonderland, a demonstration area, a fantasy factory and a children's playground.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
It is 125 years since Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery first opened its doors beneath the clock tower on Chamberlain Square. Inside you will find everything from Renaissance masterpieces to 9,000-year-old Middle Eastern treasures. This is a world class museum at the cultural heart of Birmingham. Famous for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings, you can see art and objects spanning seven centuries of European and World history and culture. Find out more about Birmingham’s history or see the Egyptian mummies. The science collections are now housed at Birmingham's Science Museum called the Thinktank.
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
When the proprietors of the Smith & Pepper jewellery manufacturing firm decided to retire in 1981 they ceased trading and locked the door, unaware they would be leaving a time capsule for future generations.
Tools were left strewn on benches; grubby overalls were hung on the coat hooks; and dirty teacups were abandoned alongside jars of marmite and jam on the shelf.
In the eighty years before its closure little changed with the working practices or equipment used within the family-owned business. Even the décor had more in common with early 20th century trends than a thriving business in the early 1980s.
Today the factory is a remarkable museum, which tells the story of the Jewellery Quarter and Birmingham’s renowned jewellery and metalworking heritage.
There are live demonstrations of traditional jewellery-making skills and visitors can experience of what it was like to work in this noisy and busy workshop.
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens
The Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses, situated in Edgbaston, are a 15 acre oasis of delight. Designed by J. C. Loudon, a leading garden planner, horticultural journalist and publisher, they opened to subscribers in 1832. Today, you will find beauty, peace and also tranquillity combined with excellent visitor facilities for all the family, where you can enjoy nature at its best and discover the importance of plants to people.
The Hippodrome
Welcoming around 500,000 people each year, Birmingham Hippodrome can lay claim to the highest regular annual attendance of any single theatre in the UK.
Since their award-winning £35m redevelopment in 2001, the city centre venue has attracted ever-increasing numbers of people to performances and events and is drawing audiences from an increasingly broad geographical and socio-demographic spread.
Many new patrons are enjoying some of the finest productions in the world alongside long-standing supporters, with up to half the audience experiencing a performance at the Hippodrome for the very first time.
To see what is currently showing visit
birmingham hippodrome
Aston Hall
Home to the Holte family, Aston Hall is one of Birmingham’s most treasured buildings. Redisplayed as part of the development project, Aston Hall boasts sumptuous interiors from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, including the magnificent Long Gallery.
Display rooms illustrate the part Aston Hall and its residents played in key moments in history, including the English Civil War, and how it prepared to receive royalty on more than one occasion.
The acclaimed Astonish Gallery in the newly restored Stables Range takes visitors on a journey through the Aston area. Astonish describes the history of Aston, its industries, sporting achievements and community changes through historic objects and hands on interactive displays. |
