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Browsing category: Museums
Where? Trinity Road, Aston, Birmingham, B6 6JD
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What's it all about? Follow in the footsteps of royalty and visit one of the last great Jacobean houses to be built. Aston Hall is a magnificent seventeenth century red-brick mansion situated in a picturesque public park on the north side of Birmingham. Walk through the stunning interiors and see the home that received royalty, was besieged during the English Civil War and inspired an author.
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Opening Times
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Summer Opening Times (30th March – 4th November)
Open Tuesday – Sunday (and bank holiday Mondays), 11am - 4pm.
Closed: On Aston Villa home games and for private hire.
Entry:
On Weekdays from Tuesday – Thursday, during Birmingham term time, entry to the hall is by timed guided tour. Tours take place at 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm. Tours last approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.
On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, Birmingham school holidays and bank holiday Mondays, the hall is open for visitors to explore at their leisure. Entry is by timed ticket every 30 minutes from 11am - 3pm.
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How much?
Adult (includes over 60s) £8
Concession (Students 18+/Benefits. Excludes over 60s)*£6
Child (3-15)£3
Family of 3 (max 2 adults)£17.40
Family of 4 (max 2 adults)£20
Family of 5 (max 2 adults)£22.60
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Café and gardens are FREE to visit and are open during Aston Hall opening hours.
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For more information follow the link.
Where?
Blakesley Hall, Blakesley Road, Yardley, Birmingham, B25 8RN
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Opening Times
Summer Opening (30th March – 4th November)
Open Tuesday – Sunday (and bank holiday Mondays), 11am - 4pm.
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Entry:
Weekdays, during Birmingham term time, entry to the hall is by timed guided tour. Tours take place at 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm and 2.15pm. Tours last approximately 45 minutes.
Weekends, Birmingham school holidays and bank holiday Mondays, the hall is open for visitors to explore at their leisure.
Also open for special events (prices may vary), see the What's On page for details.
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How much?
Adult (includes over 60s) £7
Concession (Students 18+/Benefits. Excludes over 60s)*£5
Child (3-15)£3
Family of 3 (max 2 adults) £15
Family of 4 (max 2 adults)£17.60
Family of 5 (max 2 adults)£20.20
Visitor centre, café and gardens are FREE to visit and are open during Blakesley Hall opening hours.
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What's it all about?
Blakesley Hall is a timber-framed house built in 1590 by Richard Smalbroke, a member of one of Birmingham’s leading merchant families.
More than 400 years later, beautiful Blakesley is still a haven; secluded from the avenues of modern houses that lie beyond its gates.
The house is furnished using an inventory taken in the 17th century and reflects the lifestyle of a wealthy family of the late Tudor and Stuart period of English history.
A visit to the Hall also includes a chance to enjoy the traditional herb garden and orchard, a haven for butterflies and birds.
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For more information follow the link.
Where? Sarehole Mill, Cole Bank Road, Hall Green, B13 0BD
Opening Times ​
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Summer Opening (30th March – 4th November)
Wednesday – Sunday, 11am - 4pm.
Open bank holiday Mondays and Tuesdays during Birmingham school holidays, 11am - 4pm.
Also open for special events (prices may vary), see the What's On page for details.
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Ticket Prices
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Adult (includes over 60s) £6
Concession (Students 18+/Benefits. Excludes over 60s)* £4
Child (3-15)£3
Family of 3 (max 2 adults)£13.50
Family of 4 (max 2 adults)£16
Family of 5 (max 2 adults)£18.20
Tea room and gardens are FREE to visit and are open during Sarehole Mill opening hours.
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What's it all about? There has been a mill on this site since 1542, but the current building dates from the mid-18th Century. In the 1850s a steam engine was installed and a chimney built, which provides Sarehole Mill with its distinctive silhouette.
The mill has two waterwheels, one of which is operational and is used to grind wheat every Wednesday and Sunday, water levels permitting. Sare(w)hole meal flour is sold from the mill shop. There is also a charming tea room which offers tea, coffee, delicious cakes, plus a whole host of other treats.
The mill has connections with Matthew Boulton, who leased Sarehole Mill between 1756 and 1761 and used it as a ‘flatting mill’, producing sheet metal used for button manufacturing.
Another famous connection is with the author JRR Tolkien, author of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings trilogy. He lived across the road from the mill. Later in life he stated how the mill and rural surroundings inspired his writings of Middle-earth.
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For more information follow the link.
Where? Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Chamberlain Square, Birmingham, B3 3DH
Opening Times
Monday - Thursday 10am - 5pm
What's it all about?
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Galleries to Visit
The art gallery is famous for its Pre-Raphaelite paintings, which are part of the largest public Pre-Raphaelite collection in the world.
Discover the fascinating story of the Staffordshire Hoard, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found, in its own dedicated gallery.
The Birmingham History collections feature prominently in the 'Birmingham: its people, its history' gallery, which covers the majority of the 3rd floor.
You can also see art and objects spanning seven centuries of European and World history and culture. This includes Greeks & Romans and Ancient Egypt.
Exhibitions
In addition to the permanent galleries there is a diverse exhibition programme that offers a series of changing exhibitions throughout the year.
Find out about current and future exhibitions at the Museum and Art Gallery on the What's On page
Information for families
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Trails
Pick up one of our free family trails to help you explore our galleries and get more out of your visit. There are also special seasonal trails during the school holidays to look out for. Trails can be picked up from the Vestibule desk (adjacent to the Round Room).
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Events
We have a variety of drop-in family activities throughout the weekends and Birmingham school holidays. See What's On for details.
Family Packs
Borrow one of our Staffordshire Hoard activity packs from the Vestibule desk and explore the Staffordshire Hoard with a storybook, jigsaw and other interactive activities (small deposit required)
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Mini Museum
The Mini Museum gallery has been specially designed to provide an engaging place for children aged 5 and under to experience Birmingham Museums’ collections; see fantastic art works made by children, young people and artists; and help children love museums from a young age.
The Mini Museum includes fine art from the Museums’ collection, on the themes of childhood and animals, as well as taxidermy from the natural science collections. With dressing up clothes, interactives, a puppet theatre, and a soft seating/storytelling area with plenty of books, we hope that children will feel welcomed and inspired, and enjoy their time at the Museum.
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Useful Information
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Lift access to the building is on Edmund Street next to the Gas Hall entrance.
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Large lockers can be found on level 3 at the entrance to the Birmingham History Galleries.
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Baby changing facilities can be found in various toilets throughout the building and there is a dedicated baby change room off Gallery 20.
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We welcome breastfeeding and the Edwardian Tearooms has a varied children’s menu and highchairs.
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Where?
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, 75-80 Vyse Street, Hockley, Birmingham, B18 6HA
Opening Times
Open Tuesday to Saturday (and bank holiday Mondays) 10.30am - 4pm.
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Access to the Smith & Pepper jewellery factory is by guided tour only. Tours take place at 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm, 3.15pm and 4pm. Tours last approximately 1 hour. Pre-booking is advisable.
Book tours online or call 0121 348 8263 (lines open Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm).
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New opening times from 3 April
Open Tuesday to Saturday (and bank holiday Mondays) 10.30am - 4pm.
Entry
Access to the Smith & Pepper jewellery factory is by guided tour only. Tours take place at 10.45am, 11.15am, 12.15pm, 1.15pm, 2.15pm, 3pm, plus 4pm on Saturdays only. Tours last approximately 1 hour. Pre-booking is advisable.
Book tours online or call 0121 348 8263 (lines open Monday - Saturday 9am - 5pm).
How much?
Adult (includes over 60s) £7
Concession (Students 18+/Benefits. Excludes over 60s)*£5
Child (3-15 years)£3
Family of 3 (max 2 adults)£15
Family of 4 (max 2 adults)£17.60
Family of 5 (max 2 adults)£20.20
Café, shop and temporary exhibitions are FREE to visit.
Admission price includes a guided tour of the Smith & Pepper factory and self-led access to two galleries; Story of the Jewellery Quarter and Earth’s Riches.
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What's it all about?
The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is built around a perfectly preserved jewellery workshop offering a unique glimpse of working life in Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter.
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For more information follow the link.
Lapworth Museum of geology
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Where? University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT
What's it all about? Enabling visitors to explore life over the past 3.5 billion years, the Lapworth Museum showcases exceptional objects from one of the UK’s most outstanding geological collections, with state-of-the-art galleries and a range of innovative and interactive exhibits - all completely free of charge.
From rocks and fossils to volcanoes, earthquakes, and even dinosaurs, the Museum captures the imagination of all ages.
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For more information follow the link.