Birmingham Attractions

Birmingham has a lot to do, you might want to stay an extra day or two, or ConferenceWidows might want to sneak away from the conference. We also have a page about PubsAndRestaurants. Here is a partial list:

• Shops - Birmingham is the biggest shopping centre outside London, and is a lot less crowded too. There are lots of high-end boutiques at the one end, and discount outlets at the other, the Bull Ring mall is particularly famous as well as the nearby Bull Ring indoor markets which are open on the Saturday.
• Theatres, Symphony Hall, Cinemas
• Nearby historic locations such as Stratford up Avon (home of Shakespeare and John Harvard) and Warwick Castle (nice big castle that survived the wars).
• Museums, Art Galleries and Tourist Attractions - there are lots and lots, here are a few:
  • Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery - Massive collection of art and historical artefacts, including one of the best collections of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world. Free entry to the permanent collection and it has a trendy cafe. (Free entry)
    • Paula Rego Printmaker - a special exhibition of modern Fine Art will be on in one of the galleries
    • In Touch - a special exhibition of art and actefacts you can actually touch, smell, listen to etc, will be on in one of the galleries
  • Museum of the Jewellery Quarter - if you like jewellery then this is your heaven on a stick, need we say more? (Free entry)
  • Blakesley Hall - 16th-century timber-framed house at Blakesley, again with beautiful gardens. (Free entry)
  • Sarehole Mill - 200 year old mill with Lord of the Rings connections and a massive country park. (Free entry)
  • Soho House - the home of Matthew Boulton, father of the industrial revolution. (Free entry)
  • Weoley Castle - walk around the really nice grounds then stand on a viewing platform to see the ruins of an ancient castle that was blown to bits (Free entry)
  • Ikon Gallery - media art gallery, including sound, film, mixed media, photography, painting, sculpture and installation.
  • The Custard Factory - massive riverside factory turned into bohemian community of artists and small creative enterprises. Little shops and workshops, galleries, cafe, bars and clubs. On Saturday they have extra flea market of vintage fashion, art and designer couture.
  • Cadbury World - A theme park devoted to Britain's biggest chocolate maker.
  • Thinktank - Birmingham's science museum. Really good fun, has lots of interesting industrial revolution machines as well as modern technology.
  • Canal cruise - A scenic and heritage-based waterborne tour of Birmingham, about 2 hours and you get a cup of tea, not bad for a few quid, it even has a bar on board.
  • Religious buildings - prior to 1715, Birmingham only had one church, St Martin's, then they built St Philip's Church (now St Philip's Cathedral aka Birmingham Cathedral). St Philip's Cathedral has famous windows while St. Martin's has Europe's largest shopping mall built around it. Both are worth a quick visit. In the 19th Century, churches were built at an amazing rate in Birmingham, including the Catholic Cathedral of Saint Chad. By the end of the 19th Century, there were so many seats in Birmingham churches that even if every resident went to a morning or evening service, there would still be spare seats. The 20th Century, has brought even more diverse religious buildings including Birmingham Central Mosque, one of the most prominent and important mosques in the UK.