Bikes to Brooches: The Best Museums Around Birmingham

“Birmingham’s industrial past has paved the way for an eclectic mix of museums like nowhere else in the UK. It’s no real surprise, as all sorts of unusual and essential things were manufactured in the city by hard-working people whose lives are as fascinating as the objects on display. Here’s our pick of some of the best museums in and around Birmingham.

National Motorcycle Museum
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Rows and rows of restored motorcycles from all eras are on display at this Solihull museum, which you’ll find just outside of Birmingham. And that’s just the ones that are on show – there are even more gems in its storage warehouse. Set up by bike-enthusiast William Roy Richards, the museum is now home to the biggest collection of British motorbikes in the world. The oldest is from 1898 and there are also vintage police bikes, sidecars and plenty of modern superbikes too.

_Photo by Art Lasovsky on Unsplash_

Pen Museum
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In Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, the quirky Pen Museum has a lot crammed into its former-factory walls. Brummie workers here made enough pens to supply countries around the world during the 19th-century and, on a tour of this building, you’ll discover their stories and how the pen trade made an impact on international literacy and communications. There are around 5,000 objects to see, as well as calligraphy workshops and an opportunity to make your own pen nib on original machinery.

Coffin Works
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Just around the corner, and perhaps also a little out of the ordinary, the Coffin Works is the UK’s only museum dedicated to the production of coffin furniture – think metal fittings and shrouds rather than the box itself. A visit here is an immersive experience into the Newman Brother’s factory, with sights, sounds and smells that are just as it would have been when the workers were there. Visits involve a tour by a guide in period costume, so be sure to book ahead to guarantee a space.

Birmingham Back to Backs
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If you’re a fan of the BBC’s Peaky Blinders, this National Trust property may seem familiar. These 19th-century back to back houses gathered around a courtyard were a major design inspiration for the TV series. Book a guided tour to see behind the scenes of working-class lives, starting in 1840 and leading up to the 1970s. You’ll hear stories of families who lived there and learn more about how they resided and worked in tiny, cramped conditions. Number 55 has a 1930s sweet shop too, so stock up on old-fashioned treats before you go.

Selly Manor Museum
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Just around the corner from Cadbury World, in the chocolate-box village of Bourneville, Selly Manor Museum is a timber-frame Tudor manor with a garden of topiary, herbs and wildflowers to explore. If they’re running on the day of your visit, take a public tour to learn the history, or wander around the parlour, kitchen and bedchambers independently. The attic is ready and waiting for kids, with a dress-up box allowing them to become Tudors for the day.

_Photo by Hans Reniers on Unsplash_

Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
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This family-friendly science museum is the best place in Birmingham for playing while learning – whatever your age! It’s all about scientific discovery and has four floors with themed sections like a planetarium, science garden and displays of the machinery, transport and steam engines that fuelled Birmingham’s industrial past. Some of the highlights at the museum include seeing a real-life Spitfire and the 200 million-year-old skeletal remains of the Ichthyosaur – a colossal dinosaur-era sea monster.

Lapworth Museum of Geology
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Another place to discover the lost world of dinosaurs is at this state-of-the-art museum run by the University of Birmingham. Once you pass the Allosaurus that welcomes you to the building, there are ancient fossils, minerals and volcanic rocks alongside interactive displays and animations. A £2.7 million refurbishment in 2016 has made it worth the short bus journey from the city centre to leafy Edgbaston. And it’s free to enter too.

_Photo by Luke Matthews on Unsplash_

Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
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Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Egyptian gods and a lot of Anglo-Saxon gold are all on show at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. It’s the most ‘typical’ museum you’ll find in Brum, with grand hallways, long corridors of artefacts and an Edwardian tea room. Like in other attractions nearby, there’s also a focus on the city itself, with a display that charts Birmingham’s history from medieval times to the 20th-century. The temporary exhibitions are also worth looking out for.

Museum of the Jewellery Quarter
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Once upon a time, Britain’s master jewellers were based in Birmingham and this exhibition is dedicated to their story. The Smith & Pepper jewellery factory has been perfectly preserved since the final day of work here in 1981, and a visit includes a guided tour of the workshop, learning about the craft and watching live demonstrations. Don’t forget to leave via the jewellery gift shop to buy a sparkling treat to remind your time here.

Planning to museum-hop your way around Britain’s second city? Take your pick of these hotels in Birmingham.”