Stand on Colmore Row at dusk and the soot-blackened stone of St Philip's Cathedral catches the last of the light, while office workers stream past the churchyard railings towards the Jewellery Quarter. Birmingham rarely presents itself as a pretty city, but its architecture rewards a second look, and much of it sits within a short walk of the shops and crowds that tend to obscure it.
The city suits travellers who care more about industrial history, art and food than about chocolate-box streets. Its cultural institutions are strong, its canal-side quarter is walkable, and the countryside of the Lickey Hills and Waseley Hills is closer than you might expect from a major population centre.
This guide covers the museums, galleries, historic houses and factory visits worth building a day around, plus how to string the best of them together if your time is short.
Top things to do in Birmingham
1. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
A large museum in Chamberlain Square with local history, several temporary exhibitions and a substantial permanent collection, including an extensive holding of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. It is also home to part of the Anglo-Saxon hoard, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold metal work, discovered just north of Birmingham in 2009.
As of August 2025 only some galleries are open because of refurbishment, so check what is on before you commit a long visit. Entry is free, with donations welcome.
2. Aston Hall
A restored Jacobean mansion built between 1618 and 1635, with period rooms and artwork, and cannon damage from the English Civil War still visible in the fabric. Arthur Conan Doyle and Washington Irving both visited; Irving's 'Bracebridge Hall' was inspired by it.
Admission to the grounds is free, with a charge for the Hall itself. It closes when Aston Villa are playing at home, so check fixtures before travelling out to Aston.
3. Sarehole Mill
Built in 1765, this is a fine example of one of more than fifty water mills that once operated in Birmingham. Matthew Boulton used it for making buttons and for metal rolling until he moved his operations to Soho in 1761, and in the late 1890s it was the childhood haunt of J.R.R. Tolkien, influencing 'The Shire' in The Lord of the Rings.
Combine it with Moseley Bog nearby, a woodland said to have inspired Fangorn Forest. Admission to the grounds is free, with a charge for the mill, and it is closed on Mondays outside bank holidays.
4. Birmingham Back to Backs
The last surviving set of Birmingham's 19th-century cramped working-class houses, restored and preserved by the National Trust. It is the most direct way to understand how most of the city's workforce lived through the industrial period.
Tours must be booked a few days in advance, so plan this one before you arrive rather than turning up on the day.
5. The Coffin Works (Newman Brothers Coffin Furniture Factory)
An industrial heritage museum in the Jewellery Quarter, dedicated to the social and industrial history of a site that operated as a coffin furniture factory from 1894 until its closure in 1998. Ornaments made by the Newman Brothers decorated the coffins of Sir Winston Churchill, Joseph Chamberlain and many others.
Guided tours are highly recommended and start at 1PM, 2PM and 3PM. Several historic rooms, among them the "stamp" room, can be viewed.
6. IKON Gallery
A small gallery in Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, showing two or three temporary modern and conceptual art installations at a time. Entry is free, with donations welcome, and it has an excellent cafe.
Its position just off Broad Street makes it an easy pairing with a walk along the canals, and it is a sensible indoor stop if the weather turns.
7. Cadbury World
A large chocolate factory south of the city centre in Bournville. The tour covers the history of chocolate and of the Cadbury company, plus a brief look at some of the factory floor, with some free chocolate and relatively cheap mis-shapes in the shop.
Opening times vary enormously but tend to be daily 10AM-5PM in spring, summer and autumn. Booking online costs less than paying in person, and the train to Bournville is the straightforward way to get there.
8. St Philip's Cathedral
A Church of England cathedral built between 1709 and 1715, designed as a parish church in the Baroque style by Thomas Archer, and now the centre of the Diocese of Birmingham. It contains four spectacular Pre-Raphaelite stained glass windows by Burne Jones.
It sits on Colmore Row in the heart of the business district, so it fits naturally into a city-centre walk. Note that weekday closing is earlier from late July to early September.
9. Blakesley Hall
One of the oldest buildings in Birmingham and a typical example of "black & white" Tudor architecture, constructed in 1590 by Richard Smalbroke as a timber-framed farmhouse. Historic artefacts are on display, including authentic candlesticks and pewter goblets, and the Gilbertstone, moved in local folklore by the Giant named Gilbert, stands in the grounds.
Take bus 97 and get off at the Station Road bus stop. It is a good counterpoint to the city's industrial museums if you want the earlier end of Birmingham's history.
10. Soho House
The elegant home of industrial pioneer Matthew Boulton, who lived there from 1766 to 1809 and met some of the most important scientists, engineers and thinkers of his time there as part of the Lunar Society.
Entry is by guided tour only, at 11.30am, 1pm and 2.30pm, and the house is open on Wednesdays, Thursdays and the first Sunday of the month, plus some bank holidays and special occasions. The walk uphill from Benson Road metro stop is steep.
11. Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
A science museum at Millennium Point with plenty of hands-on activities, vehicles and industrial machines, and an IMAX cinema in the same building. It is the most child-friendly of the city's museums.
It is busiest during school holidays, when it opens daily 10AM-5PM with last admission at 4PM, so arrive early if you want time on the interactive exhibits.
12. Barber Institute of Fine Arts
A small gallery on the University of Birmingham campus in Edgbaston with an excellent eclectic permanent collection, including many pre-Raphaelites. It was named gallery of the year in the Good Britain Guide 2004.
As of April 2026 the Barber galleries are closed for a major building improvement project, so confirm before making the trip out to Edgbaston. Entry is free, with donations welcome.
13. Lapworth Museum of Geology
Rocks and fossils on the University of Birmingham campus, aimed at a broad range of audiences. It was one of five UK museums shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award in 2017, following major redevelopment of its displays.
It sits on the same Edgbaston campus as the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, so the two are worth checking together, and entry is free.
14. Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA)
An independent art gallery off St. Paul's Square with frequent temporary exhibitions and works for sale. Entry is free.
Its location near St. Paul's Square puts it close to the Jewellery Quarter, making it a natural addition to a day built around the Coffin Works.
15. Birmingham Peace Pagoda
A gold-roofed pagoda in an inner-city area of Ladywood, close to Edgbaston Reservoir. It is a striking sight in an unexpected setting.
Pair it with a walk around Edgbaston Reservoir, and treat it as a quiet stop rather than a full afternoon.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery in Chamberlain Square, then walk to St Philip's Cathedral on Colmore Row. Both are central and close together, so you can cover the city's main collection and its Baroque cathedral before lunch.
Afternoon: Head to the Jewellery Quarter for the Coffin Works, aiming for one of the guided tours that start at 1PM, 2PM and 3PM. If time allows, add the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists off St. Paul's Square, which is nearby.
Evening: Finish at the IKON Gallery in Oozells Square, Brindleyplace, which stays open into the afternoon and has an excellent cafe, then walk the canals around Brindleyplace as the light goes.
Frequently asked questions
Which museums in Birmingham are free to enter?
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, the IKON Gallery, the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, the Lapworth Museum of Geology and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts are all free, with donations welcome at several of them. Note that the Barber galleries are closed as of April 2026 for a building improvement project, and only some galleries at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery are open as of August 2025.
Do I need to book ahead for any of these places?
Yes. Tours at Birmingham Back to Backs must be booked a few days in advance, and entry to Soho House is by guided tour only, at set times. Factory visits at Jaguar Castle Bromwich Assembly also have to be pre-booked by contacting the Visitors Centre by phone or email.
When is the best time to visit Aston Hall?
Avoid match days, as the Hall is closed when Aston Villa are playing at home. Admission to the grounds is free, and Aston Hall by Candlelight, a Christmas event with the grounds lit by candles for 17th-century festivities, takes place every two years in even-numbered years and carries a fee.
Can I visit a working factory in Birmingham?
Yes. Cadbury World in Bournville offers a tour covering the history of chocolate and the Cadbury company plus a brief look at some of the factory floor, and Jaguar Castle Bromwich Assembly in the north of the city offers factory visits that must be pre-booked.
Pick the two or three places that match your interests, check the opening days and booking requirements, and start shaping your days in Birmingham around them.