Birmingham’s heyday was in the nineteenth century, when it was the manufacturing capital of the world. Famous for its metalwork and the coal mining in the north of the city, Birmingham grew quickly in the Victorian age, and remains the second biggest city in the UK. If you are planning a trip to Birmingham, then there are a range of museums in the region, all of which can cater to a different taste or style. If you are interested in history, art, or even chocolate, then there is a museum for you in Birmingham.
The most famous public museum in Birmingham is the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, which is famous for its collection of paintings, particularly those by the Pre-Raphaelites. If you are a fan of art, then a trip to the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a must, particularly when combined with a visit to the Barber Institute of Fine Arts in Edgbaston. Although the Barber Institute is small, the range of art held there is enough to please even the most well-seasoned art tourist.
If you are interested in the history of Birmingham, and the area around, then the Black Country Museum is an ideal trip. Located in the coal mining area known as the Black Country, the museum is on the site of a former coal mining village, and the entire area is decorated in period pieces, including the ‘locals’. Visitors can stroll around the village, meeting the ‘locals’ and even attending the small school for a Victorian-era lesson. The Black Country museum offers a hands-on vision of what life was like in nineteenth-century coal mining towns and villages around Birmingham. Although the Museum is located slightly outside the city, transport links mean that it is easy to get to from anywhere in Birmingham.
If you, like most people, are fan of chocolate, then you will know that Cadbury’s chocolate has been made in Birmingham for over a hundred years. The Cadbury factory is now open as a museum called Cadbury world, where you can see the history behind the chocolate. Tours around the museum not only show you the process of making chocolate, but also give you free samples along the way. The Cadbury factory is located in Bournville, one of the suburbs of Birmingham. Such is the popularity of Cadbury world, that many Birmingham hotels can help you organise transport to and from the factory. Cadbury World shows that not all museums have to be exhibitions of art and pottery.
Bruce Giles writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.
