10 Free Things to do in Birmingham That You Shouldn't Miss

Our nature reserve stands at the eastern entrance to Sandwell Valley and is a great starting point for exploring this unique wildlife corridor running all the way through to West Bromwich town centre. You'll find the hedgerows full of finches and thrushes in winter and warblers in summer. From the Lakeside hide you can see flocks of ducks, geese and swans and wading birds all year-round. Facilities: Visitor centre Car park : The main visitor centre car park is accessed via a Tarmac road with some quite severe speed bumps. It is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and has spaces for 30 vehicles. Toilets Disabled toilets Baby-changing facilities Picnic area Group bookings accepted Good for walking Pushchair friendly Refreshments available: Hot drinks Cold drinks Snacks

From Renaissance masterpieces and cutting edge contemporary art to Egyptian mummies and the iconic HP factory sign, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery showcases a world class collection and offers fascinating glimpses into Birmingham's rich and vibrant past. Highlights include the finest collection of Pre-Raphaelite art in the world and the largest find of Anglo-Saxon gold ever discovered - the Staffordshire Hoard. Don't miss the Birmingham History Galleries - packed with artefacts, local treasures and interactive displays that reveal captivating stories of Birmingham from the last 500 years.

This park features historic gardens that have been influenced by the gardenesque style of planting, which features exotic plants brought to the British Isles from all parts of the world.

Once a thriving port, this area where several canals meet offers colorful canal boats, bars, cafes and restaurants.

In tribute to those who lost their lives in combat from World War I to present day, the interior of this somber memorial offers books with the names of the fallen, as well as impressive stained glass windows and skylights.

A favorite area for hikers and mountain bikers, this 524-acre park consists of many trees, marshes and trees including a wide variety of wildlife.

Welcome to St Martin in the Bull Ring. This is one of the most ancient and contemporary buildings in Birmingham. Most of this Grade II listed church is from the nineteenth century. It was built in 1873 and is an example of gothic Victorian architecture, designed by Alfred Chatwin, from Birmingham, who also worked on the houses of parliament. But St Martin's is much older than that. There has been a church on this site since 1290 and may well have been a simple place of worship here in Saxon times. St Martin's is also a place of worship for a thriving community who refurbished the building in 2000 making it more light and open. In 2009 we created a tea lounge, healing center, and learning and advice service so our hospitality in the heart of the city could be extended. We believe that what Jesus called 'Life in all its fullness' can be discovered right here in the crosscurrents of the marketplace. You are very welcome to come in and walk around.

The UK's third smallest Cathedral, but truly stunning and the only green space within the city. Designed in a fine English Baroque style, this elegant Cathedral is decorated with four stained glass windows by Pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne-Jones. Daily services and prayer, Cathedral shop open most days. All are welcome.

The Lapworth Museum of Geology holds the finest and most extensive collections of fossils, minerals and rocks in the Midlands. Dating back to 1880, it is one of the oldest specialist geological museums in the UK. The Museum is now open following a £2.7m redevelopment, made possible thanks to a transformative Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant of £1.5m and the generous support of University of Birmingham alumni, as well as a number of grant awarding bodies, trusts and foundations. Throughout its long history the Lapworth Museum has provided a valuable resource for students, schools and colleges, research workers, enthusiasts and anyone with an interest in, or desire to learn, about geology. The museum supports teaching and research in the Earth Sciences and natural history within the University and the West Midlands region. The Museum is named after Charles Lapworth, the first Professor of Geology at Mason College, the forerunner of the University of Birmingham. Lapworth was one of the most important and influential geologists in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries. Located in the University’s Grade II listed, Aston Webb Building, the museum retains its original Edwardian setting and interior. The collections contain in excess of 250,000 specimens. In addition to rocks, fossils and minerals, there are large collections of early geological maps, equipment, models, photographic material, and also zoological specimens and stone axes. The Lapworth Archive contains one of the most complete records of the work of a scientist of that period. The fossil collections are important both scientifically and historically, with exceptionally well-preserved specimens from the Midlands and many other famous fossil localities in the UK, and throughout the world. The museum has some of the finest collections from the Wenlock Limestone of Dudley, famous for its fossils that lived 420 million years ago when the area was covered by a shallow, warm, tropical sea that enabled a highly diverse ecosystem to develop. From the rocks of the old Midlands Coalfields are important collections of fossil plants, fish, insects, arachnids, fossil footprints and animal tracks. There are beautifully preserved fish, dragonflies, crabs, lobsters and pterosaurs from the Solnholfen Limestone in Germany; outstanding fish collections from Brazil, Italy, Lebanon and USA; 510 million year old animals unique to the world famous Burgess Shale of British Columbia. The mineral collection contains around 15,000 specimens, many of them rare, and displaying stunning colours and crystal shapes. The specimens come from all over the world, but particularly from the old mining areas of the UK. Of historical interest is the mineral collection of William Murdoch, engineer and inventor, who worked with James Watt and Matthew Boulton at Soho House in Birmingham. A visit to the Lapworth Museum provides an insight into how the Earth formed and changed through time, and how life on earth developed and evolved.

The Jewellery Quarter is one of the oldest districts in Birmingham. Around a 15minute walk from the city centre and well connected with trains, trams and buses. The area has a reputation of high quality, bespoke Jewellery but is home to countless independent restaurants, bars and cafes. The Quarter is home to over 200 listed buildings including the Grade I* St Paul’s Church which sits on top of the last Georgian Square in Birmingham. We have three amazing museums, a handful of galleries and all sorts of interesting and unique attractions. We have an annual festival in July that celebrates everything Jewellery Quarter, this is something to highlight in your calendars. Whether it is shopping, sightseeing or enjoying a drink with friends, the Jewellery Quarter is the place to be. This page is managed by the Jewellery Quarter Business Improvement District.