Birmingham for a day

[newwallpaper]

Anyone point me in the direction of nice things to do with my mum (40 & 60).

We've been before and enjoyed shopping and eating but it's always nice to have a focus! We like art, museums, theatre etc and could go on a weekday or a weekend some time in August.

Also lunch recommendations would be fab. We are both on the train into the bullring.

I'm not fully fit so no major excursions . Thank you!

How about staying in Brindleyplace? There’s loads of nice restaurants and bars to choose from, you can visit the Ikon gallery, aquarium and Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery easily. Short walk to the library/fountains/theatres in Centenary Square and down through Chamberlain and Victoria Squares into the main shopping district. I think the metro goes along that route now too. It’s also nice to walk along the canals and go for boat trips.

I did this a few years ago and had a great time

@peruse thank you! I'll google those now.

BMAG was closed last time I checked, not sure about the IKON…
I propose a bus or taxi to the Barber Institute at Birmingham University (free, but book) - one of the finest small art galleries in the country. Followed by a very short walk to Winterbourne (Birmingham University’s Botanical Garden), with a lovely early 20th century house and an excellent café for lunch (entrance fee, book ahead) and a leisurely stroll around the gardens.

@Wormwoodgal thank you, I'll see what's open now 😬😊

Wowcher had vouchers for Winterbourne Gardens - check if they're still on. It's a lovely place to walk round.

Birmingham museum is genuinely terrific especially the Staffordshire Hoard and pre-Raphaelites.

Ooh and the back to back houses are really worth a trip if you're interested in history. Hurst st area so close to the Hippodrome/Chinatown.

I enjoyed visiting the Back-to-Backs - very interesting.

@keiratwiceknightly

Birmingham museum is genuinely terrific especially the Staffordshire Hoard and pre-Raphaelites.

Thanks but the museum is closed at the moment. It would have suited us as very central and out type of thing.

We have enjoyed the museum in the Jewellery Quarter, along with a wander around the jewellery shops. They do walking tours I think too, which I don’t think would be strenuous. Loads of places to eat too.

For lunch I would recommend Tiger Bites Pig for bao, Tierra Tacos (in the JQ), Dishoom (chain but great), Loki wine for wine tasting and charcuterie type snacks, Pure Bar for great pub food, and if you want to go fancy then you have the various Michelin star places in town (Adams, Purnells).

@SellFridges unfortunately the jewellery Quarter museum is closed too 🙁 but the wall around this area and Dishoom could be a good shout for some of the day.

*walk

I’ll also recommend the Back to Back houses on Hurst St.

It’s such a shame that BMAG is closed currently, I was looking for something for an elderly man to do on a day in Birmingham this week and it seems that the observation floors at the Library are closed at the moment too.

There are a couple of unusual museums close to the city centre. The Coffin Works and the Pen Museum (that one’s currently closed according to the website but due to announce when it’ll reopen this month) are both in the Jewellery Quarter and are much more interesting than they sound and definitely worth a visit.

We often have lunch at Rudy’s Pizza on Bennett’s Hill which leads off New St.

@MadisonAvenue thank you

Can you avoid August? It’s busy at the moment with the school holidays - and more is likely to be open later on! But if not, you’ll still have a nice time - just probably more of a wonder around the back to backs and Jewellery Quarter etc, and some nice food somewhere.

It’s a shame so many of the museums and things are closed at the moment, they’re usually a great day out!