Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

I love this museum and pop in every time I visit Birmingham. The permanent exhibition is full of beautiful objects, whilst the temporary exhibitions are always interesting. In addition the sections covering the history of Birmingham are full of detail and use sound and video to bring them to life. It is somewhere that you can visit for a couple of hours or for a shorter time, if you just want to see a particular section. The Edwardian Tea Rooms and the shop are also great. This is clearly a well-loved museum that is supported by all sections of the community. I couldn’t recommend it highly enough.

We visited and were overjoyed to be able to enjoy some culture again. The venue is well prepared with Covid measures in place that make it very safe. It’s well organised and very well thought out for Covid. Do be aware that the museum and gallery are not fully open, some rooms are not suitable to be Covid secured and are closed off to visitors.
The museum has a one way system and starts in the faith gallery entering via Gas Street. The art gallery’s go in reverse order but the lady who sold us our guide book showed us where to start (pg38) and work backwards.
There is a lot not open but they are making every effort during such tough times. Thanks to all the staff.

This museum holds so much beauty and is very easy to get lost in, everything in here tells a story and it’s a beautiful museum to visit. You could spend hours in here just learning the history of each item on show, would definitely recommend. Very peaceful too

A temporary re-opening before closure again for bulding/electrical works. But there is nothing to see worth looking at in my opinion except Epstein's 'Lucifer' now surrounded in the rotunda by modern images gathered under the collective title 'We are Birmingham.'

'We are Birmingham' may address issues (woke musuem curators seem to feel this need) but an institution founded upon, and rightly previously devoted to, the display of fine art in the interest of what used to be called 'the education of the public taste' is not the right venue for it. Birmingham is not short of gallery space and it is a tragic insult to the public that the first-rate art it holds is hidden in storage while this material is 'promoted' in its place. There is similar material replacing the previously marvellous displays of stained glass and the history of ceramics in the gallery leading to the tea room. For anyone who appreciates fine art

The future looks bleak. The website states that when they eventually reopen gallery space will be reduced and on display will be objects that tell stories and are requested by public.

How about simply displaying once again the first rate art and objects that the collection holds? What people vote to most want tsee and what art works and objects have the highest aesthetic merit are unlikley to coincide. But museums and galleries such as Birmingham seem now to be embarassed by objects of beauty and value.

Go woke, go broke. After my visit today I am cancelling my intended bequests. Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is clearly not a fit recipient for my cash, nor objects of beauty and value,

PS The two great Canalettos of Birmingham's collection, the views of Warwick castle, may currenly be seen on loan at Worcester Museum and Art Gallery.

A haven of calm and beauty in the current works going on around the building.
Have visited before and remembered the beautiful Edwardian tearoom where we had a coffee and sat people watching for a while
Little tight for time but managed to get round the history of Birmingham exhibition which was fascinating and clearly engaged the schoolchildren going around which is important. We also spent a bit of time looking at the art and other exhibits but need a return visit to see them properly. Aside from a voluntary donation it's free to visit and you wont be disappointed.

I loved the whole museum and found it very well laid out. I specially enjoyed the extensive section about Birmingham’s history, which gave a good overview of the city at different points in the time. The cafe is amazing as well! I had the cream tea. Well worth the visit!

We spent several hours viewing the art and exhibits in the Museum. The history of Birmingham and the Staffordshire Hoard of Anglo Saxon Treasure were particularly interesting. Lunch in the Edwardian Tearooms was also good with a surprisingly wide choice.

Take a couple of hours to visit as there is a huge variety of art and Birmingham-related history. The building itself is magnificent and easy to get to. There are so many artifacts to view and I found the Egyptian section particularly interesting.

Every aspect of this gallery grabs the attention. Even the restaurant is lined with cultural and contextual art references. The art is well positioned clearly defined and permanent exhibitions very well staged. Superb staff

I took the children (10 & 14) at half term during a two day visit to Birmingham. We have visited a lot of free city museums, which my children love, and this one stood out for a few reasons.
Surprisingly, although it was half term, the museum was not too busy and therefore very pleasant to explore.
The building it is housed in has some beautiful rooms that are worth visiting just for that alone. I loved the ever so Victorian/Edwardian display halls, with glass vaulted ceilings and walkway galleries around the top, edged with wrought iron railings.When you first enter the museum, you also enter through a tall domed Octagon, lined in wood panels and covered in magnificently large paintings.
It didn't have the ubiquitous Natural History section we have come to expect (no stuffed animals), but it did have some displays that are unique to Birmingham, and which really gave me a sense of what Birmingham has to be proud of.
It has had so many manufactoring industries in which it has excelled, such as Iron work, steel, and Pewter. Biggest surprise was the beautiful display of buttons from the 18th century.
My husband and older son enjoyed The Staffordshire Hoard - a collection of Anglo Saxon treasures discovered by metal detectorists.