Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

The museum is still only partially open, but there's enough to make a visit very worthwhile. There are some excellent works of art, along with exhibits showcasing Birmingham's industrial past. The building itself is well worth close examination. There is a shop here, and also the Edwardian Tea Rooms. The coffee was mediocre, while the muffin I bought had all the characteristics of having been made at the same time as the tea rooms. Prices are high in the tea rooms (£7.35 for substandard coffee and cake), while items for sale in the museum shop are also priced to appeal to those with higher levels of disposable income. (It's not a given that everyone who enjoys art and history also enjoys over-paying for everything...) Aiming high with prices is fine if quality and value match the price point. I don't think it does here - call me picky, but discerning also fits... The museum and gallery are 5-star, and entry is free, but whoever sets the prices for what's sold here needs to better understand the concept of value to the customer. Get that right, and the required profits will naturally follow...

I visited Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery today and had a really great time. The building itself is beautiful and full of character, with impressive architecture that makes you feel like you’ve stepped into another time. The Pre-Raphaelite collection was definitely the highlight for me. The artwork is stunning and well presented, with just enough info to give you context without being overwhelming. There’s also a great variety of pieces throughout the museum, from historic artifacts to more modern and local art. It’s a nice mix that keeps things interesting. All the main areas were open during my visit, which was a nice surprise since I’d heard some parts had been closed previously. Everything was well laid out and easy to navigate. The restaurant on site was a big plus. I stopped in for lunch and was really impressed with tasty food, decent prices, and a relaxed atmosphere. It’s a good spot to take a break and recharge. Staff were friendly and helpful, and the museum is free to enter, which is incredible for the quality of the experience. Whether you're into art, history, or just exploring interesting places, this is well worth a visit. I’ll definitely be back again. Birmingham is lucky to have a space like this.

Situated in Chamberlain Square, it’s easily accessible from Birmingham New Street Station and surrounded by other key city attractions. The Museum is telling the story of Birmingham’s development during the Industrial Revolution, some of finest collections of arts and offers a rewarding cultural experience in the heart of the city. Entry is free, a café gift shop selling books, and local souvenirs are available.

It was great and looked so good. It used to be better but still great. Great for all ages as they have many hands on things. They also have a tearoom with food and drinks.

Fantastic free day out for all the family. We arrived 20 minutes before it closed so we didn't really have the time to fully enjoy the museum . Staff were very friendly, the young gentleman at the entrance took his time to have a conversation with my son about an item he had brought from a previous museum. I would definitely visit again with my family

Awesome day out with art and music gallerys , discussed art paintings with my designer and painter wife , so meaningfull collection specially old dresses hanging in show peace is my favourate must visit , its no entry fee , parking nearby available.

Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is a wonderful place for a day out. It was opened in 1885. It has over 40 galleries and the world's largest public collection of paintings. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery building is a master piece and it's free entry. Sitting in the heart of Birmingham city, makes it more accessible. Love the round gallery and its highlight centre statue of Lucifer. The exhibits are well laid out and cover a lot of topics. There’s something for everyone. There’s a nice cafe inside and good for a short break after exploring a lot. Definitely worth a visit if you’re around in Birmingham.

It was a pleasant visit Staff very friendly. We needed to pray and they were more than accommodating. We were given an empty lecture hall by the staff, bo questions asked. Very happy with the service. The museum shop was lovely and so were many of the exhibitions although of them are still not fully open.

Free museum in Birmingham city centre focusing on contemporary art. It's in a very grand building, so I thought the museum would be big too, but it wasn't. Well there is a lot of empty space, and not that much to see. Few different rotating exhibitions, I saw some on the rave scene in the 80s and also racial violence from the 60-90s. On the way out I accidentally insulted one of the artists, but he just brushed it off.

The Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery is a popular cultural attraction in the heart of Birmingham, albeit I didn't find it that special. The building architecture is nice for sure. The indoor space is quite small, though, with not a ton to see. It's free though, so if you're around it doesn't hurt to pop in for a visit.

Museum was probably less fascinating than the one I attended back in year 4. Wasn't a fan, left earlier than expected.

We visited this museum yesterday and we really liked it. Both the exterior and interior of the building are beautiful. The museum has a terrific selection of paintings from the 15th, 16th & 17th centuries and a particularly good selection of Pre-Raphaelites. There's a *gorgeous*/large Edwardian tea room and also a separate café (the latter is small and attractive). The gift shop isn't very large, but it had some nice items. Also, I had a wonderful conversation with one of the guards; she was very friendly and kind-hearted.

Half a dozen times at least I've been to Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in the past few years. Wonderful collection of paintings (one focus is on the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood), pottery, sculptures - plus a healthy dose of local history and Ancient Egypt. It will take you hours & hours to explore. Far above average café, some lockers for your stuff, and of course the great architecture around it. Entry is free, photography allowed. Don't hesitate!

Somewhere for Brummies to be proud of! The building itself is beautiful, especially the original galleries at the front. The art gallery has a fantastic variety and is split into eras and styles. There's a super Birmingham gallery as well, with art inspired by Birmingham and Brummies. The museum has plenty of artefacts, including the Egyptian section with mummies! There are often special exhibitions of art or history and it is home to the Staffordshire Hoard. Staff are passionate and knowledgeable and seem to have really picked up the pace recently. You could visit here several times over and still not see everything. The lovely tearoom is worth a visit too. Oh and it's free. What more do you need?

I still can't get my head around the fact that I have not been back here since I was a child, this place is truly fantastic. You can look at everything from Egyptian artefacts and 17th century art right through to newer additions to the museum that celebrate Birmingham's rich culture and heritage all in one place. All of the pieces are beautifully presented and maintained and the staff cannot help you enough. On our visit we had doors opened for us and directions when ever we needed them. It's completely free to get in so next time you are walking by go in and take a look around. You won't be disappointed.

I had one of the best times here you could imagine, let me start by saying the place is free to get into so you don't have to pay a huge entrance price unlike some places I have been to in Birmingham. There is so much to see in the museum on the many floors and various rooms here, I was lost in a trance for hours on end! There is something for everyone, even children. You have modern day pieces and classic paintings to interactive displays and hand made medieval villages that give an amazing representation of the past. If that doesn't take your fancy then spend half hour looking through the gift shop like I did, have a sit down in the restaurant there or have some fun on the penny presses! There isn't anything I could fault with this amazing contribution to Birmingham and when I visit next I will be attending again!

Stopping here wasn't planned, but it looked inviting and ambitious. The external building was grand, and so were a lot of internal rooms. And to be honest, sometimes the rooms were more grand than the art. But what I really likes was the whole section committed to the story of Birmingham. I can't recall a museum that takes you on a journey like this... it was like walking a timeline. Here's what the city (village) looked like in the 12 century. Here's who lived here. Here's what they made. And the museum then walks you through many centuries of evolution, right up through modern times. The displays in this timeline aren't always about art, but educating visitors about Birmingham's role in everything from the English civil war to the salve trade in the 1800's to the coal strikes of the late 1900s. Very educational. Sometimes we get caught up in the idea that great museums have amazing stuff from all over the world. But that's a game nobody can really win. Showing an amazing story about local history can be just as great, especially if done creatively.

First things first, if you're planning your visiting to this elegant listed building placed at Chamberlain Square, there is some things to remember: make sure you are going to wear very comfortable shoes. There are plenty to catch up there and it's difficult even to decide where to start with. Secondly, get the map. Believe me, there are so many rooms in this building that it's likely to get lost and never find the exhibition or collection you were looking for. This museum and art gallery is very impressive. So, before entering on it I would recommend to check the building from outside and spot every details of this phenomenal architecture built in 1884. In fact, it took four years to be erected! It's just impossible to not contemplate it. A good place to admire its exuberant construction is from the Chamberlain Memorial fountain, also located at the Chamberlain Square. From inside, BAGM is more inviting! From ancient & medieval antiquities to fine art printing and drawings, we are spoilt for choice. Birmingham Art and Gallery Museum collection has free admission. The Gas Hall is one of the rooms that can't be missed. For some very cheap fee (usually £ 4) you can check really interesting contemporaneous exhibitions. Best thing to do is visiting the website and check the list of events held there. For residents of Birmingham it should be a compulsory place to visit weekly. For tourists it would be in their bucket list.

Wow.. Has it really been so long since I wrote my review of BMAG? June 2013 indeed! Well, I think it's now definitely time for an update. I have ended up visiting BMAG several times over the last year! With the vast range of exhibitions held here and Gas Gall, there is always something new to see and worth visiting regularly. Entry to the main museum is still free of charge (but relies on donations), and you can certainly lose a day in this behemoth of a building. This year has seen the fantastic permanent "Staffordshire Hoard" exhibition open up, which is a wonderful addition to the already jam packed selection of collections available. The refurbished Edwardian Tea Rooms (http://www.yelp.co.uk/biz/edwardian-tea-room-birmingham) provide a welcome break after an explore of the many floors here and you can get yourself a damn fine cup of coffee and a cake for under £5. My personal favourite place in the museum is the Birmingham floor (at the top of the building). As well as telling you the history of "Beorma" and how it became a City, it goes into more modern history and provides lots of information about the "thousand trades" Birmingham got it's tagline from. Be sure to pop into Gas Hall if they are offering a free exhibition or something you are interested in, the quality work in here never fails to amaze me. Don't miss a little wander around the gift shop too, as it often has unusual and quirky presents and a great selection of cards and wrapping paper. In short, if my review from 2013 hasn't persuaded you to go yet... GO. GO NOW. It's one of the best museums I have ever visited and an afternoon spent in BMAG will never fail to mystify you.

I have wandered past the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery on countless occasions over the years, but only the other day did I finally decide to head on in. Being a history student at University, it is unforgivable that last weekend was my first visit, shameful even. But as soon as I entered, I immediately took the place to heart. I must of walked around for a good 30 minutes taking in as much as I possibly could. The Ancient World and Modern History sections attracted my attention, leading me to a remarkable Buddha gallery, one that had photo evidence of a particular statue that had dated hundreds of years, which, seeing it right there in front of you, really is something. I continued my tour around the museum coming across countless rooms, so many in fact that I actually got slightly lost, not that I was complaining. The entire building is full of a wide variety of people, all basking in the tremendous artifacts that are on offer. I would definitely recommend the museum to anyone who has any remote interest in the past and even if you don't, it's worth checking out. You may just be surprised. At the end of the day, it's free, so what do you have to lose!

My experience of the Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum is a little different. I was extremely lucky to have played a gig with my band in the exquisite round room as part of the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Fest. With beautiful paintings and sculptures, it made for a truly unique experience and is definitely the most interesting place that we've played. (Here's a snippet, just look at those surroundings. http://instagram.com/p/qojhRVqC6s/) We couldn't quite believe we had a gig in the beautiful BMAG! Stunning, stunning, stunning. What a gorgeous building! We wish that we'd had more time to browse the museum itself but what we did see, we absolutely loved. My favourite part was the section devoted to Buddhism within history. It was amazing to see the old Buddhist statues. The collection of china and crockery is wonderful too, with lots of interesting antique items to have a peek at. - I do wish I owned a large portion of it! Props to the gift shop for having a seriously great range of stock, including some impressive vintage memorabilia mugs and other quirky items. The prices were reasonable and we came away with quite a few little mementos of our time in the museum. Staff were just so lovely in making us feel welcome and even allowed us to lock our instruments and belongings in a private room whilst we had a look aroung after our set. What a beautiful museum and art gallery. Oh, and good acoustics too!

This museum is such a lovely old building! It's huge and packed for of all sorts of amazing collections. I often pop in at lunch time just to visit the shop and pick up cards and wrapping paper. Now however, the tired old tea room has been re-vamped and a transformed into a warm contemporary bistro, so I shall pop back soon to try it out properly! There are some beautiful old paintings in there that I always like to see whilst walking through. I love the pre-Raphaelite collection especially. I am so please now that the Staffordshire Hoard has a permanent room, with interactive displays, so good fun for all the family. I would say it is a bit of a walk from the main entrance though. It's best to go through the Gas Hall entrance if that is all you want to see. The gallery often puts on some amazing temporary exhibitions, so keep an eye out in the press!

When people take the piss out of Birmingham, I send them here to shut them up. I also bring family and friends here when they visit. In my opinion, it should be everyone's first stop on the tourist trail of the city. In what could easily be a full day visit, BMAG is a brilliant (and free!) museum, on par with many of London's finest institutions. The grand Victorian building is beautiful and interesting to look at in its own right. Once inside, you have a choice of fantastic permanent exhibitions, as well as wonderfully curated temporary exhibitions. The exhibition halls are laid out expertly, and the curators are really mindful of different ways to engage with audiences of different backgrounds and age groups. There are tons of interactive displays and things geared towards kids, as well as more traditional art galleries. There's such a variety of stuff here... from historical artifacts to contemporary art-- brilliant collections showing off a brilliant city. The Staffordshire Hoard is here, which I highly recommend taking the time to visit! The exhibition on the history of Birmingham and the West Midlands is also absolutely amazing, and was my introduction to the city when I moved here. The recently renovated Edwardian Tea Room inside the museum is an absolutely lovely place to grab a quick bite whilst exhibit-hopping, or sit and work in for hours. If you've not been, you should! Even if museums aren't your thing, it's worth popping in just to have a quick look around the building itself, or to grab a quick coffee and enjoy the ambiance.

This is a real jewel of a museum, it's scale is difficult to see from the outside but you can very easily spend several days diving into the exhibits and you'd still not have fully covered everything, it's truly massive. It's not just scale however, this museum itself is a beautiful building in the way that only a Victorian museum can be and the team put a lot of effort into keeping it relevant with an ever changing array of things to go and see. They also tend to have at least one exhibition that is actively celebrating/educating about Birmingham's history or some aspect of the cities culture (currently faith in Birmingham for example). The art gallery contains one of the finest collections of pre-Raphaelite art in the world, indeed one of my only criticisms here is that it can be a bit overwhelming at first. Ultimately it's free entry so a free day out, put some comfy shoes on and get yourself down, well worth going to the café they have there as well when you get tired, it's a cut above the rest.

I visit Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery so frequently, it's about time I popped a review on here. The Museum & Art Gallery was officially opened in 1885. It was extended in 1917 and seven galleries had to be rebuilt after being bombed in 1940. Thanks to forethought, none of the collection was harmed, as it was in secure storage during the war. Since 1952 the building has been Grade II* listed. In 1997 the Science Museum in the Jewellery Quarter closed and the exhibits were moved to BM&AG, mainly occupying the 3rd floor, until ThinkTank opened in 2001. The Museum & Art Gallery now also occupies the former gas department and water department offices on Edmund Street, which are both used for temporary exhibitions. My earliest memory of BM&AG is visiting on school trip and sketching 'Melody (Musica)' by Kate Elizabeth Bunce. Bunce was part of the Birmingham School of Art in the 1880s and this painting still remains one of my favourites in the gallery. Around the turn of the millennium, after a college trip I was enthralled by Anna Maria Pacheco's 'Man and his Sheep', again I still think that this is a highlight of the permanent collection. Highlights of the permanent collection include artefacts from Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, Ancient Egypt, Latin America, Ancient India.... The Museums Trust holds the most important collection of Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood art in the world; numbering over 3,000 pieces. They also hold the Staffordshire Hoard (a collection of over 3,500 Anglo-Saxon artefacts that were buried 1,400 years ago), which sits in a newly refurbished dedicated gallery. The top (3rd) floor has also fairly recently been refurbished to house exhibits relating to the history of Birmingham, from it's medieval beginnings to modern times. There is lots of great information about local history, the expansion of the city, and how the people of Birmingham reacted to national events like the universal suffrage movement and both 20th century world wars. Most of these exhibits have interactive elements, so it's great for taking kids around. Even more recently, The Edwardian Tea Rooms has been refurbished. Transforming it from a canteen with little appeal other than the architecture, to a destination worthy of visiting in it's own right. The Gas Hall and the Water Hall house temporary exhibitions. Generally I find that the exhibitions in the Water Hall are free, whilst those in the Gas Hall are charged at around £7. Recently they have showed exhibitions in: Photorealism, Rowland Emett's Marvellous Machines, local university graduate's art, Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler's childrens' book art, a history of heavy metal. In the current exhibition (on until Sept 2015), artist Jeremy Deller has brought together two of his main influences, Andy Warhol and William Morris in an unconventional pairing. Whilst the main galleries are free to enter, the Museum & Art Gallery relies on donations to keep it operational and preserve the collection, so I implore you to drop some money in if you can afford to. If you visit frequently, it might be worth joining the Friends of Birmingham Museums, for £32 a year (£48 for couples), you get free entry to the special exhibition in the Gas Hall, free entry to all of the Museums Trust Heritage Sites, and 50% off the entrance to ThinkTank.

Can't get enough of this beautiful museum. Nearly everytime I'm in Bham I check this gallery out. They have an amazing exhibition on the Staffordshire Hoard and ancient Egypt! Best thing is that they have a mixture of everything. Definitely a place to see if you're visiting!

Great #Museum in #Birmingham......#TheRoundRoom @BMAG is spectacular, dominated by #TheEpsteinAngelGabriel hovering in mid-air before you get to #TheBMAGShop and the #excellent #EdwardianTeaRooms where food and snax are very reasonable with dinners and puddings very good value..... Back to @BMAG.....some very fine paintings like the #Edwardian #TheLastofEngland in #TheRoundRoom and for #Brummies like me the #BirminghamGallery #MyPeopleMyHistory is a reminder of what a #GreatCity #Birmingham was in #Victorian and #Edwardian times....... #Chamberlain's #Cityof1000Trades and #TheWorkshopofTheWorld....... #TheFirstCityofTheEmpire.......@BrumIsBrill #JosephChamberlain MP: was #TheFatherofBirmingham and the creator of the #ModernMunicipalBirmingham. Chamberlain was a huge #NationalFigure and #Birmingham really punched its weight on #TheWorldStage. #Chamberlain founded the first of the #Redbrick #Universities #BirminghamUniversity in 1900 in #Edgbaston in #Birmingham. Joe Chamberlain was a #Birmingham MP and a former #LordMayorofBirmingham and #ColonialSecretary in the then #LiberalGovernment who prosecuted #TheSecondBoerWar 1900 - 1902 which was a disaster for #TheBritishEmpire

For anyone who has read any of my reviews, you'll probably have seen a pattern. Most of them tend to be very much from a family perspective. There aren't enough lists and renews out there for families looking for things to do, so I'm trying to change this. If you're not interested in things from a family angle, then don't read on..... A lot of parents will already know this, but for those that don't, BMAG is absolutely brilliant for kids, especially on a rainy day. It's free to enter, there are loads of exhibits that children can touch. Our favourite is the wood rubbing bit and the stain glass window puzzle. We also like the samurai mask and the magic cabinet the kids can climb on, in and around. I have taken both my children who are quite young and they have both enjoyed it. The staff are very understanding of toddlers and I never feel like I should be skulking out. The cafe is OK, every time we have visited there's always been quite a queue and it can take some time to be served, so don't go in hungry. They put on a lot of family activities during the holidays, most of which you don't need to book for. It's really easy getting round with a pushchair, there are toilets situated throughout and there are always new exhibitions you can see. We rarely get past the first floor to be honest as there's enough there for a good couple of hours, but you may want to explore the other floors. Give it a go.

I have been visiting Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery since I was very little and have always taken something different away from every experience. As a child I was fascinated by the mummified animals in the Egyptian section (not sure if they're still there) and terrified by the massive model of a T Rex (the T Rex went about 10 years ago as it was anatomically incorrect and was going mouldy! Staff still get asked whether it is there and people do travel long distances thinking it's still in situ) As I grew, I began to appreciate the amazing Pre-Raphaelite collection. Edward Burne-Jones' 'King Cophetua and the Beggar Maid' is still my favourite of his pieces (I just wish they'd sort out those horrid spotlights in that room!) I have just returned from the opening of the newly refurbished galleries including the massive permanent exhibition 'Birmingham: its people, its history'. Previously, the third floor galleries were cold, dark and tired. I worked as a visitor assistant at the museum for a while and it was one of the posts staff dreaded to be assigned to (it is supposedly haunted too). The new exhibition space is light, airy, well thought out, well researched, interactive and bang up to date. There were so many interesting and unusual exhibits charting the history of Birmingham. I will definitely be going back in the near future to visit again. I particularly liked the panel on Bisset's Museum, Birmingham's first museum which opened in 1808 and was located on New Street. A few of the artefacts shown in the museum are displayed. Now known as fossils, the 19th Century explanations for them included 'stars fallen to earth', 'thunderbolts' and 'fish left over from the great flood,' Fascinating! It was also nice to see more modern donated items such as the HP Sauce factory sign and the tabard worn by late Big Issue seller Peter Dolan, a familiar face on the streets of Birmingham and Solihull until a few months ago. A great place to visit on a rainy day - and it's free! The museum's collection is wide-ranging and extensive. I just wish more of it, particularly the Pre-Raphaelites, could be on display.

I cannot avoid the cliche, the jewel in Birmingham's crown. It's a beautiful building from the outside in and the museum. Whats more the place is run by enthusiastic fans who then give a wonderful service. When I first moved to Birmingham 3 years ago I pretty much spent my Saturdays here exploring a different part each weekend. These were in the days before all my time was spent writing my book - and before I made friends. At that time there was a Barack Obama photography exhibit that I went back to visit three times. I long to return to those days, at least to go in once a month. Photography is my favourite but a minimal part of BMAG. I certainly appreciate the classics (and would be happy to have one at home!) and amazing features such as the Staffordshire hoard are a must see. Apart from the Presidential exhibition, my favourite has been 'Home of Metal,' documenting the city's amazing heavy rock & metal heritage. Most of the museum is free and reliant on our donations and to this end I am a fully paid up 'friend'! I bought the membership as a present to the BF & myself on our first anniversary, fitting I thought as as the 'Home of Metal' was kind off one of our early dates! People of Birmingham, enjoy!

When I think of galleries and museums, despite my passion for everything contemporary, my mind always thinks of places that have marble staircases and smell a little musty. In this instance, that's exactly what BMAG has to offer. You can visit, FOR FREE, and surround yourself with ancient historical works of art, and as the building is stone and marble it always feels cool inside - even with crazy hot weather like we're having at the moment! When you first reach the top of the entrance staircase you'll find yourself in my favourite part of the whole gallery - the Round Room which, unsurprisingly, is a round room with corridors leading off it. The walls of the Round Room are covered in paintings and artwork in a similar way to how they presented work at the old salons. I found out recently you can get married here, and I think THAT would be worth showing off on something like 'Don't Tell the Bride'!

I'm a bit of an art museum snob, having been raised by artists and growing up visiting art museums all over the place. Birmingham's museum and art gallery is charming, which is both a compliment and a criticism. There's a really great collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings and works from the Arts and Crafts movement, but it is typically the lesser-known works of famous painters. There's many beautiful pieces, but the layout of the museum is extremely confusing. Almost every other visitors we saw ended up standing in front of the few maps debating about where we were within the museum; it's not even clear which floor you're on as there are no signs. This sort of erratic signage and layout adds to the charm. The museum is nice, but the collection seems scattered through the grand old building; however, many areas are being renovated so I'll have to check it out again this fall. My other criticism is that a large part of the museum is oriented towards children. Almost the whole "History of Birmingham" exhibit is for kids. I'm used to children being segregated into separate wings or buildings, and having my grown-up solitude in a museum. I rather like the idea of encouraging children to take an interest in history and culture, but it's disappointing to find exhibit after exhibit targeting children. There's an interesting exhibit on the pop culture and musical history of Birmingjam, but it's tricky to find, in a back room we stumbled upon by accident while trying to find the ancient egyptian exhibit. All in all it's a lovely museum and well worth it! Plus it's free admission! There's the Edwardian tea room and a nice gift shop too. The tea room is cozy and has a decent menu, and is a great place to meet a few friends in the area, or rest after walking through the museum all day!

Really wonderful art gallery and museum with a couple of interactive things for kids (Dress up/masks etc) Truly beautiful architecture, with some killer views on some of the stairwells, as well as some incredible artwork, and as completely free to visit, seems definitely underrated by all of us locals. They change their exhibitions regularly, covering a huge variety of works, and is perfect to for art/history fanatics and even if you just have a few hours in town to kill. Parking is a little bit of a pain, as it always is in Birmingham, but I recommend heading to the red cage, or, if you can handle a bit of a longer walk, there's side streets with free parking in the Jewellery Quarter as around Digbeth. Wonderful place, worth a visit for locals and tourists alike!

BM&G is one of my favourite spaces in Birmingham. It is huge and each time I visit, I find something else that I've not noticed before. If you are willing to loose yourself here (perhaps, quite literally) then you are sure to find a quiet spot where you can stand alone and explore history or art without any distractions. There is also the Edwardian Tea Rooms which serves some tasty snacks and meals, and reasonable cake and tea. It's easy to spend a whole day here as there is plenty to see and do, and always someone on hand to answer questions if you have them.

It's one of the most underated Art Galleries in city or anywhere else. Hardly see anyone in there. There are some people there whenever I go but never busy. Tourists take advantage of this Art Gallery than us Brummies. I know a lot of people who lived in city and never been in here. It's a great place to go if you got 20/30mins to spare and around Victoria Square. Instead of going to the Library and sit, you can pop in here and have a look at the Art collections and learn about them. There's also a lovely tea room if you want spend more time there.

Beautiful Victorian building with permanent collections and temporary exhibitions too. Great art collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings including many by local artist Edward Burne Jones. Lots of lovely ceramics including William de Morgan tiles and vases. Fascinating collection of Vesta boxes (to keep matches dry and protected) in wonderful designs. Jewellery and stained glass, gold and silver ware and the Staffordshire Hoard. We spent the afternoon there and only running out of energy made us leave (and it was closing). Really beautiful Edwardian tearooms had well priced lunch and big pots of tea. Mini scones were a little on the hard side but a minor quibble and they didn't spoil afternoon tea.

Words cannot describe how much I love BMAG. I've been here countless times over the years and it never gets old. Easily my favourite place in the city. I adore anything Victorian, so I can spend hours getting lost in the architecture, the rooms and atmosphere of it. BMAG also has the worlds largest collection of Pre-raphaelites in the world and the galleries that showcase them are truly stunning. I've been known to sit in the Round Room for hours with a good book, just letting it all sink in. If independent shops/bars/restaurants are the beating heart of Birmingham, then BMAG is it's soul. Cataloging BIrmingham's history, mashing it with it's present and creating a place that is peaceful, reflective and full of hidden gems.

My favourite building in Birmingham! Walking up New Street towards the steps by the fountain you will be greeted by one magnificent architectural site! Daytime or night time the museum has more wow factor than any other place in Birmingham and that is why you will see many a person hanging out on the square enjoying the weather or taking a quick lunchtime snack. It has been awhile since I have been to the museum but I remember it being free and for a free museum having a great collection on show. The only thing this Museum lacks and I compare this to the ROM in Toronto is the special exhibits which do not happen as often. Also something like the ROM Friday night live would be great here but I can not imagine drunk brits behaving as much. Anyway it seems whenever I walk past the museum I always instagram the shit out of it, thats how awesome it looks. I wish I could tell you when it was built but I have no idea without cheating and googling it.

The Pre-Raphaelite galleries are amazing. The colours and atmospheres are very calming - a wonderful to walk round for a bit of rest and relaxation away from work at lunchtime. The interactive galleries are good fun, especially when taking colleagues. I has a good laugh with a mate from work a few weeks ago trying all the different wigs on in the hair exhibition currently showing.

Brilliant fun, I last visited the Birmingham Museum about 2 months ago with my youngest two children and although most of the museum itself was closed for refurbishment the art gallery was still open and we still had an excellent time. When you go into the museum you'll quickly learn it's like a labyrinth with corridors and staircases all over the place. I love the quirkiness of the museum and the way you can be looking at old paintings one minute and then going next door and finding yourself surrounded by Egyptian artifacts. There are lots of hands on activities in the museum and art gallery for children (and inquisitive adults!) including papers for the kids to colour in and various buttons to press for objects and attractions to make noises or start speaking to add a touch of personality to some of the displays. There really is something for everyone in the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery. Where else can you learn about dinosaurs, medieval dress, ancient Rome and Birmingham through the ages in one place - having fun at the same time?! There is also a fantastic Edwardian tea-room when you've finished looking around and want to take the weight off your feet for a while. I love their clotted cream scones with a nice rich cup of coffee, it's well priced compared to most cafes in the City Centre and serves a good range of snacks and main meals. It's a nice quiet place to sit and children are not expected to sit down silently, I love that the staff don't mind them playing and running around in the tea-room as a lot of these places tend to only welcome quiet children! We always visit the gift shop at the end of the day and the children will pick out a few bits and pieces to take home, I tend to steer them towards the stationery and postcards as unfortunately a lot of the merchandise is overpriced although it is of excellent quality. Visiting the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is completely free, although there are usually a couple of special exhibitions going on which you have to pay for. I don't mind this at all as these are usually very interesting and not expensive at all, if I remember rightly an adult admission to an exhibition costs £4 and children £2.50. We went to a Monsters one when we visited and it was absolutely excellent, the kids' loved it and even I had a couple of scares when a spooky figure seemed to loom out of thin air!

A free museum in the centre of Birmingham, this is definitely worth a visit. You can spend hours wondering around the different exhibits, looking at amazing painting and great bronze statues, as well as taking a tour through the Egyptian section and looking at all the ancient artifacts. The staff members are all really friendly and helpful, and know what they are talking about (and if they dont' then they are really good actors!). They are also more than happy to spend time talking to children and explaining things in a way that they can understand. There is a cafe in the museum, which serves food, snacks etc., and is all reasonably priced.

This is one of the best free things to do in Birmingham. Its fun for both kids and adults alike, so makes school holidays fun, especially as they usually have kids activities going on. Its located in the city centre so very easy to get to,and once inside its easy to navigate around the place. Of course they also have special displays on every now and then, so its always worth a visit.

Firstly I want to point out that it is free so well worth a nosey even if your not that into art. Theres such a wide range of stuff here you can easily spend a whole afternoon here just wandering about. At the moment theres a local project about hair and idenity, old paintings/sletches/sculptures. Theres interactive things for children like costumes, masks and replica models of statues that they can hold and feel. There are displays on different cultures and styles from around the world. Finds from excevations (like a jerusalem tomb I think?) Old oil greek and roman oil lamps.loads of stuff! Deffinately worth a visit, even if you only have a spare half hour.

More than half a million objects fill the cabinets and walls of Birmingham's museums. Here you will find everything from Renaissance masterpieces to 9,000-year-old Middle-Eastern treasures. Bronze Buddhas and Egyptian Mummies also reside here in this diverse and fascinating place. The BM&AG collections encompass fine art from the 14th century onwards; applied arts like ceramics and metalwork; and historic collections, including everything from local archaeology to world cultures. Perfect for a day out exploring with the family, especially the kids, will keep them amused for hours.

Birmingham Art Gallery is probably one of the most prominent in the Midlands & for good reason. As well as its famed Pre-Raphelite collection (absolutely wonderful, I promise!), it's also home to some brilliant impressionist pieces, some excellent modern art exhibitions & nice little collection of Degas sculptures & much much more. The only possible downside, is that despite its best efforts the gallery is not very child friendly. The attempts at interactive displays are few & far between & there is only one small area for child to create their own art work, which is not always very well maintained. If visiting with younger children it is difficult to walk round the whole museum & really enjoy it. Ending on a plus point: the cafe/ tea room is excellent, offering delicious real food (both hot & cold)!

As people have already mentioned it's free so that's a bonus. Great place to spend some time, some lovely art and the staff are really friendly. Saw the Holy Grail Tapestries recently which were stunning. These are only displayed every 5 years so they're worth checking out in 2014. Pleasant Victorian tearoom as well where you can grab a bite to eat and something to drink. There is some fantastic stuff to see even if your strapped for time and lets face it, there arent many museums and art galleries you can visit where upon entering the galleries you're greeted by a huge statue of Lucifer!

I came to brimingham for a day trip and was looking for something to do. As soon as I got off the train I was greeted by this lovely museum. The building itself is beautiful. The actual museum is diverse and interesting. Their collection of anglo saxon treasure was the highlight of the museum for me. I loved that they exhibited the process of uncovering the different pieces. The art gallery was nice as well.

Great place to visit and lots of things for children to do. the museum has excellent things to do over the half term holiday such as mask making, story telling, object handling as well as the usual wealth of artefacts and exhibits, many of them inter-active, on view here. Also It has very interesting exhibition telling the story of the city, with many interactive items and much social history. Would definitely recommend it's well worth a visit!

I love the Museum and Art Gallery it never fails to impress even after all these years. A great place to visit with children as entry is free and the Staffordshire Hoard is well worth a look. The tea room is lovely and a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. My personal favourite of the Art Gallery is the pre-Raphaelite section especially when Night With Her Train of Stars is on display.

I really do adore the museum. Bless my parents for always taking me on school holidays and for passing on the love for knowledge. They always gave really interesting exhibitions. My favourites in the last 6 months have been one with Grayson Perry's tapestries, a history of the transgender community in Birmingham and the creations of the guy who inspired bedknobs and broomsticks.

There is so much that I love about Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery that I'm struggling to decide where to begin. Common sense would dictate the entrance, so I'll go with that. From the second I step into the museum, I instantly feel calm and serene. The entrance hall has a grand staircase that goes up to my favourite part of the museum: the Round Room. This breath-taking space sits beneath a glass dome. Jacob Epstein's Lucifer is placed at the centre, whilst the surrounding burnt sienna walls are covered in themed groups of paintings. My favourite picture hangs just over the entrance arches - it is of a comical group of penguins, it never fails to make me smile. From the round room, you can choose to go straight ahead to check out the Staffordshire Hoard and the main galleries or take a right through the gift shop into the industrial galleries. These galleries showcase the city's industrial heritage in a stunning glass ceilinged space. The Edwardian tea room is also well worth a visit. In terms of the main galleries, I am a huge fan of how they are organised and how the décor of each room enhances and complements the works on show. The museum is renowned for its collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings; though there are plenty of equally awe-inspiring contemporary and lesser known works.

The museum is free, has great exhibits and it is all housed in a beautiful building!

Don't miss out on the opportunity to visit the museum and art gallery - one of the best in the area and a good range of exhibitions.

Birmingham Museum is a great place to explore the wonders of different cultures and to indulge yourself in many stories and exhibitions that are displayed here. As a public facility I find it extraordinary and highly fascinating with that they present within their museum, holding arts from far east cultures, middle east cultures to the far west cultures. Providing informative planks for every piece of art within this museum, analysing every detail and exploring the backgrounds of each piece making it an exciting experience for any fan of art. The museum itself is widely laid out with many rooms to explore and many floor levels to lose yourself in. I personally come to Birmingham's central museum frequently to check out new exhibitions, up and coming art pieces as well as seeing the old classic art.

Free museum that you can spend a good afternoon looking around. Always have new interesting exhibitions so worthwhile going back a couple of times a year. Lots of interactive things for children to take part in as well.

Free entry. Great for children and adults alike. The art work is fascinating and there is always plenty of interaction to keep the kids busy.

This is biggest and most centrally located museum in Birmingham. They have a good number of fine artworks from about 8 different centuries. This is a good place for a family day out, or if you've got a friend coming from out of town, you could take them there. They also usually have specially exhibitions on at different times of the year. At the moment, they are comemorating Black history month. The best thing about this place is that its free and has a good collection of works to see.