Birmingham in Winter: 26 Family-Friendly Things to Do [by a Local]

1. The National SEA LIFE Centre

Within the Brindleyplace development along Birmingham’s picturesque canal network, you’ll find the National SEALIFE Centre Birmingham, home to over 2000 beautiful, fun and cheeky sea animals. It’s among the city’s top indoor attractions for families.

The National SEA LIFE Centre is very hands-on and interactive for kids. Touch pools, puzzle trails and virtual reality experiences make it entertaining as well as educational. Check out the talks and feeding demonstrations by friendly staff to learn all about the animals.

We’ve visited SEA LIFE a few times now, the last time being summer of 2023 which was even more special, as we went with our 7-month-old daughter for her first time, and she absolutely loved it, it really is perfect for the whole family.

National SEA LIFE Centre (Google Maps location)
Admission: tickets from £21. Book your tickets in advance here.
Opening times: Sun – Fri: 10am til 4pm | Sat: 9:30am til 6pm
How to get there: from Grand Central, the metro takes you to Library in 14 minutes. On foot it’s 19 mins, and by car is 11 mins.

2. Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery

Situated in the heart of the city next to the Town Hall, BMAAG is a large Victorian building with a domed, Round Room.

The gallery has an extensive collection of Pre-Raphaelites paintings from the 14th Century onwards, and the museum hosts huge exhibits of antiquities and artifacts from Ancient Egypt, Ancient India and Central Asia, the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages.

Here you can also discover the largest collection of Anglo-Saxon gold ever found!

What’s more, BMAAG ranks as one of the best free things to see and do in the West Midlands for a day of family fun.

(Google Maps location)
Admission: Free (except some exhibitions)
Opening times: Wed – Sun: 10am til 5pm, Mon – Tue: closed
How to get there: from Grand Central, the metro takes you to Town Hall in 6 minutes. Its 8 mins walk up Stephenson Street and then Pinfold Street.

4. Thinktank Science Museum

Brum’s Thinktank Science Museum makes learning incredibly fun and interactive for the whole family.

With four floors spanning science and technology, the Thinktank offers over 200 hands-on displays. From steam engines to robotics, there’s something that piques every interest.

The state-of-the-art Planetarium offers an otherworldly experience. Especially popular with kids are the Science Garden with giant outdoor science experiments and the Kids City roleplay zone.

(Google Maps location)
Admission: from £15.50 (concessional tickets available)
Opening times: Wed – Sun 10am til 5pm (closed Mondays and Tuesdays)
How to get there: from Moor Street station, walking takes 10 mins.

5. LEGOLAND Discovery Centre

Die-hard LEGO fans are in luck: the Legoland Discovery Centre, aimed at children aged three to 12, is right in the heart of the city beside the Bullring shopping centre, and promises HOURS of LEGO brick-making fun.

Really cool rides include the Kingdom Quest Laser and Merlin’s Apprentice. You can admire multiple LEGO worlds constructed with a whopping 1.5 million LEGO bricks to create sites from famous landmarks to fantasy lands.

With 10 build and play zones on site, you can let the kids run wild in the brick pits with tons of LEGOs to build to their wildest imaginations, and be sure to check out MINILAND, showcasing Birmingham in LEGO form – it looks super impressive!

LEGOLAND (Google Maps location)
Admission: tickets start from £25. Buy your tickets here.
Opening times: Mon – Fri 10:30am til 2:30pm, Sat: 9:30am-5:30pm, Sun: 9:30am-4:30pm

7. Spend a Day at Alton Towers

For a thoroughly enjoyable theme park experience, Alton Towers is an absolute top contender for best things to do in Birmingham with toddlers and young kids in the holidays.

If you ever need a reason to go – Alton Towers is the UK’s Number 1 theme park – jam-packed with breathtaking rollercoasters, themed worlds, live events, a Spa, Waterpark, Golf Land, and more.

Plunge into the black hole of darkness on Oblivion and if you’re brave, hang under the inverted tracks of my fave screamer; The Nemesis. Ride the labyrinth of the Wicker Man, or break into the vault on the brand-new Gangsta Granny: The Ride.

Save over 50% (£29, down from £68 – a saving of £39!) when you book via our link above.

Bringing the little ones? Alton Towers is home to the world’s only CBeebies land, with 14 rides and live shows specifically for young kids.

Alton Towers is located just outside of Stoke-on-Trent. You can read my expert guide on Activities to Do in Stoke with kids here.

Alton Towers (Google Maps location)
Admission: From £35. Save 50% when you book your tickets in advance here.
Opening times: Sat-Tue 10am-5pm, Wed-Fri 10am-6pm
How to get there: from Grand Central its 2hrs 50 mins on the train. By car its 1 hour 20 mins from the city centre. Read my guide on the best way to get to Alton Towers here.

8. Take a Trip to West Midlands Safari Park

West Midlands Safari Park combines a safari drive-through with theme park elements. Drive your own car or go on the Safari Skyway on a tour encountering elephants, tigers, giraffes, white rhinos and more roaming freely – so a car is not a requirement here!

Enjoy attractions like the Land of the Living Dinosaurs with giant moving prehistoric creatures. Thrill rides, stage shows, a sea lion presentation and lemurs are some more highlights.

West Midland Safari Park (Google Maps location)
Admission: tickets from £32 (under 3s go free). Get 35% off your tickets when you book online HERE:
Opening times: Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun: 9:30am-6pm
How to get there: located in Bewdley, around 1 hour drive away.

10. Explore the Black Country Living Museum

One of the highlights of the West Midlands is experiencing and learning all about England’s Industrial Revolution at the Black Country Living Museum.

This impressive open-air complex recreates a 19th-century workers town with historic buildings, houses, shops, pubs, and coal mines. Costumed guides are in character throughout, sharing stories of what life was like.

Interactive experiences like riding a vintage fairground carousel, exploring the mines, and having fish and chips in a traditional chip shop, brings the past to life, and the authentic smells, sounds, and feel of everything really makes you feel as if you’re living in the heart of Victorian England!

Top tip: since the BCLM is an open-air museum it’s ideal to go during the best time to visit the West Midlands in the summer.

(Google Maps location)
Admission: from £25.95 (concessional tickets available)
Opening times: 10am-5pm daily
How to get there: take a train from Grand Central to Dudley Port station (20 mins). Then take a 15 minute taxi or bus.

11. The Pen Museum

The Pen Museum offers a quirky free attraction exploring the history of pens! Their collection has over 5,000 items showcasing fountain pens, ballpoints, dip pens and the evolution of writing implements.

At one point in the Victorian era, more than 90% of all the pens in the world were produced in this city! You can even try your hand at calligraphy during one of their demonstrations.

(Google Maps location)
Admission: from £5.95 per person, year round
Opening times: Thurs-Sat: 11am-4pm, Sun: 12-4pm (closed Mon-Wed)

12. Savour the delightful foods of Chinatown

At the heart of one of the most diverse cities in the UK is Chinatown – a sprawling melting pot of cultures and cuisines, boasting some of the top restaurants in Birmingham for foodies.

With everything from food markets, eateries and cafes to bars, clubs, hotels, a casino, and entertainment venues, the Chinese Quarter is a gem in the heart of the city.

Theaters like the The Alexandra, The Victoria, and Hippodrome hold world-class live events, as does Birmingham Royal Ballet – the UK’s premier touring ballet company.

Having sampled cuisine all over the city, it goes without saying Chinatown offers the most mouthwatering authentic Asian food in the city.

Aside from bustling indoor food markets, there are Chinese roast duck joints and sizzling Korean BBQ outlets, Cantonese all-you-can-eat buffets, Dim Sum spots and many more – Indian, Japanese, Vietnamese, Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

My current favourite eatery is Dezhou Style Braised Chicken which serves delicious authentic homemade Szechuan style noodles, I always go for the cumin and coriander beef stir fry. Check out their rave reviews here:

Chinatown (Google Maps location)

Top 10 Budget Eateries and Independent Cafes in Birmingham:

Check out the interactive Google maps of the top independent restaurants on the left side (in yellow markers) and the best independent cafes on the right (in purple markers).

13. Visit the Lapworth Museum of Geology

Gigantic dinosaur skeletons and rare fossils take centre stage at Birmingham University’s Lapworth Museum of Geology.

One of the UK’s finest geology museums, it houses over 250,000 specimens spanning 3.5 billion years of the Earth’s history.

Marvel over mammoth dinosaur skeletons (see what I did there?!), massive mammoth tusks, and real meteorites. Interactive displays engage kids in learning about minerals and fossils. They’ll get a proper geography lesson out of this trip – bonus!

Best of all, standard admission is free, making it one of the top free things to do in Birmingham.

(Google Maps location)
Admission: Free
Opening times: Mon-Fri: 10am-5pm, Sat-Sun: 12pm-5pm
How to get there: take a train to University Station from Grand Central (12 mins). It’s a 10 min walk from the University.

14. The Botanical Gardens

Another one of the city’s most popular attractions, the Botanical Gardens features four unique glasshouses as well as 15 acres of sprawling stunning gardens.

Wander through formal rose gardens, an arid Tropical House, herb gardens, rock gardens and more. Have a picnic on the lawns, and let kids run free in the adventure playground.

This nature centre is not one to skip, the Botanical Gardens is of the top free things to do in Brum, especially in the summer when the flowers are in full bloom, and the gardens are accessible for all. Donations are welcomed to sustain this oasis.

Botanical Gardens (Google Maps location)
Admission: Adult £8.50, children: £5.50 (concessional tickets available)
Opening times: Mon – Sun 10am til 5pm
How to get there: from Grand Central, buses 23 and 24 stop at the Botanical Gardens (23 mins). By car it takes 9 minutes.

15. Birmingham Wildlife Conservation Park

For a fun day meeting exotic animals, head to the Wildlife Conservation Park. Home to over 200 species, it focuses on endangered animals.

Walk through Amur tiger and red panda enclosures and the lemur wood forest walkway.

Don’t miss feeding time opportunities and keeper talks to learn about the wildlife. Kids will love letting lemurs eat from their hands!

(Google Maps location)
Admission: tickets from £7.65
Opening times: 10am-4pm daily
How to get there: take a taxi or bus from Grand Central, around a 35 minute drive.

16. Explore the Bullring Shopping Centre

Right in the heart of town, the Bullring is the UK’s largest city-based shopping centre, one of the best malls in the country and among the biggest in Europe.

It has a host of well-known high-street fashion stores and household shops, as well as popular diners and cafes. Its convenient location makes it easy to drop by lunch or a quick coffee break while on your day tour, and there’s free wifi too.

For a breathtaking view of the city, I recommend ascending to the observation deck of the iconic Selfridges building.

The Bullring (Google Maps location)
Admission: Free
Opening times: Mon – Fri 10am til 8pm, Sat 9am til 8pm, Sun 11am til 5pm
How to get there: from Grand Central, it’s right across the road, 2 mins walk.

17. Birmingham Back to Backs

The Back to Backs tells visitors a 200-year-long tale of the ordinary people that built an extraordinary city.

Also known as Court 15, the museum is the last surviving court of back-to-backs. This little hidden gem features the homes of these pioneering individuals which were literally built back-to-back around a communal courtyard—hence the name.

Here you can take the fascinatingly realistic guided tour which will take you back in time, experiencing the quaint, daily lives of the humble people of Birmingham from the 1840s to the 1970s.

Back to Backs (Google Maps location)
Admission: Adults – £7.50; Children – £3.75; Family – £18.75; Family (1 adult) – £11.25.The prices above are for Standard Admission.
Opening times: Guided Tours:- 1pm-3pm (Tue–Wed); 10am-3pm (Thu–Sun).
Second-hand bookshop & Exhibition Space:- 1pm-5pm (Tue–Wed); 10am-5pm (Thu–Sun) (closed Mondays).

19. Stroll around the Jewellery Quarter

No visit would be complete without exploring the town’s historic Jewellery Quarter and seeing master craftspeople at work.

A former industrial district, the Jewellery Quarter is home to over 100 retailers, diamond dealers, and workshops, as well as the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, and the Coffin Works.

The Museum of the Jewellery Quarter

A perfectly preserved 18th-century jewellery workshop that offers a unique glimpse into working life in the Jewellery Quarter. It’s a superb place to get yourself a beautifully personalised, hand-crafted jewellery gift on request. 

I’ve taken many walking tours through the Jewellery Quarter over the years and can attest to the fascinating blend of heritage, arts, and dining here.

Jewellery Quarter (Google Maps location)
Admission: Museum (Factory and the galleries) – Temporarily closed
Opening times: Tue – Fri 10:30am til 5pm

The Coffin Works

A fully restored, Victorian coffin fittings workshop that’s also home to the Newman Brothers Museum. Costumed guides lead you around the factory where you will experience the sights, sounds and smells of factory life and hear the incredible stories of workers, owners and trade.

Learn how the city was the heart of the global coffin furniture trade back in the day, as Newman Brothers led the charge embracing the highs and surviving the lows of the industry.

The factory’s fittings adorned coffins of royals such as George V and VI, Queen Mary, Princess Diana, the Queen Mother, as well as non-royals like Winston Churchill.

► Insider Tip: The Jewellery Quarter is home to an English Heritage Site – read our guide here on the benefits of English Heritage Membership – how it can save you hundreds of pounds a year, and how to sign up for one.

Coffin Works (Google Maps location)
Admission: Adult £8.50, child £4.50 (under 5s FREE), family (1 adult, 3 children) £15
Opening times: Wed – Sun 10:45am til 3:15pm (closes 2:15pm on Thurs), closed Mon – Tue

20. Visit the RAF Museum

Aircraft enthusiasts of all ages will be in heaven at RAF Cosford. Get up close to 100+ aircraft from WWI biplanes to supersonic jets and military helicopters.

Located in Cosford, The RAF Museum is one of the top things to do in Wolverhampton. You can step onboard the aircraft and chat with knowledgeable RAF veterans too.

Interactive exhibits let you try aviation simulators, a 4D motion ride and an official RAF aircraft ejection seat. My fave highlight here is the latest Cold War Exhibition Tour, and seeing a display of the RAF’s Harrier Jet – the world’s first vertical take-off jet!

Best of all, entry is free, making it one of the best budget-friendly things to do. You only pay for extras like simulators and exhibitions.

(Google Maps location)
Admission: FREE
Opening times: 10am-5pm daily.
How to get there: take a taxi or bus from Grand Central to RAF Cosford. It’s a 40 minute drive.

21. The Custard Factory & Street Art Scene

The Custard Factory is home to a range of independent shops, cafes and bars as well as various creative and digital hubs and businesses. The site was originally a large factory complex built by Alfred Bird, the 19th-century inventor of egg-free custard.

Digbeth is packed with numerous impressive murals and wall art of all sizes all over the district: on old factory buildings, on the side of bars, in hidden alleyways, on bridges and archways.

The beauty of this place is that new murals and artwork are being spray-painted all the time, often replacing or overlapping on existing murals, which means the region is constantly visually changing on a weekly basis.

Personally, this is one of my favourite activities since there is always something new and different when I visit. Digbeth is truly one of the hidden gems in Birmingham for tourists and it doesn’t cost a penny.

Top tip: If Digbeth’s large size seems overwhelming, we recommend booking this guided street art walking tour that takes you to all the best spots – the hidden gems and iconic murals, without getting lost or losing time.

The Custard Factory, Digbeth (Google Maps location)
Admission: Free
Opening times: Mon – Fri: 8am til 5pm
How to get there: from Grand Central: 12-minute walk down to Digbeth. By bus – numbers 2, 3, 4A, 5, 6, 17, 60 and 97 stop in Digbeth (10 mins journey)