Go wild this half-term holiday at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
From stepping back in time to discover Anglo-Saxon treasure with the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery, to being transported across the world to meet amazing animals in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery has got family fun covered this half term school holiday – open Wednesday to Sundays 10am-5pm.
For the first time in over seven months the Staffordshire Hoard Gallery will reopen on Saturday 24th October, ready for families to be transported to the 7th Century to learn more about this fascinating Anglo-Saxon treasure which was discovered in a farmer’s field over 10 years ago. The gallery will now open weekends and school holidays for visitors to discover more about this impressive find. Find out more about opening times here.
As part of a visit to the museum, families can book to see the world-renowned Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition which is now open in the Gas Hall. On loan from the Natural History Museum, London, this spectacular display showcases images from across the world which capture a range of fascinating animals and their behaviour.
BMAG 130th birthday event pictures
Visitors can get up close and personal with these amazing animals and their habitats. There’s even a selfie spot for budding young explorers to stop and pose! Tickets are £7.50 for adults and £3 for children and students, and must be pre-booked.
On your way through the museum’s new one-way route, take a pitstop at the Edwardian Tearooms with a range of tasty treats, including a special themed Go Bananas milkshake for animal lovers to continue their wildlife experience in style! There’s also a range of Wildlife Photographer of the Year merchandise for sale in the BMAG shop and all purchases support Birmingham Museums’ work as a charity.
To guide families through the galleries, BMAG will be offering a brand-new activity pack, available to buy when pre-booking tickets online or on arrival for £3. Including interactive worksheets, fact finding trails and drawing challenges, this pack is the ideal way for families to explore the galleries and learn more about the world-renowned collections on display. Children can proudly show off their Museum Detective Badge which comes as part of the pack.
As Halloween approaches there will be some spooky touches to the museum. Families won’t want to the miss the chance to get their picture taken in the Phantom Photo Studio which will be an ideal memento of their visit. Photos are only £1 or as a spooktacular extra, any visitors that are dressed in their best costumes will receive a free photo!
Stop by and speak to the fiendishly friendly museum staff as they tell you about some ‘orrible museum objects. Drop by throughout the day and the team will showcase weird and wonderful objects from the museum collection, ranging from ancient artefacts to creepy natural history specimens.
There’s also a chance to see new displays of works by Birmingham artist Cold War Steve and a portrait of girls’ education activist Malala Yousafzai by Iranian-born artist and filmmaker Shirin Neshat on loan from the National Portrait Gallery, plus centuries of art to explore from the Renaissance to present day.
To help keep visitors safe, the museum will be operating with a one-way system and free timed slots must be pre-booked online online with the option to add a donation. Tickets booked for Wildlife Photographer of the Year include entry to the museum. Visitors are advised to make themselves aware of all of the safety guidelines available on the website before visiting.