Guru/Birmingham/Rainy day
Things to do in Birmingham when it rains
The centre is built for wet weather: the Bullring and Grand Central, the library, Thinktank and the museum are connected by short covered walks, and Cadbury World is entirely indoors.
14 picks that fit, best first. The order assumes the conditions in the title; the live forecast only nudges it.
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Chamberlain Square
The biggest Pre-Raphaelite collection in the world, in a Victorian palace of a museum, free.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Library of Birmingham
Centenary Square
A gold-ringed library with two free roof gardens and a Shakespeare room at the top.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Cadbury World
Bournville
The chocolate factory tour, with a ride, a 4D cinema and a lot of free samples.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Thinktank Science Museum
Millennium Point
Four floors of science with a planetarium, a Spitfire and a hands-on outdoor terrace.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Cannon Hill Park and mac
Edgbaston
The city’s favourite park, with boating lakes, a mini golf course and an arts centre on the edge.
Mostly under cover. Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Half a day
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Barber Institute of Fine Arts
University of Birmingham
A small Art Deco gallery with Monet, Degas and Turner, free, on the university campus.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Bullring and Grand Central
City centre
The Selfridges building and the shops around it, with the Bull outside and New Street station beneath.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Ikon Gallery
Brindleyplace
Contemporary art in a neo-Gothic school by the canal, free, with a singing lift.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Birmingham Hippodrome
Southside
The busiest theatre in the country, with touring musicals and Birmingham Royal Ballet.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
National Sea Life Centre
Brindleyplace
An aquarium with a 360-degree ocean tunnel, penguins and otters, on the canal.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter.
- Over £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Balti Triangle
Sparkbrook
The birthplace of the balti, a mile south of the centre, with dinner served in the pan.
Comes alive in the evening.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Symphony Hall
Broad Street
One of the best concert halls in the world, home of the CBSO, with a busy programme.
Comes alive in the evening.
- £10 to £25
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Birmingham Cathedral
St Philip’s Square
A small baroque cathedral with four Burne-Jones windows, in the square where the city meets for lunch.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
The Coffin Works
Jewellery Quarter
The factory that made the fittings for Churchill’s coffin, preserved as it was left.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter.
- Under £10
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Good to know
What can you do in Birmingham on a rainy day?
Head indoors. Birmingham has 14 rain-proof picks on this list, from free museums and galleries to covered markets and food halls. The list is re-ordered for the live forecast, so the strongest indoor options come first when it is actually raining.
Are there free indoor things to do in Birmingham?
Yes. Look for the "Free" label on the cards. The museum and art gallery, the Library of Birmingham, the Barber Institute, the canal towpaths, Cannon Hill Park and the cathedral are free.