Guru/Birmingham/With kids
Things to do in Birmingham with kids
Thinktank, Cadbury World and Sea Life are the paid favourites, with Cannon Hill Park, Sutton Park and the free museum for the rest.
11 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
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
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
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
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
Black Country Living Museum
Day trip: Dudley
A recreated industrial village with a 1930s chip shop, a mine and the Peaky Blinders sets.
- Over £25
- In and out
- A full day
- Good with kids
Birmingham Botanical Gardens
Edgbaston
Fifteen acres of Victorian gardens and four glasshouses in Edgbaston.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Aston Hall
Aston
A Jacobean mansion beside Villa Park, with a long gallery and a cannonball scar from the Civil War.
Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Free; limited opening days
Lickey Hills Country Park
Day trip
Wooded hills on the southern edge of the city with a view from the Beacon across four counties.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Sutton Park
Sutton Coldfield
A national nature reserve of heath, woods and lakes, bigger than Hampstead Heath.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Good to know
What is there to do in Birmingham with children?
Thinktank, Cadbury World and Sea Life are the paid favourites, with Cannon Hill Park, Sutton Park and the free museum for the rest. This list keeps 11 places that work with kids and moves the indoor ones up when it is raining.
Which of these are free for families?
Look for the "Free" label. Most cities have at least a couple of free museums and a big park on this list, which makes a cheap day out easy to put together.