Free things to do in Birmingham

12 places in Birmingham with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Barber Institute of Fine Arts
Small gallery with an excellent eclectic permanent collection, including many pre-Raphaelites. Good Britain Guide gallery of the year 2004. As of April 2026, the Barber galleries are closed for a major building improvement project.
Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun noon-5PMFree (donations welcome)
See
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery
Large museum with some local history, several temporary exhibitions and large permanent collection, including an extensive collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. Home to part of the stunning Anglo-Saxon hoard, the largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold metal work discovered just north of Birmingham in 2009. Includes the Gas Hall and Waterhall Gallery of Modern Art. As of August 2025, only some galleries are open, due to refurbishment.
Wed-Sun 10AM-5PMFree (donations welcome)
See
Hall of Memory
A war memorial built in 1925 for the 12,320 Birmingham citizens killed in the First World War.
Mon-Sat 10AM-4PMfree
See
IKON Gallery
Small gallery with two or three temporary modern and conceptual art installations. Excellent cafe (see below).
Tue-Sun 11AM-5PMFree (donations welcome)
See
Lapworth Museum of Geology
Rocks and fossils, aimed at a broad range of audiences. One of five UK museums shortlisted for the Art Fund Museum of the Year Award in 2017, following major redevelopment of its displays.
free
See
Library of Birmingham
The new library building at Centenary Square was opened in September 2013 to replace the 1970 Birmingham Central Library nearby (demolished 2016). It is the single largest public library in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. The building was designed by the Dutch firm Mecanoo architecten, and took four years to build. It includes an intricate facade decoration, despite the very simple form of the building, as well as a number of innovative sustainable features. To explore the building take the lift to the top (9th) floor to see the Shakespeare Memorial Room, a fine wooden panelled library, which used to be in the city's library built in 1882. There is also a viewing window to look over the city. There are outside garden spaces on the 7th and 3rd floors which give different city views. The four lower floors house the public library, laid out in impressive style.
Mon-Fri 8AM-8PM, Sat 9AM-5PMFree
See
Moseley Bog & Joy's Wood Nature Reserve
The Dell
A small woodland area that is said to be the Inspiration for Fangorn Forest in the Lord of The Rings. The area is well looked after with a series of wooden platforms and walkways creating pathways to follow. A visit can also be linked in with Sarehole Mill (see above), another haunt of young Tolkien.
Free
Do
National Exhibition Centre
NEC
A huge exhibition centre, staging more than 180 exhibitions each year in 21 halls totalling 200,000 m². Also has a 12,000-seat arena hosting national and international sporting and entertainment events.
Free-£40 (price varies with event).
See
RSPB Sandwell Valley
A bird reserve on the border with Sandwell which organises regular guided walks, talks and family activities.
Tue-Fri 9AM-5PM, Sat Sun 10AM-5PM (closes at dusk in winter)free entrance
See
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
RBSA
Independent art gallery; frequent temporary exhibitions and works for sale.
Free entrance
See
Sutton Park
Enormous (over 900 hectare) park including heathland, wetland, marshes, woodland and lakes. Designated an English Nature National Nature Reserve in 1997. Lots of activities on offer including golf, angling, cycling and bird watching.
Free admission
See
Woodgate Valley Country Park
450-acre meadow, hedgerow and woodland park containing Woodgate Valley Urban Farm and Hole Farm Trekking Centre. Best visited in spring and summer when there are hundred of wild flowers and butterflies.
Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Birmingham (CC BY-SA 4.0).