Birmingham's museums to open longer after £289,000 council boost

Birmingham's museums are opening for longer, especially at weekends, after the city council found an extra £289,000 to fund more opening days until March 2027.

The money was added to the 2026/27 budget through an amendment approved on 2 March.

What changes

• From 7 July: Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Thinktank open six days a week in term time, and every day in the school holidays.
• From 18 July: Blakesley Hall opens at weekends, taking it to five days a week.
• From 19 July: the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter opens on Sundays, taking it to four days a week.
• The Museum Collection Centre, which holds more than 80 per cent of the city's collection of around a million objects, will offer selected weekend tours.

"Giving greater access to our nine museums and our precious collections, for residents and visitors, has to be a priority," said Councillor Deborah Harries, Cabinet Member for Culture.

She said she hoped to look at further extending opening days across all the museums with Birmingham Museums Trust. The trust's co-chief executives, Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, said the funding would let more people enjoy the city's museums and historic houses through the summer and beyond.