Birmingham Museums Trust is ready for a rocking summer this school holiday – from rock music fun at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery (BMAG), to moon rocks at Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum, where they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing, there’s lots to see and do!
Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Apollo moon landing at Thinktank this summer. Visit Thinktank after hours for an out of this world Moon Landing Party on Saturday 20 July from 6pm. Dance away at the silent disco, enjoy Planetarium screenings and a live science show, and take part in amazing lunar-themed activities, including a chance to hold an actual piece of moon rock! There will even be prizes for the best space-themed costumes! For tickets visit birminghammuseums.org.uk/thinktank/whats-on/moon-landing-party.
The fun doesn’t stop if you’re visiting throughout the summer holidays. Enjoy a fun-packed science show Destination Space – The Moon on weekdays, where you’ll learn all about the moon. Find out what the moon smells like, get a birds-eye view of the lunar surface and track the footsteps of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin! This show is part of a National STEM Programme, Destination Space created by ASDC and funded by the UK space Agency and is included in the Thinktank ticket price.
Travel to the moon in Thinktank’s new 4K Planetarium. This mind-blowing show will take you to the landing sites of the Apollo missions and even the far side of the moon!
And if you haven’t visited MiniBrum yet – what are you waiting for? MiniBrum is Thinktank’s mini city where children are in charge. The interactive attraction for under 8s is a child-sized world with exciting play zones, like the construction zone with climbing tower, a salon with dress up and styling areas, ice-cream and vegetable stalls, and much more!
Don’t forget to visit the outdoor Science Garden and the new Signal Box Cafe, which is the perfect to way refuel with a new menu in a fun family setting, right next to the City of Birmingham locomotive.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
It’s all about musical fun at BMAG, inspired by the Home of Metal presents Black Sabbath – 50 Years exhibition currently on display in the Gas Hall until 29 September. Children can learn about Birmingham’s music history and enjoy interactive elements, like getting to play a Gibson guitar and Black Sabbath colouring activities. For tickets visit homeofmetal.com.
To celebrate the exhibition, children can take part in heavy metal mask making, music-themed fairy tales, glamorous guitar crafts, heavy metal photobooth, and rocking out robots! Entry to the exhibition is not required for these activities but some activities have a small charge.
Relax and refuel while on your visit at the Edwardian Tearooms. Sample the elegant afternoon tea, try out the tasty new summer menu or simply stop by for a tea or coffee. The adjoining interactive Mini Museum space will keep little ones occupied.
Heritage Sites
To mark the start of summer holiday Birmingham Museums Trust is welcoming canine visitors, as the Heritage Sites are now dog friendly in the outdoor areas and cafes. Bring your furry friends along with you and explore beautiful gardens and tearooms, perfect for a family day trip out.
Visit Aston Hall for summer fun including interactive storytelling sessions, such as Beauty and the Beast, Goldilocks and Rapunzel which take you on a mesmerising tour of this stunning building. Family drawing tours throughout the holiday will allow you to tap into your inner artist and is the perfect way to explore this grand mansion with all the family. See the website for more details.
Blakesley Hall will be showcasing winners from the Inspire 19 youth art exhibition, displaying 45 of the best entries, ranging from oil paintings to sculpture. Kids can also get hands-on and build their own dens in the Blakesley Hall gardens on Tuesday 13 August and take part in swashbuckling fun at Knight School on Sunday 1 September. There’s arts and crafts to enjoy throughout the summer and the family room in the Hall with puppets, board games, costumes and soft play for little ones.
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter is the perfect place to unleash children’s creativity this summer with the Kids’ Jewellery Workshops on Thursday 25 July. Children will use real jewellers’ techniques like texturing metal, stamping and enamelling to make their own piece of jewellery to take home. On Wednesday 21 July there is a special chance for families to explore the historic jewellery factory with a fun trail.
Don your bakers’ hat on Friday 23 August at Sarehole Mill for family baking day and make some delicious fairy biscuits in this hands-on baking session! Nature Day on 8 August is perfect for bug lovers as they will get up close to all manner of creepy crawlies. Take part in river dipping and finding insects and wildlife around Sarehole Mill. Visit throughout the summer for craft activities and to see this idyllic site and the resident wildlife in the sunshine.
Soho House will be welcoming you to the world of science on Wednesday 31 July inspired by the experiments of James Watt and his Lunar Society friends who used to meet at the house. On Sunday 4 August you’re invited to Bollywood celebrations at Soho House with a fun-filled day of themed festivities at the Boulton Goes to Bollywood event. Experience the sights and sounds of Bollywood first hand with some fantastic performances and workshops, along with tasty food, henna, face painting, crafts and sporting activities.
Over at Weoley Castle Ruins, take part in a day of medieval mischief on Sunday 28 July as re-enactors show you what life was like in medieval times. Plus, meet real life archaeologists, take part in a replica archaeological dig, and more.
Find out more about the whole host of summer fun at Birmingham Museums by visiting birminghammuseums.org.uk/whats-on for event and ticket details.
