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Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery was officially opened on Saturday, November 28, 1885, by the then Prince of Wales, and later King Edward VII. It’s estimated that around 100 million people have visited the museum since then. To mark its 140th birthday, enjoy a series of special events over the weekend (November 28 to 30)
Visitors can enjoy a birthday cake-cutting moment, live poetry from award-winning Brummie poet Bradley Taylor and a performance by the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire Trumpet Club on Friday, November 28. Then, as part of Museum Shop Sunday, enjoy a 15% off in its gift shops on Sunday, November 30.
Also, across the weekend, you can go behind-the-scenes into areas you don’t usually see with ‘hidden spaces’ taster tours, as well as a trail of party hats concealed among the objects on show in the museum’s galleries and ‘my first museum’ tours for young visitors under five and their families.
“From its foundation in the 19th century, the museum has been woven into the fabric of Birmingham life,” said Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust. “We’re proud to celebrate the many stories it holds – and even prouder to help write its next chapter.”
What else can I see? 
Credit: Aston Villa
Current exhibitions at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery include Ozzy Osbourne: Working Class Hero, which features accolades, mementoes and photos from the Black Sabbath frontman’s illustrious career, while Watch Us Lead, by multi-disciplinary artist Christopher Samuel, highlights the disabled experience in Birmingham.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery’s Pre-Raphaelite collection is also back on display, while a new display, The Elephant in the Room, which explores how artefacts from around the world came to be part of Birmingham Museums’ collections. The Grade II* listed building and tearooms have been gradually reopening since October last year after a refurbishment that started in 2020.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery is open for free from Monday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.