List of museums in the West Midlands

{{Short description|none}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}

This list of museums in the West Midlands, England contains museums which are defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Also included are non-profit art galleries and university art galleries. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included.

{{Selfref inline|To use the sortable table, click on the icons at the top of each column to sort that column in alphabetical order; click again for reverse alphabetical order.}}

class="wikitable sortable"

!| Name

!| Image

!| Town/City

!| Region

!| Type

!| Summary

Aston Hall125pxAstonBirminghamHistoric house17th century Jacobean-style mansion with period rooms featuring furniture, paintings, textiles and metalwork from the collections of the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery
Aston Manor Road Transport MuseumAstonBirminghamTransportClosed, pending relocation
Avery Historical MuseumSmethwickSandwellIndustry[https://web.archive.org/web/20070218121449/http://www.averyweigh-tronix.com/museum/ website], collection of weighing machines and artefacts, located at the Avery Weigh-Tronix headquarters
Bantock House Museum and ParkFinchfieldWolverhamptonHistoric house18th-century house, ground floor furnished to reflect the Edwardian era, upper floor displays of important local people, industries, decorative arts, two Victorian period rooms, gardens
Barber Institute of Fine Arts125pxBirminghamBirminghamArtArt gallery and concert hall, collection includes British art, French impressionism and post-impressionism, sculpture, portrait miniatures, decorative arts, coins, part of the University of Birmingham
Berkswell MuseumBerkswellSolihullLocal[https://web.archive.org/web/20110207000749/http://www.baisley.u-net.com/museum.htm website], local history
Bilston Craft GalleryBilstonWolverhamptonArtContemporary crafts and decorative arts
Birmingham Back to Backs125pxBirminghamBirminghamHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, city's last surviving court of back-to-back houses, reflects life from the 1840s to 1970s
Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House125pxBirminghamBirminghamMilitarySite for testing small arms and ammunition, features a museum with small arms and ammunition and the history of their development, open by appointment
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery125pxBirminghamBirminghamMultipleArt, local history, decorative arts, archaeology, coins, costumes, ceramics
Bishop Asbury Cottage125pxGreat BarrSandwellHistoric house18th century period cottage, boyhood home of Francis Asbury, the first American Methodist Bishop
Black Country Living Museum125pxDudleyDudleyLivingRecreated 19th and early 20th century industrial village with historic buildings moved from other sites, includes trams and other transport vehicles, fun fair, historic shops and industry displays
Blakesley Hall125pxYardleyBirminghamHistoric houseLate 16th century Tudor timber-framed farmhouse, branch museum of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Cadbury World125pxBournvilleBirminghamFoodHistory of chocolate and the Cadbury confectionery company
Centre of the EarthBirminghamBirminghamNatural historyNature centre used for environmental education
Coventry Watch MuseumCoventryCoventryHorology[http://www.coventrywatchmuseum.co.uk/ website], planned museum about watches and watch-making, currently provide exhibitions
Coventry Music MuseumCoventryCoventryMusic[http://www.covmm.co.uk/2016/ website], museum highlighting the musical heritage of Coventry
Coventry Transport Museum125pxCoventryCoventryTransportationBritish-made road transport including cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles
The Drum125pxBirminghamBirminghamArtArts centre for Black British and British Asian arts
Earlswood Village MuseumEarlswoodSolihullLocal[https://web.archive.org/web/20100906064919/http://www.solihull-online.com/museum.htm website], local history
Haden Hill HouseCradley HeathSandwellHistoric houseVictorian gentleman's house furnished in period style
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum125pxCoventryCoventryMultipleArt, local history, culture, natural history, city's medieval, Victorian and modern history
Ikon Gallery125pxBirminghamBirminghamArtContemporary art
International Project SpaceBournvilleBirminghamArtContemporary art gallery, part of the Bournville Centre for Visual Arts
Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust MuseumCoventryCoventryAutomotive[http://www.coventrywatchmuseum.co.uk/ website], historic Jaguar cars and racing cars
The Lace Guild125pxStourbridgeDudleyTextilesHistoric and contemporary lace and lace-related artefacts
Stourbridge Glass MuseumStourbridgeDudleyglass{{cite news |date=9 April 2022 |title=Museum opens to celebrate the Black Country's glass-making heritage |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-61039223 |work=BBC News |access-date=9 April 2022}}
Lapworth Museum of Geology125pxEdgbastonBirminghamNatural historyFossils, minerals, rocks, operated by the University of Birmingham
Locksmith's House125pxWillenhallWalsallLocksDedicated to a lock-making family and locally made locks
mac125pxEdgbastonBirminghamArtTheatre, Cinema, Cafe and Public Space with Exhibit Gallery
Midland Air MuseumBagintonCoventryTransportationAircraft Museum including Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre
Museum of the Jewellery QuarterBirminghamBirminghamHistoric siteHistoric jewellery-making factory, branch museum of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
National Motorcycle Museum125pxBickenhillSolihullTransportationBritish motorcycles
New Art Gallery Walsall125pxWalsallWalsallArtCollections include sculptures and paintings by modern masters including a large selection of work by Jacob Epstein
New Hall Mill125pxWalmleyBirminghamMill[http://www.newhallmill.org.uk/newhall.htm website], 18th century watermill, located in New Hall Valley Country Park
Oak House125pxWest BromwichSandwellHistoric houseLate 16th century half-timbered Yeoman's farmhouse with Tudor and Jacobean furniture
The Pen Museum125pxBirminghamBirminghamIndustryHistory of the pen making industry in Birmingham including the companies, different kinds of pens, early typewriters and Braille machines, writing in general
PeriscopeEdgbastonBirminghamArtArtist-run contemporary art gallery and event space
Priory Visitor CentreCoventryCoventryArchaeology[https://web.archive.org/web/20100411080839/http://www.prioryvisitorcentre.org/ website], artifacts and history of St Mary's Priory
Red House Cone125pxWordsleyDudleyArtFormer glassworks, exhibits of historic and contemporary glass, glass-making workshops
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists125pxBirminghamBirminghamArtGallery exhibits of members' works
Sarehole Mill125pxHall GreenBirminghamMill18th century water mill used for grinding corn and later producing metal, includes 19th century bakehouse, exhibits on local resident J. R. R. Tolkien, branch museum of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Selly Manor125pxBournvilleBirminghamHistoricTwo Tudor period timber-framed houses
Soho House125pxHandsworthBirminghamHistoric houseLate 18th century period Georgian home of industrialist Matthew Boulton, branch museum of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Solihull GallerySolihullSolihullArt[http://www.solihull.gov.uk/gallery/default.htm website]
Thinktank125pxBirminghamBirminghamScienceThemes include future technology, innovation, space travel, current technology and scientific understanding on everyday life, natural history, biology, city's industrial and transportation history
Tipton Community Heritage CentreTiptonSandwellLocal[http://www.sandwell.gov.uk/info/200265/museums_and_art_gallery/1049/tipton_community_heritage_centre website], located in the town library, local history, industry, canals, social history
Tyseley Locomotive Works125pxBirminghamBirminghamRailwayRailway depot, workshops, engines and artefacts, viewing on open days
VIVIDBirminghamBirminghamArtGallery for media arts
Walsall Leather MuseumWalsallWalsallIndustryFormer Victorian leather factory, history of the local leather and saddle-making trades
Warwick Arts CentreCoventryCoventryArtMulti-venue arts complex at the University of Warwick, events in contemporary and classical music, drama, dance, comedy, films and visual art
Wednesbury Museum and Art Gallery125pxWednesburySandwellMultipleFine art, decorative arts including Ruskin Pottery, toys and games, local history
West Midlands Fire Service Heritage MuseumAstonBirminghamFire fighting
West Midlands Police Museum125pxSparkhillBirminghamLaw enforcementUniforms, vehicles, photographs, badges, whistles, memorabilia, history of police work in the region
Wightwick Manor125pxWightwickWolverhamptonHistoric houseOperated by the National Trust, Victorian period manor with Arts & Crafts interiors and Pre-Raphaelite art
Wolverhampton Art GalleryWolverhamptonWolverhamptonArtCollection includes fine art and decorative arts from the Georgian and Victorian eras, Pop Art, works from Northern Ireland, Asian decorative arts

Defunct museums

  • Broadfield House Glass Museum, Kingswinford, closed in 2015{{cite news|title=Broadfield House Glass Museum to close after 35 years|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/08/25/broadfield-house-glass-museum-to-close-after-35-years/|access-date=14 April 2017|publisher=Express & Star|date=25 August 2015}}
  • Coventry City Farm, closed in 2008http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/7291402.stm City farm shuts after cash crisis, BBC News, March 12, 2008
  • Coventry Toy Museum, Coventry, closed in 2007http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/2010/05/05/former-coventry-toy-museum-could-be-restored-after-arson-attack-92746-26381118/ "Former Coventry Toy Museum could be restored after arson attack", Coventry Telegraph, May 5, 2010
  • Dudley Museum and Art Gallery, closed in 2016{{cite news|title=Dudley Museum shuts as council cuts bite|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2016/12/23/dudley-museum-shuts-as-council-cuts-bite/|access-date=14 April 2017|publisher=Express & Star|date=23 December 2016}}
  • Galton Valley Canal Heritage Centre, Smethwick
  • Jerome K. Jerome Museum, Walsall, [http://www.jeromekjerome.com/birthplace?phpMyAdmin=xM-YSOGwh5AdiSJVmw%2CkbIMK4F2 website], currently seeking new facility
  • Museum of Science and Industry, Birmingham, closed in 1997, many exhibits now at Thinktank, Birmingham
  • Walsall Museum, closed in 2015{{cite web|last1=Kendall|first1=Geraldine|title=Walsall Museum to close next month|url=https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/27022015-walsall-museum-to-close-cuts|publisher=Museums Association|access-date=14 April 2017|date=27 February 2015}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

{{West Midlands County}}

{{Museums in the United Kingdom}}

West Midlands

Museums