List of museums in the West Midlands

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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.

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NameImageTown/CityRegionTypeSummary
Aston Hall Aston Hall.jpg Aston Birmingham Historic 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 Museum Aston Birmingham TransportClosed, pending relocation
Avery Historical Museum Smethwick Sandwell Industry website, collection of weighing machines and artefacts, located at the Avery Weigh-Tronix headquarters
Bantock House Museum and Park Finchfield Wolverhampton Historic 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 Arts BirminghamBarberInstitute.jpg Birmingham Birmingham ArtArt 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 Museum Berkswell Solihull Local website, local history
Bilston Craft Gallery Bilston Wolverhampton ArtContemporary crafts and decorative arts
Birmingham Back to Backs Birmingham back-to-backs.jpg Birmingham Birmingham Historic 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 House Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House.jpg Birmingham Birmingham MilitarySite 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 Gallery BirminghamBMAG.jpg Birmingham Birmingham MultipleArt, local history, decorative arts, archaeology, coins, costumes, ceramics
Bishop Asbury Cottage Bishop Asbury Cottage, Newton Road, Grove Vale, West Bromwich.jpg Great Barr Sandwell Historic house18th century period cottage, boyhood home of Francis Asbury, the first American Methodist Bishop
Black Country Living Museum Blackcountrystreet.jpg Dudley Dudley LivingRecreated 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 Hall Blakesley Hall.jpg Yardley Birmingham Historic houseLate 16th century Tudor timber-framed farmhouse, branch museum of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Cadbury World Cadbury World sign, Bournville.JPG Bournville Birmingham FoodHistory of chocolate and the Cadbury confectionery company
Centre of the Earth Birmingham Birmingham Natural history Nature centre used for environmental education
Coventry Watch Museum Coventry Coventry Horology website, planned museum about watches and watch-making, currently provide exhibitions
Coventry Music Museum Coventry Coventry Music website, museum highlighting the musical heritage of Coventry
Coventry Transport Museum Coventry Transport Museum.jpg Coventry Coventry TransportationBritish-made road transport including cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles
The Drum The Drum, Potters Lane, Newton (Aston), Birmingham.jpg Birmingham Birmingham ArtArts centre for Black British and British Asian arts
Earlswood Village Museum Earlswood Solihull Local website, local history
Haden Hill House Cradley Heath Sandwell Historic houseVictorian gentleman's house furnished in period style
Herbert Art Gallery and Museum The Herbert extension - geograph.org.uk - 866158.jpg Coventry Coventry MultipleArt, local history, culture, natural history, city's medieval, Victorian and modern history
Ikon Gallery IkonGallery.jpg Birmingham Birmingham ArtContemporary art
International Project Space Bournville Birmingham ArtContemporary art gallery, part of the Bournville Centre for Visual Arts
Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Museum Coventry Coventry Automotive website, historic Jaguar cars and racing cars
The Lace Guild

Lace Guild Museum, view of display cabinets, March 2013.jpg

Stourbridge Dudley TextilesHistoric and contemporary lace and lace-related artefacts
Stourbridge Glass Museum Stourbridge Dudley glass [1]
Lapworth Museum of Geology Lapworth Museum.jpg Edgbaston Birmingham Natural historyFossils, minerals, rocks, operated by the University of Birmingham
Locksmith's House The Locksmiths House - geograph.org.uk - 912482.jpg Willenhall Walsall LocksDedicated to a lock-making family and locally made locks
mac Midlands Art Centre - Cannon Hill Park.jpg Edgbaston Birmingham ArtTheatre, Cinema, Cafe and Public Space with Exhibit Gallery
Midland Air Museum Baginton Coventry TransportationAircraft Museum including Frank Whittle Jet Heritage Centre
Museum of the Jewellery Quarter Birmingham Birmingham Historic siteHistoric jewellery-making factory, branch museum of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
National Motorcycle Museum UK Motorcycle Museum1.jpg Bickenhill Solihull TransportationBritish motorcycles
New Art Gallery Walsall Walsall art gallery.jpg Walsall Walsall ArtCollections include sculptures and paintings by modern masters including a large selection of work by Jacob Epstein
New Hall Mill New Hall Mill, Sutton Coldfield - geograph.org.uk - 1650343.jpg Walmley Birmingham Mill website, 18th century watermill, located in New Hall Valley Country Park
Oak House Oakhouse.jpg West Bromwich Sandwell Historic houseLate 16th century half-timbered Yeoman's farmhouse with Tudor and Jacobean furniture
The Pen Museum Argent Centre.jpg Birmingham Birmingham IndustryHistory of the pen making industry in Birmingham including the companies, different kinds of pens, early typewriters and Braille machines, writing in general
Periscope Edgbaston Birmingham ArtArtist-run contemporary art gallery and event space
Priory Visitor Centre Coventry Coventry Archaeology website, artifacts and history of St Mary's Priory
Red House Cone Redhouseglasscone.jpg Wordsley Dudley ArtFormer glassworks, exhibits of historic and contemporary glass, glass-making workshops
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists Royal Birmingham Society of Artists.jpg Birmingham Birmingham ArtGallery exhibits of members' works
Sarehole Mill Sarehole Mill.jpg Hall Green Birmingham Mill18th 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 Manor Selly Manor - geograph.org.uk - 317952.jpg Bournville Birmingham HistoricTwo Tudor period timber-framed houses
Soho House Sohohouse1.JPG Handsworth Birmingham Historic houseLate 18th century period Georgian home of industrialist Matthew Boulton, branch museum of the Birmingham Museums & Art Gallery
Solihull Gallery Solihull Solihull Art website
Thinktank Thinktank Birmingham.tif Birmingham Birmingham ScienceThemes 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 Centre Tipton Sandwell Local website, located in the town library, local history, industry, canals, social history
Tyseley Locomotive Works GWR 4073 Class 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.jpg Birmingham Birmingham RailwayRailway depot, workshops, engines and artefacts, viewing on open days
VIVID Birmingham Birmingham ArtGallery for media arts
Walsall Leather Museum Walsall Walsall IndustryFormer Victorian leather factory, history of the local leather and saddle-making trades
Warwick Arts Centre Coventry Coventry ArtMulti-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 Gallery 2003 Stuck in Wednesbury (2).jpg Wednesbury Sandwell MultipleFine art, decorative arts including Ruskin Pottery, toys and games, local history
West Midlands Police Museum Sparkhill Police Station - 2014-03-11 - Andy Mabbett - 02.JPG Sparkhill Birmingham Law enforcementUniforms, vehicles, photographs, badges, whistles, memorabilia, history of police work in the region
Wightwick Manor Wightwick Manor 02.jpg Wightwick Wolverhampton Historic houseOperated by the National Trust, Victorian period manor with Arts & Crafts interiors and Pre-Raphaelite art
Wolverhampton Art Gallery Wolverhampton Wolverhampton ArtCollection includes fine art and decorative arts from the Georgian and Victorian eras, Pop Art, works from Northern Ireland, Asian decorative arts

Defunct museums

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands (county)</span> County in England

West Midlands is a metropolitan county in the West Midlands Region, England, with a 2021 population of 2,919,600, making it the second most populous county in England after Greater London. It was created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The county is a NUTS 2 region within the wider NUTS 1 region of the same name. It embraces seven metropolitan boroughs: the cities of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton, and the boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull and Walsall. The county is overseen by the West Midlands Combined Authority, which covers all seven boroughs and other non-constituent councils, on economy, transport and housing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Country</span> Area of the West Midlands, England

The Black Country is an area of the West Midlands county, England covering most of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. Dudley and Tipton are generally considered to be the centre. It became industrialised during its role as one of the birth places of the Industrial Revolution across the English Midlands with coal mines, coking, iron foundries, glass factories, brickworks and steel mills, producing a high level of air pollution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walsall</span> Market town in West Midlands County, England

Walsall is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located 9 miles (14 km) north-west of Birmingham, 7 miles (11 km) east of Wolverhampton and 9 miles (14 km) from Lichfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudley</span> Town in West Midlands, England

Dudley is a large market town and administrative centre in the county of West Midlands, England, 5.5 miles (8.9 km) southeast of Wolverhampton and 8 miles (13 km) northwest of Birmingham. Historically an exclave of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley; in 2011 it had a population of 79,379. The Metropolitan Borough, which includes the towns of Stourbridge and Halesowen, had a population of 312,900. In 2014 the borough council named Dudley as the capital of the Black Country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands Metro</span> Light rail system in the West Midlands, England

The West Midlands Metro is a light-rail/tram system in the county of West Midlands, England. Opened on 30 May 1999, it currently consists of a single route, Line 1, which operates between the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton via the towns of Bilston, West Bromwich and Wednesbury, running on a mixture of reopened disused railway line and on-street running in urban areas. The line originally terminated at Birmingham Snow Hill station but, with extensions opened in 2015, 2019 and 2022, now runs via Birmingham city centre to terminate at Edgbaston. A further extension in Wolverhampton was scheduled to open in 2022, but has been pushed back to 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands (region)</span> Region of England

The West Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of International Territorial Level for statistical purposes. It covers the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The region consists of the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. The region has seven cities; Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands conurbation</span> Conurbation in England

The West Midlands conurbation is the large conurbation that includes the cities of Birmingham and Wolverhampton and the towns of Sutton Coldfield, Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich, Solihull, Stourbridge and Halesowen in the West Midlands, England. It is also referred to as the Birmingham urban area and is one of the most populated and densely populated built-up areas in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stourbridge</span> Town in the West Midlands, England

Stourbridge is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the West Midlands, England, situated on the River Stour. Historically in Worcestershire, it was the centre of British glass making during the Industrial Revolution. The 2011 UK census recorded the town's population as 63,298.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brierley Hill</span> Human settlement in England

Brierley Hill is a town and electoral ward in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, West Midlands, England, 2.5 miles south of Dudley and 2 miles north of Stourbridge. Part of the Black Country and in a heavily industrialised area, it has a population of 13,935 at the 2011 census. It is best known for glass and steel manufacturing, although industry has declined considerably since the 1970s. One of the largest factories in the area was the Round Oak Steelworks, which closed down and was redeveloped in the 1980s to become the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. Brierley Hill was originally in Staffordshire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingswinford</span> Human settlement in England

Kingswinford is a town of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley in the English West Midlands, situated 5 miles (8.0 km) west-southwest of central Dudley. In 2011 the area had a population of 25,191, down from 25,808 at the 2001 Census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chase Line</span>

The Chase Line is a suburban railway line in the West Midlands region of England. It runs from its southern terminus, Birmingham New Street, to Walsall, and then Rugeley in Staffordshire, where it joins the Trent Valley Line. The name of the line refers to Cannock Chase which it runs through at its northern end.

Wordsley is a suburban area of Stourbridge in the West Midlands, England. It is part of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley and falls into the Stourbridge (DY8) postcode and address area, being just north of the River Stour. Wordsley is part of the Dudley South Parliamentary constituency. It is bordered by open countryside to the west, Kingswinford to the North, Brierley Hill to the East and Stourbridge to the South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walsall–Wolverhampton line</span>

The Walsall–Wolverhampton line is a railway line in the West Midlands, England. It connects the town of Walsall to the city of Wolverhampton. The complete line does not currently have any regular scheduled passenger services: The line's local passenger service was withdrawn in 1965, it was restored in 1998, only to be withdrawn again in 2008. At present, the main use of the line is by freight trains, and it is also used as a diversionary route when engineering works are carried out on the West Coast Main Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wolverhampton</span> City in the West Midlands, England

Wolverhampton is a city, metropolitan borough and administrative centre in the West Midlands, England. The population size has increased by 5.7%, from around 249,500 in 2011 to 263,700 in 2021. People from the city are called "Wulfrunians".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dudley Museum and Art Gallery</span>

Dudley Museum and Art Gallery was a public museum and art gallery located in the town centre of Dudley in the West Midlands, England. It was opened in 1883, situated within buildings on St James's Road, and remained at that site until its closure in 2016. Some of the museum collections have since been relocated to the Dudley Archives centre on Tipton Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Express West Midlands</span> British bus operator in the West Midlands, England

National Express West Midlands (NXWM) is a bus operator in the West Midlands that operates services in Birmingham, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Wolverhampton, and Solihull, as well as limited routes outside of the general area of Birmingham, such as the X1 to Coventry, or the 144A to Bromsgrove. NXWM is a subsidiary of National Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadfield House Glass Museum</span> Art, craft and social history museum in Kingswinford, West Midlands

Broadfield House, a Grade II listed building, was home to a glass museum and hot glass studio, owned and operated by Dudley Council museum service and was located in Kingswinford, West Midlands, England. The museum closed on 30 September 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive</span>

The West Midlands Passenger Transport Executive (WMPTE) was the public body responsible for public transport in the West Midlands metropolitan county in the United Kingdom from 1969 until 2016. The organisation operated under the name Centro from 1990, and was publicly branded as Network West Midlands from 2005.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 West Midlands mayoral election</span> Mayoral election held in the West Midlands, England

The inaugural West Midlands mayoral election was held on 4 May 2017 to elect the Mayor of the West Midlands, with subsequent elections to be held every four years from May 2020. The election took place alongside five elections for English metro mayors and other local elections, and ahead of the general election on 8 June 2017.

References

  1. ↑ "Museum opens to celebrate the Black Country's glass-making heritage". BBC News. 9 April 2022. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  2. ↑ "Broadfield House Glass Museum to close after 35 years". Express & Star. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  3. ↑ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/coventry_warwickshire/7291402.stm City farm shuts after cash crisis, BBC News, March 12, 2008
  4. ↑ http://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
  5. ↑ "Dudley Museum shuts as council cuts bite". Express & Star. 23 December 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  6. ↑ Kendall, Geraldine (27 February 2015). "Walsall Museum to close next month". Museums Association. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
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