Birmingham City Council invests in extending museum opening hours
Birmingham museum opening hours are being extended – particularly at weekends - from July until March 2027, following nearly £300,000 additional funding by Birmingham City Council.
This will enable more visitors to explore popular sites - including Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum – as the new opening hours come into effect during this month, in time for the school summer holidays.
Funding of £289,000 to enable extending several museum opening hours was made available as part of an amendment to the 2026/27 council budget, which was approved on 2 March 2026.
From July 2026, the following changes will be introduced:
- From Tuesday 7 July: Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and Thinktank, Birmingham Science Museum will increase their opening times to six days a week during term time – and both venues will be open every day during the school holidays.
- From Saturday 18 July: Blakesley Hall will be open on Saturdays and Sundays, increasing days open to the public to five days a week.
- From Sunday 19 July: Museum of the Jewellery Quarter will be open on Sunday, increasing days open to the public to four days a week.
- Plus, the Museum Collection Centre, which holds over 80 per cent of the city’s collection of around a million items, will offer selected weekend tours, with plans to develop a broader programme of weekend tours and events.
This extended opening programme is currently funded until the end of March 2027.
Cllr Deborah Harries, Cabinet Member for Culture, said: “Giving greater access to our nine museums and our precious collections, for residents and visitors, has to be a priority. I’m delighted that our budget amendment earlier this year has translated into additional opening days at more than half of the museums across the city.
“I’m also really pleased that this means new and extra weekend openings at the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter, Blakesley Hall and the Museum Collection Centre, providing greater visitor choice, particularly for children and families.”
Cllr Harries added she was hopeful, and would consider with Birmingham Museums Trust, options to further extend opening days across all the museums, going forward.
Sara Wajid and Zak Mensah, co-chief executives of Birmingham Museums Trust, said: "We are delighted that Birmingham City Council has provided additional funding to help us extend the opening days across a number of our sites.
“This investment will enable more people to enjoy Birmingham’s outstanding museums and historic properties.
“We look forward to welcoming even more visitors from July 2026 and throughout the summer holidays and beyond."
