This city centre museum is home to the world’s biggest collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings and many other historic artefacts.
Opened in 1885 and boasting over forty galleries, the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery or BMAG, has an incredible collection, including the largest collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings in the world. There are also displays dedicated to fine art, archaeology and ethnography as well as artefacts from ancient civilisations and wonderful ceramics and metalwork. Learn about the history of Birmingham in the new ‘Birmingham: its people, its history’ gallery. The museum is also home to the Staffordshire Hoard. Currently, some of the Hoard is on display in a temporary gallery, but there will be a dedicated permanent collection at the museum from September 2014.The Pre-Raphaelite collection consists of over 2,000 works of fine and decorative art. Highlights include Ford Madox Brown’s ‘The Last Of England’ and William Holman Hunt’s ‘The Finding Of The Saviour In The Temple’.The BMAG’s collection is truly global with significant historical pieces from Ancient India, Central Asia, Rome and Egypt, which are housed in the antiques collection. Over in the ethnography gallery, discover African tribal masks and South American carved figurines.The museum is also family friendly with a host of interactive activities aimed at keeping younger visitors happy. There are art trails and weekend art clubs to get involved in. Children will get the chance to try on period outfits or even listen to a conversation with Albert Einstein!Guided tours are available on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays and are reasonably priced. For details of tours, temporary exhibitions and curator-led talks, check the BMAG website for a full schedule of events.Situated in Chamberlain Square in the heart of the city centre, BMAG is conveniently placed for several other attractions such as the Jewellery Quarter and Symphony Hall which are a short walk away. BMAG is easily reached by train into New Street Station or by bus to Victoria Square. There is no onsite parking but paid car parks and meters are located close by. The museum is open daily except for some public holidays. Visitors are advised to check the BMAG website for full details.
