Birmingham Attractions for Families: A Guide to the Must-See Sights

“Remember when we…?” Family trips are all about creating lasting memories you can reminisce about years or even decades later. So, when planning one, you’ll want to pick your destination carefully. A lively city with an inviting vibe that offers family-friendly attractions and bonding activities is what you’ll be looking for. Well, Birmingham delivers on all fronts. It has the perfect mix of culture, education and fun to make sure the whole family, from toddlers to grandparents, finds loads to enjoy. Whether you’re planning a day’s outing or a longer stay, you’re set up for a wonderful time, as well as for comfort and convenience at your hotel in the centre of the city. Here’s our guide to the must-visit attractions for families in Birmingham.

Everybody loves chocolate, and there’s no better place to satisfy your craving for a bit of choccy than Cadbury World. Cadbury, the company, turned 200 in 2024, but with or without a special anniversary, every trip to its chocolatey world feels like a celebration. Your visit is a self-guided experience during which you can travel to an Aztec Jungle to discover the origins of the cocoa bean, enjoy a 4D chocolate adventure (including a ride on the Crunchie rollercoaster) and, of course, make your own chocolate. Your older kids will also appreciate finding out about the Cadbury family heritage and how the popular Cadbury brands are manufactured.

• Address: 69 Linden Road, Bournville, Birmingham B30 IJR
• Opening hours: 10am-4:30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-6pm Sat, 9:30am-5:30pm Sun
• Tickets: £22.50 (standard ticket for adults)

What do chocolate and LEGO have in common? Both are hugely popular with children – and, let’s be honest, with adults too. So now that you’ve had your fill of chocolate it’s time for some building challenges. Let your kids' imaginations run wild as they create their very own Miniland or DUPLO Farm, or simply discover one of the many family attractions such as a 4D cinema, a themed LEGO city soft play area and Merlin’s magical potion room. Adults too are guaranteed to be swept up in the fun.

• Address: Arena, King Edwards Road, Birmingham B1 2AA
• Opening hours: 10:30am-2:30pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am-5:30pm Sat, 9:30am-4:30pm Sun
• Tickets: from £20 (standard play session ticket)

LEGO minifigures may be the world’s most popular toys, but even they do not hold as much fascination for children as nature and all its exotic and magnificent creatures. And there are lots of those at SEA LIFE Centre: penguins, clownfish, sharks, rays, jellyfish, and some eels with not one but two sets of jaws. These fascinating species dwell in 10 aquarium zones and, in the UK’s only 360-degree ocean tunnel, you can get so close to some that, if it wasn’t for the plexiglass, you could touch them. It’s truly a sight to behold, but that’s not all this Birmingham attraction has to offer: families can also enjoy two virtual reality experiences for just £7 extra.

• Address: The Water's Edge, Brindleyplace, Birmingham, B1 2HL
• Opening hours: 10am-4pm Mon-Fri, 9:30am-6pm Sat, 10am-4:30pm Sun
• Tickets: from £18 (standard ticket)

If your children have ever complained that science is just rigid facts and complex theories, you must take them to this museum in the heart of Birmingham. Come to think of it, take them anyway because they’re in for an astonishing experience regardless of how they feel about science. There are four floors to explore, chock-full of hands-on exhibits that guarantee an exciting and educational visit for the whole family. Your under-8s will love playing in MiniBrum, an interactive minicity with lots of roleplay zones, while the Planetarium and the Science Garden are suitable for all ages. In addition, be sure to visit some science shows, Thinktank’s themed galleries that centre around dinosaurs and transport, and meet the talking-singing robot, Robothespian.

• Address: Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG
• Opening hours: 10am-5pm Wed-Sun
• Tickets: from £15.50 to £21.50 for adults (depending on the time of visit)

If your kids love puzzles and challenges, visit Clue HQ, one of Birmingham’s top-rated escape room attractions for families. No matter if it’s your first time solving clues to escape or if you’re a seasoned player, the four rooms, designed with unique themes and varying difficulty levels, offer something suitable for the whole family. Do you have what it takes to find your way out before your time (60 minutes) is up? Either way, you’ve earned yourselves a snack and some drinks, so drop by the Hideout Board Game Bar and Café right next to Clue HQ.

• Address: Arches 20 & 21 Lionel Street, Birmingham, B3 1AG
• Opening hours vary, so check online for details.
• Tickets: from £20 to £29 per person (depending on the number of people)

As one of the UK’s premier presenting theatres, the Hippodrome has made it its mission to stage performances that provide “that goosebumps feeling”. If you and your family enjoy live theatre, you’ve come to the right place. The question isn’t so much what is on as what is not. Ballet, comedy, drama, musicals, opera – just name your favourite genre and the Hippodrome has got you covered. Not sure your kids are old enough for the theatre? Upcoming shows such as The Jingleclaw, Peter Pan or Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat should set your mind at ease at this classic Birmingham attraction for families.

• Address: Hurst Street, Southside Birmingham, B5 4TB

Birmingham makes your family visit special. Sounds clichéd? Maybe, but that doesn’t make it any less true. Just watch your children’s eyes widen and their smiles grow radiant as they’re exploring chocolatey wonders, solving perplexing puzzles and marvelling at rays gliding overhead. That’s how cherished family moments are created, and all the Birmingham attractions for families make sure you will leave with many of those.